🌬️ The Forgotten Art of Breathing with James Nestor, Author of Breath

Modern humans have forgotten how to breathe — and we’re paying the price in stress, sleep problems, chronic disease, and more. In Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, science journalist James Nestor explores why breathing properly is crucial and how to reclaim this lost skill.

Here are the most actionable insights from the book:

✅ 👃 Nose > Mouth
We were made to breathe through our noses. Mouth breathing dries your airways, increases stress hormones, worsens sleep apnea, and can even change the shape of your face. Start training yourself to breathe through your nose all day — and even at night (a small piece of mouth tape can help).

✅ 🫁 Slow & Light > Fast & Heavy
Overbreathing is a modern epidemic. Simply slowing your breath and making each inhale and exhale even and calm lowers heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and signals your nervous system to relax.

✅ 📈 Carbon Dioxide is Your Friend
We tend to think of CO₂ as bad, but it actually helps deliver oxygen to your cells. Stop hyperventilating and practice tolerating higher CO₂ levels — it makes you more resilient to stress and boosts endurance.

✅ 👨‍👩‍👧 Shape Matters
Modern diets and soft foods have left us with smaller mouths, crooked teeth, and blocked airways. Chewing tough, whole foods can actually help strengthen your jaw and improve your breathing over time.

✅ 😴 Better Sleep Through Better Breathing
Many sleep problems come from disordered breathing at night. Learning to nose breathe and slow your breath can reduce snoring and mild sleep apnea.

✅ 🎯 Bonus Tip: Breathe Less, Live More
Paradoxically, the healthiest breathers take fewer breaths per minute than the average person — and live longer.

🧘 Breathing Practices to Try Today 

(Never practice breath holds in or near water — risk of blackout!)

⭐ Coherent Breathing: Inhale for 5.5 seconds, exhale for 5.5 seconds. Repeat for 5–10 minutes to calm your nervous system and lower stress.

⭐ Breath Holds (CO₂ Tolerance): After exhaling normally, pinch your nose and hold your breath as long as you can (without strain). Release, recover with calm nose breathing. Repeat 3–5 times to improve your tolerance to CO₂ and build resilience.

⭐ Chew: Chew something tough like specialized jaw-strengthening gum (like mastic gum or Jawzrsize gum) for jaw strength.

⭐ Hum: Practice humming on your exhales to stimulate nitric oxide production and open nasal passages.

⭐ Mouth Taping at Night: Place a small strip of medical tape over the center of your lips to encourage nose breathing during sleep and improve rest.

Why this matters today:
In our fast-paced, stress-filled world, we don’t often think about the most basic function of life: breathing. But it’s free, it’s under your control, and it may be the simplest way to improve your health and performance.

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