Dan Harris
Ten Percent Happier
The Science of Breathing | James Nestor
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The Science of Breathing | James Nestor

You may be breathing wrong. Here’s how to fix it. 

At times, self-improvement can seem like a never-ending hallway filled with limitless shame and insufficiency. So when something as simple as the breath falls into this category, it seems only natural to meet that news with some resistance. Our guest today, James Nestor, argues that many of us, of all things, are breathing incorrectly but that by fixing our breathing, it can help with both physical and psychological ailments.

Nestor is a science journalist who wrote a book called, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, which spent 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was translated into more than 35 languages.

In this episode we talk about:

  • How Nestor got interested in breathing in the first place

  • Why we are the worst breathers in the animal kingdom

  • The importance of posture

  • The deleterious effects of mouth breathing

  • Why we need to chew more

  • The relationship between breathing and anxiety

  • The relationship between breathing and sleep

  • And we dive into a variety of breathing exercises

Where to find James Nestor online:

Website: www.mrjamesnestor.com

Social Media:

Book Mentioned:

Other Resources Mentioned:

Related Episodes:

Three Lessons from Happiness Research | Emma Seppälä

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Dan Harris
Ten Percent Happier
Dan Harris is a fidgety, skeptical journalist who had a panic attack on live national television, which led him to try something he otherwise never would have considered: meditation. He went on to write the bestselling book 10% Happier. On this show, Dan talks with eminent meditation teachers, top scientists, and even the odd celebrity.