Books to Borrow Williamsburg Public Library Recommends

Air in. Air out. Repeat. Nothing is more important than the way we bring life-sustaining oxygen into our bodies. As humans, we pretty much have the technique of breathing down. Yet, according to journalist, James Nestor, we don’t. In “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,” Nestor provides an interesting spiritual, cultural, and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe and why he believes we have been doing it wrong for a very long time.

Regardless of how hard we try with diet and exercise, if we’re not breathing properly it seems none of that matters. Young or old, the way we breathe is key.

So, how did humans forget how to do something so important, correctly? Where did we go wrong? Nestor traveled the world speaking to free divers who can dive hundreds of feet down into the depths of the ocean on a single breath and trading stories with a Tibetan monk practicing Tummo to learn as much as he could on the matter.

After being skeptical upon entering a free breathing class, Nestor experienced a change he’d hoped for but didn’t particularly expect. So, he went back. Then, he delved deeper into researching. Ancient techniques. Past civilizations. Healing.

Nestor believes after reading this book you’ll never breathe the same again. Making simple changes to the way we breathe can be healing. Breathing exercises can relieve stress. In “Breath,” the author provides anecdotes from those who have been healed due to simple, yet routine changes in their breathing. One of these was from a woman whose cancer went into remission. Making even minute adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can promote healthy, energetic athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, provide relief from snoring, and help with autoimmune diseases.

Every 3.3 seconds a transformation happens within our body. That’s about how long it takes to take a breath in and let it out. Humans do this twenty-five thousand times a day. Now after the hustle and bustle of the holidays is leaving us… Just Breathe.