There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as humans we have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with dire consequences. In this book, journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments can: - jump-start athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs - halt snoring, allergies, asthma and autoimmune disease to name but a few benefits. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry and human physiology, this book turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function upsoide down. You will never breathe the same again. 'James Nestor is the perfect guide to the pulmonary world and has written a fascinating book, full of dazzling revelations' Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of Feel Better in Five A fascinating scientific, cultural, spiritual and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe - and how we've all been doing it wrong for a long, long time. I already feel calmer and healthier just in the last few days, from making a few simple changes in my breathing, based on what I've read. Our breath is a beautiful, healing, mysterious gift, and so is this book' Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. A 'must' read.

-304 pages