Breath by James Nestor
Hi! I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.
What do Olympic sprinters, emphysema patients, choir students, freedivers, and Tibetan monks all have in common? This seemingly completely unrelated group of people—healthy or sick, rich or poor, young or old—all find the secret to success through the power of breath.
Throughout history, ancient civilizations have realized the impact of the lungs, one of the most important organs in the body, on overall health and well-being. They knew that breathing was the secret of long lifespans, health, fitness, mental capacity, and, well, life. But in our modern culture, where roughly half of the population suffers from a chronic respiratory condition; where we’re ruled by things to do and places to be, we have forgotten the magical power of breath. We suck in short, pitiful puffs through our mouths, drying our sinuses and subsisting of unfiltered air; chew soft foods and weaken our airways until 90% of us are breathing incorrectly one way or another.
Sounds catastrophic, right?
But the solution is simple and quite obvious: to re-learn how to breathe, and that is exactly what Breath will teach you. Throughout this well-written narrative, James Nestor takes you on an exhilarating journey, digging through history and trekking across continents to uncover the true science of the lost art; a journey that opens the floodgates to a superpower waiting inside of us—waiting for us to take a breath.
