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A review by emusing
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
medium-paced
It was an engaging read; I got through it fairly quickly and enjoyed it. I thought the section on panic disorders and possible therapies was very interesting. He acknowledged the successes of mainstream therapies, while also analyzing the problems in the system and offering a solution to look into. I haven't tried many of the techniques in the back of the book yet, but I will try out some of them, although I'm definitely not doing any of the Breathing+ techniques.
There were some points in the book that just felt intuitive, for instance that using your diaphragm to breathe deeply is good (maybe that's just because I'm a theater nerd). There were some points that cited reputable-looking sources, such as the section on alternate-nostril breathing, although I didn't look deeper at the studies in the endnotes.
HOWEVER, there were also some techniques that seemed to be very dubious, and although Nestor has a disclaimer at the end of his book that you should see a doctor if you are facing serious medical problems, most of the book portrayed these procedures in a very uncritical light.
Another problem I have with the book is that Nestor doesn't present any "healthy" alternatives to breathing through your nose if you have a deviated septum or other nose problems. While I understand that he may not have come across any methods like this, it would have been nice if he had devoted some time to it.
tl;dr: An interesting book to read with a healthy dose of skepticism.
There were some points in the book that just felt intuitive, for instance that using your diaphragm to breathe deeply is good (maybe that's just because I'm a theater nerd). There were some points that cited reputable-looking sources, such as the section on alternate-nostril breathing, although I didn't look deeper at the studies in the endnotes.
HOWEVER, there were also some techniques that seemed to be very dubious, and although Nestor has a disclaimer at the end of his book that you should see a doctor if you are facing serious medical problems, most of the book portrayed these procedures in a very uncritical light.
Another problem I have with the book is that Nestor doesn't present any "healthy" alternatives to breathing through your nose if you have a deviated septum or other nose problems. While I understand that he may not have come across any methods like this, it would have been nice if he had devoted some time to it.
tl;dr: An interesting book to read with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Eating disorder