The New Science Of Breath: James Nestor On Why Most People Are Breathing Wrong

Transition infants from breastfeeding to chewing real foods rather than only soft purees to develop proper jaw/airway structure.

Daily probiotic-prebiotic capsule supporting digestion, skin, and heart health.

Online therapy service connecting users with licensed therapists.

Electrolyte drink mix with 50mg caffeine from tea, L-theanine, and polyphenols as smoother caffeinated alternative.

Use an Aranet CO2 monitor to measure indoor air quality; most accurate among consumer options tested.

When booking hotels, request rooms with windows that open to improve indoor air quality and reduce CO2 exposure.

Daily greens powder providing vitamins, minerals, and whole-food nutrients to fill common nutrient gaps.

Tape mouth closed during sleep to force nasal breathing, but acclimate slowly during daytime first over several weeks.

Wearable sleep tracker useful for monitoring sleep stages, awake periods, and recovery.

Become an obligate nasal breather both day and night; default to breathing in and out through the nose during low-exertion activity.

Use external nasal strips that lift the nostrils to allow ~30% more airflow, especially helpful for those with nasal valve collapse or when starting mouth-taping.

Place hand on belly and breathe so belly expands on inhale and contracts on exhale, with minimal chest movement; train this with phone alarms throughout the day.

Practice expanding lung capacity (stretching, deep breathing) to preserve and grow lungs as a longevity intervention.

Slow, low breathing practices that build CO2 tolerance; effective for chronic anxiety, asthma, and panic disorder.

Training masks that restrict airflow help build CO2 tolerance, useful for athletic performance.

Train CO2 tolerance to improve athletic performance, recovery, and resilience to stress; reduces breath rate during exercise.

During panic onset, take a calm inhale, hold 2-3 seconds, exhale; repeat. Builds CO2 gradually to relax blood vessels and counter over-breathing.

During panic, hold cupped hands over nose and mouth and breathe in own exhaled CO2 to raise CO2 levels and abort panic spiral.

Inhale ~5.5 seconds and exhale ~5.5 seconds to signal restfulness and downregulate the nervous system.

Double or triple inhale through nose followed by long exhale to rapidly downregulate stress.

Nestor's bestselling book on breathing science, with updated paperback containing new chapters on indoor air quality and sleep-disordered breathing in children.

Free smartphone app that records sleep breathing and snoring overnight to diagnose sleep breathing issues.

Alternative free smartphone app for recording sleep breathing and snoring.

Set 4-30 phone alarms daily to check breathing — mouth or nose, posture, diaphragm — to build unconscious habit of proper breathing.

Take young children (ages 2-5) to a pediatric dentist with expertise in airway health to support proper jaw and airway development.

Take three normal breaths, then biggest possible inhale, then exhale through pursed lips as slowly as possible while timing; ~60-90 seconds is target.