Dech - Nové poznatky o ztraceném umění – Nestor James (2021)

Inhale, exhale, and again. Have we forgotten the most natural thing in the world? At least in recent years, it seems that people are becoming increasingly obsessed with a healthy lifestyle. We exercise more, we are interested in proper eating habits, we study sleep, we practice cold exposure, and we digitally record every bodily function. However, there is one process that we only pay attention to when we encounter difficulties: breathing. Journalist James Nestor went through a similar experience. His long-term health problems were resolved only thanks to breathing exercises, which he initially approached with skepticism. After Nestor relearned how to breathe, he set off on a journey to find the answer to the question: Is humanity forgetting this seemingly simplest thing in the world? The author searches not only in lung laboratories but also among choirs, ancient burial sites, Soviet research bases, and the streets of São Paulo. He compares scientific findings from the fields of physiology, biochemistry, and psychology with yogic and other traditions, showing that breathing is the absolute foundation of our existence. Just perhaps a little differently than one might expect.