Breath - Summary and Key Ideas

Breath offers a scientific adventure into the lost art and science of breathing. It delves into transformation occurring inside our bodies every 3.3 seconds during the act of inhaling and exhaling, explaining how the molecules we bring in with each breath can influence our health and happiness.

This book is perfect for those interested in understanding the potential of their body, those who have respiratory problems, and anyone who wants to learn more about the influence of breathing exercises on overall health and happiness.

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Breath

Key ideas

01

Breathing techniques, supportive of both ancient wisdom and modern science, hold the unexplored power to control our health and transform our lives.

02

Evolution and lifestyle changes have exacerbated breathing issues in humans, highlighting the need to prioritize effective nasal breathing for health preservation.

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03

The experiment demonstrates the adverse health effects of mouthbreathing, yet reveals the promising potential of recovery through nasal breathing.

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04

Nasal breathing, as contrasted to mouth breathing, ensures better health due to filtering and regulation of inhaled air.

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05

Proper breathing techniques, often overlooked, significantly enhance lung capacity, contributes to overall health, and may extend life expectancy.

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06

Slow, controlled breathing, demonstrated in numerous faith and meditative practices, promotes optimal body coherence, stress relief, and enhanced health.

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07

Controlled, reduced breathing links to improved health, aligning us closer to metabolic needs and reinforcing natural body function.

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08

Historical dietary changes led to reduced chewing stress, shrinking our mouths and worsening our breathing, but targeted habits may reverse this damage.

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09

Breathing+ techniques, like Tummo and Holotropic Breathwork, leverage controlled, intense breathing to tap into the body's survival responses, filter subconscious mind, invite transformative experiences, and unleash breathing's untapped potential.

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10

Manipulation of the carbon dioxide alert circuit through breath-holding training could potentially establish a therapy for anxiety disorders and fear management.

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11

Breathwork is an ancient, transformative practice connecting us to our life force, anchored in patient evolution and scientific recognition.

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12

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Summary & Review

Final Summary: The book "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor delves into the crucial yet often overlooked component of our health and well-being - our breath. Through an engaging narrative, Nestor explores how our ability to breathe has changed over millennia, the detrimental effects of these changes, and the remarkable benefits of revisiting ancient, forgotten breathing techniques. The author calls this chronicle a 'scientific adventure,’ integrating personal journeys, historical exploits and contemporary scientific findings to reveal the 'lost art' of breathing. He discusses practices that can help restore respiratory health, combat sickness, and even enhance physical and mental capacities, all backed by scientific evidence.

James Nestor

James Nestor is a well-known writer for publications like Outside, Scientific American, The Atlantic, Dwell, The New York Times, and many more. His rich contributions make him an essential voice in the understanding of human anatomy and science. Nestor brings the readers into his scientific adventures with an engaging storytelling ability.

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