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Breath
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art | James Nestor
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if youre not breathing properly. There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers arent found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of So Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again.
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Bzosche
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“the greatest indicator of life span wasn‘t genetics, diet, or the amount of daily exercise, as many had suspected. It was lung capacity.”

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Mrs_B
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Pickpick

SHUT YOUR MOUTH (new motto)
This was fascinating. It‘s well written - Nestor really gets the balance between research and anecdotes - and packs a powerful punch. I‘m definitely going to incorporate some new habits into my daily life - resolved to only breathe through my nose. Now excuse me while I go tape my mouth shut…

AmyG I tried taping my mouth shut. First night was great. Second night the tape was on my forehead. It didn‘t quite work out for me. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 8mo
TieDyeDude I think the information and the ideas are very important, but he seems to be telling everyone to jump in with both feet, rather than encouraging people to discuss things with their doctors or health professionals. I definitely found some useful things, and I loved the section about how our skulls and faces have developed over time... 8mo
TieDyeDude but I also was read to tape my mouth shut for snoring until my doc told me I should do a sleep study and diagnosed me with sleep apnea and tape would be a very bad idea for me. 8mo
See All 9 Comments
AmyG @TieDyeDude Absolutely! I don‘t snore so I didn‘t have an issue. 8mo
Chrissyreadit I loved this book- and have gotten much better about nose breathing when i‘m awake and take a weekly breathe work class that i love!!! 8mo
Mrs_B @AmyG I love that image of waking up with tape on your forehead! 😂 7mo
Mrs_B @TieDyeDude that‘s interesting, what did a sleep study involve? 7mo
Mrs_B @Chrissyreadit is it an online class? If so would you mind sharing the details? I‘ve found one for Sunday which I‘m hoping to be able to try. 7mo
Chrissyreadit It‘s not online anymore (it used to be both) but the instructor is breathtide on IG if you want to follow her. 7mo
60 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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Chrissyreadit
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Do you have a mindfulness practice? Do you have recommendations?
Honestly I STRUGGLED with this idea for a long time- but I learned it is not quite what I thought. I love my Balance APP that i rave about here often- the tagged book blew me away and now i take a weekly breathework class- It has been a game changer! A monthly sound bath and most recently a salt float!! I miss tai chi and walking in nature- so still hope for those again.

IndoorDame I‘m super intrigued by sound baths! I really want to try one! 11mo
37 likes1 comment
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cant_i'm_booked
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Pickpick

A highly interesting read (at least for one who did her physiology project on Tummo and hangs with people who write their theses on free divers diving by the Golden Gate Bridge) and one with immediate real-life applications and permanent, life-changing benefits. Nestor surveys how mouth-breathing can be killing us and nose-breathing can save us, what wonders breath-holds and box-breathing can do for asthma, sleep apnea and nasal congestion, etc.

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docukscribbles
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Nasal breathing saves lives....can save many.

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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This was a well-written, engaging, informative look at breathing and its myriad impacts on bodies. I don't think I would have wanted to undergo the experiments the author did to test theories/impacts of mouth-breathing versus nose-breathing, but the science was fascinating, and a little frightening. Book #2 for #auldlangspine Thanks for recommending, Chrissy! It was a great read!

Chrissyreadit Im so glad you liked it! 2y
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DGRachel
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I‘m listening to this for #auldlangspine and I have to give kudos to the author for doing something I‘ve never heard before - there‘s apparently a gruesome study conducted on dogs that‘s even worse than the one with monkeys that he‘s already discussed. He said “if you‘re sensitive to these kinds of things, you may want to skip the next two minutes”. I so appreciate the opportunity to fast forward a specific amount of time. 💖

Smrloomis Oh I wish other book narrators did that!! 2y
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DieAReader
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Pickpick

#WinterReadathon #BookSpinBingo #PenniesPerPage #BookNookBuddies2022 #ImpulseReads

(Book 8 of Readathon) A very interesting read that I had on hold through Libby & I had forgotten all about it🤦🏻‍♀️😂

I skipped the breathing exercises at the end (10%) but took note of the website provided for videos of them.

🎄: 15

Andrew65 Well done 😮‍💨🧘‍♀️😮‍💨 2y
TheSpineView Awesome 2y
annahenke I also found this fascinating. Such surprising insights. 2y
DieAReader @annahenke Much more to it than I had originally thought upon starting it, that‘s for sure🤔🤓🤔 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
52 likes5 comments
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DieAReader
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#WinterReadathon #BookNookBuddies2022 #PenniesPerPage #AudiobookImpulse #BookSpinBingo

Gonna read this one before hubby gets to it. Came in via Libby several days ago so…I might as well, right?!? He may not even get to it & I couldn‘t possibly let it sit on the shelf, lonely, until it‘s yanked back by the system!🤷🏻‍♀️😂😈📚😂🤓

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
Andrew65 Sounds a great plan 🎅🏼🎅🏼🎅🏼 2y
CoverToCoverGirl Is it any good? 2y
49 likes3 comments
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bnp
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I fell off the Litsy bandwagon this year, but want to hop back on with three goals for the month of December

1. Saline nose rinse every day
2. Move outside: a walk around the neighborhood or yardwork 3 days/week
3. Clear/clean a shelf, surface or drawer 2 days/week

This is the path in the park in my neighborhood

#BFC2022, #WanderingLyn

wanderinglynn I too fell off the #BFC wagon! Moving and house hunting took up all my bandwidth. Would you be interested in doing a new #BFC in the new year? 2y
bnp @wanderinglyn - yes, I would definitely like to do this again. 2y
15 likes2 comments
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QBub
Pickpick

I‘ve been breathing on a regular basis for the past 69 years. Who knew I‘d been doing it wrong almost the whole time? Even after training myself NOT to be a mouth breather 30 years ago, I still have faulty technique. James Nestor presents an enlightening tour of the overlooked science surrounding breathing, describes the health benefits of proper technique. Big shocker: CO2 levels are more important than O2 levels! Read it and breathe easy.

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LisaLovesToRead
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Pickpick

Nestor complies and draws upon a lot of research; he conducts his own personal experiments; and he has a captivating narrative. I was pulled into this book & have tried to incorporate some of the breathing techniques described. It‘s compelling!

annahenke Recently finished on audio. I found it fascinating and surprising! 2y
LisaLovesToRead @annahenke, i agree! And it just seemed to click & really resonated with me. 2y
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Chrissyreadit
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Pickpick

It‘s taken me a few months to finish- more because I only listened when I could really focus. I am fascinated by the information in this book. At a very basic level I am working to be more aware of my breathing in general and have increased nose breathing. Anyone else read this and explore the way you breath?

JenReadsAlot I did! 2y
annahenke I am listening to it now - really interesting! 2y
IuliaC I found this book very interesting and helpful! I had no idea nose breathing during sleep was so important 2y
See All 8 Comments
Chrissyreadit @JenReadsAlot @annahenke @IuliaC I‘m amazed at how limited we are in using information that could be life changing for “basic” things- but also curious about how devestating sleep apnea is and that this could be deadly too?!? Kind of like nutrition- learning to breathe and eat healthy foods do not lead to profits in some areas. Were any of you cynical that way? 2y
IuliaC @Chrissyreadit I used some of the info to improve my sleep by breathing less through my mouth while asleep. I also found interesting the fact that teeth alignment influences breathing, I knew dentition impacted the whole body posture and our walking but didn't know it's also connected to breathing 2y
Chrissyreadit @IuliaC yes- I was amazed at how we have changed our body formation and not necessarily in a good way. 2y
WaterVixxen This is a fabulous read/listen. I gifted it to my partner and we bother have learned so much. 2y
Chrissyreadit @WaterVixxen yes!!! I want everyone in my family to read it 2y
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ChelsAH10
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A fantastic way to spend Mother‘s Day and my oldest‘s birthday! 🖤

#getoutside #breath #bestseller

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ElizaMarie
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Pickpick

I listened to this on recommendation from @ChrissyReadIt . It was so great! I have been working with my therapist on breath work to help tame down some of my anxiety, so I feel like this was right in that direction. I loved learning the science behind it.

Chrissyreadit Yay!!! I‘m so glad! I love it- but still have 3 hours left - I had to return to library and waiting for my turn again. I May just buy it so I can take notes. 3y
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bnp
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Mine have to to with water - rinsing my nose with salt water, & drinking more water during the day.

#BFC2022 @wanderinglynn

wanderinglynn Fantastic! 🙌🏻 3y
12 likes1 comment
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DcSunshine
Pickpick

I‘d read and find myself working on breathing. I meditated after reading this. I enjoyed it and learned from it.

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Chrissyreadit
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#bfc2022 February
COVID has been no joke for me this past week. This is the sickest I have ever been with the exception of EBV- and I‘m desperately hoping it will not be reactivated. I think Science literally is saving my life. I think this will be a very slow month of just trying to recover, study for licensing when my brain works and gratitude because I‘ve had a lot of help and love sent my way. Above turmeric oat milk with garlic- helps cough

DrexEdit Sending healing vibes and wishing you a complete recovery! 💖 3y
jen_the_scribe Hope you recover quickly and smoothly. I had it at the beginning of Jan. and it hit me hard too. I also feel like science saved my life. 3y
CuriousG Sending wishes for continued healing and recovery ❤ 3y
See All 37 Comments
JamieArc Healing vibes to you 🙌🏼🙌🏼. When I had the worst cough of my life a few years ago, almond milk was the only thing that allowed me to sleep. Non-dairy milk is a godsend! 3y
Julsmarshall Sending love and healing vibes thoughts your way! It hit our house a few weeks ago too and I can‘t imagine how bad it would have been without vaccinations and boosters. Thank goodness for our scientists and our medical professionals! 3y
robinb Feel better soon. ☀️ 3y
marleed I‘m so sorry this has hit you so hard and sending you all kinds of positive energy. 3y
ElizaMarie I am so sorry, I didn't realize that you had COVID. I hope you recover quickly! 3y
erank58 I hope you feel better soon! 💙 3y
Librarybelle Hope you feel better soon 💙 3y
squirrelbrain Hope you get better soon 😘 3y
DivineDiana Sending healing thoughts to you. ❤️ 3y
Deblovestoread Wishing you a fast and complete recovery. Sorry you have been hit so hard but yay! Vexed against the worse! 3y
Suet624 Oh gosh. I hope you feel better soon. 3y
StaceGhost I‘m so sorry you‘re sick! Feel better soon ❤️I‘m really really glad science is saving your life! Wish I could send more than good vibes (edited) 3y
LeahBergen Oh no! Sending healing ❤️❤️❤️ your way! 3y
readordierachel No fun. I hope you start feeling better soon 3y
AllDebooks Oh that's no fun, sorry you're feeling so sick. Hope you're on the mend soon x 3y
Simona Feel better soon ❤️❤️‍🩹❤️❤️‍🩹 3y
Gissy I hope feel better soon but I see you are drinking some homemade remedies, that‘s good. I think that everything helps. ❤️❤️❤️ 3y
tphil10283 I had COVID a couple of weeks ago and it was really like one of the least serious illnesses I have ever had. I have been triple dosed with Pfizer though. 3y
Susanita Oh no! I hope you start feeling better soon. 3y
mrp27 Sending wishes for a speedy recovery. 3y
wanderinglynn 💜💜💜 Sending lots of healing energy & positive vibes. Definitely focus on rest, self-care, & recovery. 3y
CarolynM Hope you feel better soon💕 3y
Kimzey So sorry you‘re sick. Hope you get to feeling better very soon! 3y
plemmdog I hope you start to feel better soon and have a full recovery 3y
Bookzombie I‘m so sorry that your sick and it‘s hitting you hard. I hope you feel better very soon. 💕💕 3y
sprainedbrain ❤️❤️❤️ 3y
TheLudicReader Feel better soon. 3y
inthegreensandblues I hope you have a speedy recovery! 💚 3y
staci.reads I hope you are on the mend soon. Covid sucks. 3y
mabell Oh no Chrissy! I‘m so sorry! I hope you are feeling better soon and finding comfort ❤️ 3y
Avanders Oh no! I‘m so sorry to hear this, and hope you feel better quickly! ♥️♥️ 3y
Centique Oh you poor love! 😥 I hope things start improving and you feel much better soon 💕💕 3y
janeycanuck Hope you‘re doing better, so sorry to hear it has hit you hard ❤️ 3y
TheBookHippie Oh no so so so sorry my friend. Sending so much light love and healing vibes out to you!!! 3y
82 likes37 comments
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catsuit_mango
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That's the kind of book where I want to take notes :) and try to apply everything

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JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick

Who knew a book on breathing could be so interesting! My #doublespin for November. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
35 likes1 comment
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Smartypants
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Pickpick

Continuing on the journey of self-care, I picked this one up on a whim. Could it be that the way we breathe impacts our health more than we ever thought it did? If you‘re a mouth breather, you definitely want to pick this up!

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violabrain
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Pickpick

Wow, this book is completely fascinating! I learned so many new things! For instance, did you know that you have erectile tissue in your nose!?

14 likes1 comment
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sarahgreatlove
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Pickpick

I‘d seen a lot of hype about this book so when it came up on my library list i started listening, expecting to be bored. Far from it, this was a great experience. My only problem was that I listened to it while sanding and scraping the walls in a room we are renovating - so all the deep breathing it makes you feel like doing really did not work! 😂⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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TieDyeDude
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Mehso-so

I wanted to be able to shout about this book from the rooftops, but I have too many question to be able to fully recommend it. There is a lot of fascinating information, but presented so ideally, I worry that he was more interested in selling books than making sure people who read it were safe and responsible in following his advise. All about the benefits, very, very little about the risks and limitations. Recommended, but with a critical eye.

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CuriousG
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Enjoying the fresh air and solitude right now. Perfect time to read a bit more and try out some new breathing techniques #breath

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CuriousG
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Reading by the campfire - one of my favourite things to do!

Reagan So nice and also, how‘s this book? The tagged was one of my favourite NF reads of all time! 3y
CuriousG @Reagan Really liking Breath so far! Sometimes I have a hard time getting into NF, but not the case with this one. 3y
Reagan Oh good to hear! He is an amazing writer. 3y
15 likes3 comments
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beaconhillbooks
Pickpick

Just give it a try!

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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

So interesting! I had no idea breathing techniques could be used for so many bodily functions — like staying warm in freezing temperatures or curing some illnesses. I‘m not saying that I‘m 100% on board with the idea that illnesses can be cured but some instances are identified within the book that need more looking in to. It felt a little redundant at times and lacked some scientific studies to prove points but I enjoyed the concepts.

CuriousG Just curious - did it talk at all about Wim Hoff in this book? 4y
SamAnne A friend just brought this book up in conversation. I had a family member who started doing breath work to manage panic attacks. It was a game changer for him. 4y
Suet624 Um...those flowers! 4y
See All 7 Comments
Chelsea.Poole @CuriousG yes! I believe so. It‘s funny because I‘ve read several books lately that mention Wim Hoff in passing. Trying to remember the others 🤔 4y
Chelsea.Poole @SamAnne I‘m glad your family member discovered breath work for anxiety! It‘s amazing how we can control our bodies and minds — and the connection between the two! 💪 4y
Chelsea.Poole @Suet624 my spring grape hyacinths 🍇 🌿☺️ 4y
CuriousG @Chelsea.Poole I've just heard a couple interviews with him and he is fascinating! (Albeit a little bizarre) 4y
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KVanRead
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Pickpick

This was absolutely fascinating!! Love the audiobook format which includes guided breathing exercises at the end.

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IuliaC
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Pickpick

Mind-blowing and illuminating, all the more since 40% of the world population is suffering from respiratory disorders...and this number is probably growing as I'm writing this.
This is a book to be read with a pen in hand to underline key info and put it into practice, breath correctly and stay healthy. It now makes sense why there's such a strong focus on breathing in all yoga styles, and why carbon dioxide is as important to humans as is oxygen.

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IuliaC
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"Up to 80% of office workers suffer from something called continuous partial attention. We'll scan our email, write something down, check Twitter, and do it all over again, never really focusing on any specific task. In this state of perpetual distraction, breathing becomes shallow and erratic. Sometimes we won't breath at all for a half minute or longer. ...the habit also known as "email apnea" can contribute to the same maladies as sleep apnea."

IuliaC @Milara nu, sunt economist, dar m-am recunoscut in treaba asta cu apneea de email 😁 4y
IuliaC @Milara Aa pai intentionat l-am pus langa carte, e oximetru, masoara saturatia de oxigen in sange. Poate fi util mai ales in perioada asta cu pandemia, se stie ca de la covid scade saturatia si trebuie urmarita in caz ca o persoana e bolnava, sa nu-i scada sub 90-95 caz in care poate fi nevoie de spitalizare 4y
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IuliaC
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the way the body loses weight isn't through profusely sweating or "burning it off". We lose weight through exhaled breath. For every ten pounds of fat lost in our bodies, eight and a half pounds of it comes out through the lungs; most of it is carbon dioxide mixed with a bit of water vapor...This is a fact that most doctors, nutritionists and other professionals have historically gotten wrong. The lungs are the weight-regulating system of the body

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IuliaC
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I've plunged into this gem of a book:

"Yes, breathing in different patterns really can influence our body weight and overall health. Yes, breathing allows us to hack into our own nervous system, control our immune response, and restore our health. Yes, changing how we breathe will help us live longer. ...The missing pillar in health is breath. It all starts there."

Come-read-with-me This sounds really good! Stacked! 4y
IuliaC @Come-read-with-me I've just started it, I'm curious if it really contains info which is easily applicable in day to day life 4y
39 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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swynn
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Pickpick

Nestor discusses ways in which the way we breathe may have surprising connections to general health; he tells anecdotes about people who found relief from various disorders (asthma, emphysema, anxiety, ...) by changing the way they breathe; and reports on his own experiments in breathing programs. Very interesting and very accessible. I'm skeptical about some claims, but really what's it hurt to try?

TuesdayReviews Interesting in light of the tremendous importance respiratory therapists play during the current pandemic. 4y
38 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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GingerAntics
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Every chorister knows you breathe through your mouth, NEVER your nose. Yes, you learn proper breathing technique and develop natural deep breathing with a much slower exhale than the inhale, but you always do it through the mouth. According to this book, that‘s really bad for you and is to be avoided, especially for long periods (such as an hour long choir performance).
#JamesNestor #Breath #Chorister #ChoristerProblems #ChoirNerd

julesG Interesting. 4y
GingerAntics @julesG so this throws everything else I took for granted in his premises into question. I should have gotten the ebook so I could check out his sources instead of the audiobook. 4y
11 likes2 comments
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GingerAntics
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Pickpick

CLOSE YOUR MOUTH AND BREATHE!!!

This book is entirely worth the read. It has interesting facts about the human face, dentistry, archeology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, along with the ins and outs of breathing. He visits some pretty cool places you definitely wouldn‘t expect him to go (and some you would) in purist of greater knowledge about breathing. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

GingerAntics I loved the breathing exercises at the end (some of them remind me of breath training when I was a chorister) and will definitely return to them often. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 4y
GingerAntics It‘s not exactly what I thought I was getting into, but it‘s still very much worth the read. He did travel to pomology labs, ancient burial cites, and São Paulo, but he never went to the other places listed. He talked about a guy who started in a New Jersey Choir School and a secret soviet lab, but he didn‘t go to either (for good reason on the latter). ?????? 4y
GingerAntics It was in the midst of this book that I realised that I never had asthma of any kind, no breathing problems of any kind, while I was a chorister. Once I stopped singing in the choir (we didn‘t have a choir school, but it was the same training) that suddenly I had breathing problems. That was enough to make me a believer in what this guy and all of his sources have to say. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 4y
GingerAntics I just really wish he would have actually visited that choir school, but that‘s probably just because I really wanted to go to one as a kid. #JamesNestor #Breath 4y
21 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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GingerAntics
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I‘ve been oddly obsessed with the breath since high school when I saw a news report about a study that showed breathing deeply could make you lose weight. He literally mentioned this possibility in the intro. I‘m very excited to listen to this audiobook. It doesn‘t hurt that it‘s read by the author. I love when they do that.
#JamesNestor #Breath

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Mrgoudabook
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Pickpick

By far my favorite book I have read this year!! So many really awesome breathing techniques and insight how to heal the body! Also has some insight to some really cool research coming out of Stanford about the links of co2 and anxiety attacks. I‘m really excited to read the host of books he references in here!