Book: BREATH by James Nestor

Seven or eight years ago, I paid a small fee for a downloadable PDF of breathing exercises from Wim Hof, who was in process of sharing what he had learned in his journey that involved various breathing and other exercises. Off I went, hyperventilating away, and marveling at how long I could hold my breath, after a few exercises.  James Nestor, in his uncannily timed book, Breath, provides a, sometime overwhelming, overview of breathing methods, their history, resistance some of the therapies have experienced, and their benefits. He makes the connection between such modern voices as Wim Hof back to Tummo, Inner Fire Meditation, and thousands of years old techniques, and contextualizes the benefits of many breathwork methods; slow and long, nose/not mouth, breathe less, hold your breath, carbon dioxide therapy and more.

            Like many other wellbeing practices, breathwork has the greatest impact as a preventative medicine and as a path to deepen the reach into your potential.  Practicing breathing methods takes patience and consistency, and hacking it, like hacking meditation, gets you just a tiny sip of its enormous potential benefits.  

            The first learning I took from the book, is that a breath interval of 5.5 seconds in, and 5.5 seconds out, exists in prayer or chant or other practice in nearly every known religion. The second, from the entirety of the book, is that breath should be either its own pillar of wellbeing or the foundation of all the other pillars -Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual. In this time, if you could do one thing, work on your breathing; you’ll experience more energy, less anxiety and improve your resilience.