Yep, I still like doing book reports! Well, to be more specific, I like to read and share what I learn about history, the mind, the body, and human nature with anyone who will listen. :) James Nestor is a brilliant science writer and his book Breath, The New Science of the Lost Art does a wonderful job of explaining why breathing has become physically difficult and why it is imperative to fix it. My patients are initially surprised to find out that their neck pain, headaches and high levels of inflammation are related to their dysfunctional breathing patterns. Then I explain how humans are quickly evolving in such a way that makes pugs look like super breathers.
I'll let James tell you all about that and how he replicated that experience by sealing his own nostrils shut with silicone plugs for 20 days. By the end of Part One, you will have all the data and science to understand that dysfunctional breathing, mouth breathing in particular, leads to a myriad of potential health problems including bed wetting in kids, ADHA, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, reduction in brain cell development, and the list goes on and on.
Part Two of the book will help you understand why the nose is so important in breathing including the role of the turbinates play in heating, cleaning, slowing and pressurizing air so the lungs can more readily extract O2. His chapter on Exhale is my favorite in the book. I practically stood up and shouted, "yes, exactly, that is exactly what I am saying!". I was delighted to see his reference Katherina Schroth, who was a young German girl who cured her own scoliosis with a series of breathing exercises. Today, her technique called the Schroth Method, is considered the gold standard for scoliosis treatment internationally, and directly informs how I treat my own patients with scoliosis. The chapter Slow parses out how fast over breathing actually reduces the amount of O2 you take into the lungs, the key role CO2 plays in breathing, and why doing 5.5 second inhales and 5.5 second exhales is a super power. Less details how hypoventilation can be used to enhance athletic performance and work miracles for those suffering from asthma. The chapter Chew shows how a dramatic change in our food has created dramatic changes in our jaws. The modern diet requires very little chewing, thus our jaws have shrunk, teeth have become crowed and thus airways obstructed. Dentists and orthodontists can have a tremendous impact on our airways. Making a concerted effort to chew more can help sustain the muscles needed align the jaw and keep the airway open.
Part Three of the book is a a how-to practice manual for those who want to breathe better. Spend some time here modifying, controlling and sensing the way you breathe. Breathing is the elixir of life, the sorcerer's stone, the fountain of youth, and it is yours for the taking. My own hunt for this powerful key to longevity has felt like the search for the holy grail (see picture below for a glimpse into that tale) , but at last it has paid off. Easy effortless breathing all day and all night is now my norm. It was worth the time, money and effort it has taken to achieve. I hope sharing my learnings with you through this blog will make your journey easier. A great place to start is by reading this book, Breath. Gain a clearer insight into the importance of efficient breathing and discover simple tools to begin your path to improved breathing and enhanced health.
Be (Breathe) Well, Brenda
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