5 Breathtaking Takeaways from “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art”
Introduction: Breathwork is an Ancient Tool for Modern Humans
In Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, journalist James Nestor explores the history of humanity's most fundamental yet overlooked function. Drawing from scientific research, ancient wisdom, and his own transformative personal experiments, Nestor reveals how the simple act of breathing holds the key to improved health, performance, and wellbeing. Nestor also argues that modern humans have forgotten how to breathe properly, and demonstrates how learning to breathe in more helpful ways can improve anxiety, sleep disorders, athletic performance, and longevity.
I must admit that even as an advocate of breathing techniques for stress and anxiety reduction, it started to feel a bit ridiculous to read that breathing can impact things like ADHD. But the book provides some compelling evidence, even if it doesn’t always seem comprehensive. Given that breathing techniques are low risk and cost nothing, there’s not much to lose in trying them out to see if they can help you feel better. Here are my top 5 takeaways from this book.
1) Don’t breathe through your mouth when you don’t have to.
It was neat to learn in this book that knowledge about how breathing impacts health dates back to the 4th century BCE, when the Tao Te Ching advised that “breathing through the mouth is unhealthy and should be avoided as much as possible.” The author of this book actually participated in a study during which he breathed exclusively out of his mouth for 10 days and this led to all kinds of problems, including insomnia and sleep apnea. He found himself tired, brain-foggy, and unmotivated during the time he was forced to mouth-breathe. It turns out there are some good physiological reasons that breathing through one’s mouth is unhelpful. For instance, the insomnia associated with mouth-breathing is partially caused by the throat drying out, which in turn makes you thirsty. Being thirsty in the middle of the night will likely make it difficult for anyone to get enough deep sleep. And without spending adequate time in the deeper stages of sleep, your pituitary gland does not release adequate amounts of vasopressin, the substance that allows your body to sleep through the night without urinating. So not only are you thirsty, but you also have to pee when you should be sleeping deeply through the night.
2) Some psychological problems are actually breathing problems.
Snoring at night, even light snoring, and sleep apnea are all associated with a number of psychological conditions, such as ADHD and depression. This is why it’s important that people with these conditions take a holistic view of their health and evaluate the quality of breathing they’re naturally doing day-to-day. According to the book, when oxygen levels fall below 90 percent, there’s not enough oxygen to adequately support the body, which can lead to problems like heart failure, depression, memory problems, and early death. Nestor’s concerns about the link between breathing and ADHD come from studies that suggest children with heavy breathing or light snoring at night are much more likely to develop mood disorders and learning disabilities than children who do not have these breathing patterns at night. There’s additional research and anecdotal evidence that suggest snoring and sleep apnea increase the risk of developing problems with executive functioning (cognitive tasks, e.g., shifting between tasks, working memory, inhibition, access to long-term memory, and fluid reasoning). If you suspect you may have ADHD that has gone undiagnosed or you have formally been diagnosed with ADHD, I recommend consulting with your general physician to discuss any breathing or sleep problems you might experience, in case co-morbidities such as sleep apnea or nasal obstructions are making ADHD worse. In many cases, individuals who effectively address breathing problems find ADHD symptoms subside or improve significantly.
3) Alternative nostril breathing is an ancient and versatile tool for everyday life.
Alternative nostril breathing is an ancient practice that is also known as nadi shodhana. If you’ve done some yoga, you’re likely familiar with the practice of breathwork while you block one of your nostrils. Right nostril breathing is associated with energy and focus, while left nostril breathing is associated with the parasympathetic response (relaxation). There are many resources that guide you through this kind of breathing, especially on YouTube. This guide from Cleveland Clinic is a nice, simple introduction and I recommend that you try it, especially if you’ve never done it before. If you have done this before but you’re curious about how a more consistent practice might make you feel, you can experiment with doing it once daily at around the same time and see how you feel. I’ve taught and demonstrated this technique with clients in therapy and some of my clients find that it really helps them reset between tasks or transition more effectively between work and home life.
4) Overeating has a negative effect on your ability to breathe.
This might seem obvious but I was actually surprised to learn that eating too much food can restrict the movement of the diaphragm, which is the part of the body needed for healthy and nourishing breath. I teach diaphragmatic breathing to my clients who struggle with high anxiety and acute stress and I’m starting to understand better that attempting this type of breathing after a big meal might actually feel physically uncomfortable and challenging, as opposed to calming. This part in the book reinforced for me the need for all of us to cultivate better attunement to our bodies, so that we have a greater sense of what can help us feel good in the body versus stressed or uncomfortable. As I grow and learn about taking better care of myself, it’s becoming clear to me that a helpful rule of them is, “Use the right tool, at the right time.” This book explores so many different breathing techniques that thankfully, it seems like there’s one for every occasion and need.
5) Ice swimmer Wim Hof’s method of breathing coupled with cold exposure is effective for managing anxiety and enhancing wellbeing.
The “Wim Hof” method has recently become a quite popular method to manage anxiety and stress, as well as “enhance performance.” I put that last part in quotes because that’s less well documented than the anxiety/stress stuff. I find some of the masculine energy and hype around this method to be a little discomfiting. I definitely think Wim Hof’s reputation as an extreme athlete is a powerful marketing tool behind courses and retreats and merchandise. However, I personally have engaged in a cold exposure practice (cold showers) and have found it very beneficial. I’ve always noticed that at Korean bathhouses and Japanese onsen that I love the shocking and refreshing feeling of dipping in the cold pool between hot pools and the steam room. This is also related to the DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) skill of holding an ice cube in your hand to get grounded and present. (In other words, with the ice cube in your hand, you get out of your head and into your body more.) I’ve also reviewed some of the research about it and it seems like a promising way to work with the body’s natural reactions to cold in order to benefit mental health. I’ve been recommending it to some of my clients and they have also found it beneficial. According to Nestor’s book, below are the instructions for the Wim Hof method. Please keep in mind that this is not direct medical advice and that before exposure to cold water, you should consult with your physician to make sure it’s a practice that fits your health status, as it can cause cardiac arrhythmia.
Lie flat on your back with a pillow under your head.
Breathe into the stomach (diaphragm) and let your breath out at the same pace you inhaled, breathing through your nose or pursed lips. Do this for 30 cycles and at the end of 30 breaths, leave a quarter of the air in your lungs and hold it for as long as possible.
Then, take one huge inhale and hold that for 15 seconds.
Repeat #2 and #3. Add cold water exposure if desired.
I also highly recommend this article written by a cold water therapist on Psyche.
Conclusion: A Few Simple, Quick Breathing Techniques Can Change Your Life
If changes in your breathing can improve depression, anxiety, sleep, longevity, and focus and concentration, why do we not talk about this more? The things that are really good for us tend to not become headline news, perhaps because we tend to not click on positive stories. Also, I think people are suspicious of simple solutions. Like, really? My lifelong crippling anxiety can be improved with deep breathing? I don’t blame them for being skeptical. At the same time, we don’t question some things we’ve come to take for granted at this point in modern life. For instance, no one would be incredulous that a regular exercise routine improves cardiovascular health. Meditation is a very popular technique used by individuals around the world to feel more grounded and present. Breathing is perhaps more difficult to understand for us because we might think, “Well, I already do that—it’s automatic.” Maybe it seems too good to be true? I remember a mentor saying to me when I was in training: “When people have anxiety, anxiety can get in the way of change.” I’ve seen that too many times now and I wonder if anxiety is indeed a barrier to implementing such a simple technique.
In our capitalistic framework of “problem vs solution (product),” we might be more inclined to think that a medication, a weighted blanket, a buzzing device, etc., will fix things more than our own bodies can. But we’d be wrong and we’d miss the opportunity to come home to the body. We’d miss out on the healing and learning that comes from reconnecting to this most essential function of breathing. In our chaotic, ever-changing world, we can anchor ourselves to the breath, the thing that reminds us we are lucky to be alive. If you do not have a breathing practice of some kind, please find one that suits you. It’s a beautiful way to take care of yourself.