"Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor
Review by Greg Latimer, Library Assistant, Pioneer Park Library
An entire book about breathing? Inhale, exhale, what more is there to it?
Well, for example, was your most recent breath through your nose or your mouth? How long was your inhale? Your exhale? Was it a shallow breath or did it travel down to your abdomen? As science journalist, James Nestor, convincingly argues in “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,” these are just a few of many aspects of our breathing habits that can have significant impacts on our health and well-being. Nestor takes readers on a fascinating journey through modern research and ancient practices, travelling the world to interview experts in related fields and also repeatedly using himself as an experimental test subject.
Even though breathing is generally automatic, there are mental and physical benefits to consciously practicing different breathing techniques. Nestor supplies plenty of breathing techniques for readers to try. Whether you want to be better fueled for the challenges of everyday life or you are interested in having another tool for combating a health issue, it is hard to think of an intervention more basic and natural than breathing with purpose.