Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

Not super sure about this one. I find myself regarding some of Nestor's claims as I do MLM essential oils (I don't know why I'm not just saying Young Living) that talk about how diffusing peppermint eradicates plantar fasciitis. It's all a little too one-sided, unfounded, and convenient for my personality.

I think it is interesting to look at how the way humans breathe has (literally) evolved over time, and how respiratory health connects to other aspects of health. Certainly this is an overlooked area of US medicine, and I do believe the focus of our healthcare is often more reactive than proactive or preemptive.

I think the other way this fell flat for me was that it was so individually focused. I'm more interested in structural and institutional context than tunnel vision on personal responsibility. Other qualms: it was repetitive. There were noticeably few women interviewed in the book. Also, I just found out this author was on Joe Rogan's podcast? That is the nail in the coffin of my derision.

Living through a respiratory pandemic as someone who gets bronchitis all the time, many of the claims are alluring in their simplicity. And when I've been coughing for four months, I'll try anything to get my back to stop hurting from the exertion of hacking up my lungs because my body can't figure itself out. So hey, maybe I'll circle back to try some of Nestor's breathing exercises in future moments of desperation. But for now, I am unimpressed.