/By Sean

#251 James Nestor – Breaking Down the Lost Art of Breathing

Key Takeaways

The breathing practice that James relies on the most:

Inhaling to a count of 5-6 seconds
Exhaling to a count of 5-6 seconds
5-10 times

“We can get 20% more oxygen breathing through our noses than we do equivalent breaths through our mouths”

Building Lung Capacity

Yoga is a fantastic way to build lung capacity
No matter your age you can rebuild lung capacity

“It’s about the quality of the breath not the quantity”

00:41 Coherent Breathing

The breathing practice that James relies on the most:

Inhaling to a count of 5-6 seconds
Exhaling to a count of 5-6 seconds
5-10 times

02:58 Nasal Breathing

The main difference between nasal and mouth breathing:

The nose is our air filter

“We can get 20% more oxygen breathing through our noses than we do equivalent breaths through our mouths”

05:15 History of Human Breathing

Our ancestors had very different facial structures than us. Our mouths have become smaller – which is why our wisdom teeth don’t fit now – and our profiles have changed, therefore changing how we breathe.

“I wanted to understand the core issues behind why humans have become the worst breathers in the animal kingdom”

07:24 James’ Interest in Breathing & Writing

The way James decides what topics he wants to write about is where his intuition is taking him. He doesn’t choose any topics that he already has immense knowledge on or a bias towards but topics that he is largely passionate about in order to make the sacrifices that come with writing a book worth it.

“It wasn’t one thing where I said Aha! I’m writing a book about breathing, it was so many things that happened after so many years”

11:25 Writing Around the Clock

When James is writing a book it requires his focus 24/7. James believes in tapping into his subconscious and has had many of his breakthroughs come when he is asleep and dreaming.

“I have a pen and a pad of paper and I will wake up and write it down. This is how I’ve figured out chapter orders, this is how I’ve figured out how to deal with different subjects that were really causing me a hard time. I don’t rely on it but it happens naturally”

“We have amazing tools to help writers, but there’s still a fog of mystery. I don’t try to understand that mystery I just love to be within it whenever it happens”

15:10 James’ Writing Process

When James is writing a book, the initial creative process of topic research is very fun for him but starting to draft is frustrating for him.

“You have to keep coming at it fresh and excited otherwise it will wear you down and that will show in the prose”

17:30 James’ Writing Career

Majored in English
Became a professional copywriter
Led to him writing magazine stories and newspaper articles on the side
Quit his full time job and found his footing in books

22:09 Stories from James’ Research

“You have to dig in so deep to find the stories. To find the story behind the story and the person behind that story and that’s what I love to do”

23:27 Breathing During Exercise

When exercising and in elite competition, James says that you need to breathe in line with your metabolic needs.

“It’s about the quality of the breath not the quantity”

26:08 Overbreathing

Many of us are concerned that we’re going to run out of breath and so we are constantly overbreathing.

“We need a balance of CO2 and oxygen to work at peak efficiency and that’s what breathing slowly allows you to do”

32:30 Marketing Breathing

While it’s very easy to market different diets, supplements, exercise regimens, breathing isn’t and that’s why many people don’t think of its importance.

“It’s hard to make money off of something that simple, free, and available to everyone, everywhere.”

36:06 Breathing When Sleeping

Sleep apnea, snoring, and more are caused when breathing through the mouth while sleeping.

Breathing through your nose will not only improve your sleep but also increase the amount of oxygen you are getting.

39:56 Regulating Anxiety with Breathe

Breathing is directly associated with anxiety, panic, depression, anorexia, and other fear based disorders.

“When you constantly breathe too much, not only are you creating an imbalance of CO2 and oxygen, you’re sending constant signals to your brain that you are stressed”

44:33 Inhaling & Exhaling Techniques

James talks about the most beneficial ways to inhale and exhale properly.

“Breathing should be done in a very light way, the lungs are very delicate, the tissues are delicate, and you don’t want to overdo this stuff too soon”

47:11 Building Lung Capacity

Yoga is a fantastic way to build lung capacity
No matter your age you can rebuild lung capacity

“Our lungs are malleable and the key is to make the ribcage and those inner costels flexible and keep them flexible so you can breathe more easily”

51:22 James’ Drive

James follows his intuition to study the topics he is interested in and that is his advice for everyone listening.

“I have a feeling I’m going to be living with these two subjects for the rest of my life and to me that’s thrilling”

52:18 What’s Next for James

James and his team are taking the topics from his books, Breath and Deep, and developing a mini series that will be distributed in a different medium.