Book: 20251115 to 20260102, "Breath" by James Nestor

20251115 - Introduction xiii

Is one hour meditation that different from 20 minutes meditation? Yes, based on AI(GPT-5.1).

Part 1 The Experiment
20251116 - Chapter 1 The Worst Breathers in the Animal Kingdom 3

20251116 - Chapter 2 Mouthbreathing 19
This process(anaerobic respiration) explains why the first few minutes of an intense workout are often so miserable. p24
Does this mean that we may use deep breath to partly replace warming up exercise?

Part 2 The lost Art and Science of Breathing
20251116 - Chapter 3 Nose 37

The right nostril: logical decisions, language, and computing. Less hallucinations.
The left nostril: imagination, creativity, negative emotions.

3M Nexcare Durapore "durable cloth" tape. p51
Worth trying!

20251201 - Chapter 4 Exhale 53

The key to breathing, lung expansion, and the long life that came with it was on the other end of respiration. It was in the transformative power of a full exhalation. p59

The stories from Carl Stough are suspecious, including the book "Dr. Breath". If they were true, surely many doctors and scientists would investigate it seriously.

20251202 - Chapter 5 Slow 69

I realized then that breathing was like rowing a boat: taking a zillion short and stilted strokes will get you where you're going, but they pale in comparison to the efficiency and speed of fewer, longer strokes. p81
This makes perfect sense!

20251204 - Chapter 6 Less 85

The point of this exercise isn't to inflict unnecessary pain. It's to get the body comfortable with higher levels of carbon dioxide, so that we'll unconsciously breathe less during our resting hours and the next time we work out. So that we'll release more oxygen, increase our endurance, and better support all the functions in our bodies. p91

"The key is to find a rhythm that works for you."
I return to my more manageable practice, inhaling for two steps and exhaling for five, a pattern competitive cyclists use. This isn't exactly comfortable, but it's tolerable. p96

One thing is missing from the practice: attention.
I believe the correct method has three factors: form, attention and breath. All need to be right.

By breathing less, we can slow down heartbeat, which the oxidation process in body.
So everything we do, the goal is to slow down our heartbeat.

The key is to relax, so we can slow down our heartbeat.

20251212 - Chapter 7 Chew 105

It's better to keep our teeth lightly touching? AI is strongly against it.
Then normally AI is right.
What we can do is to chew more natural, unprocessed food.
For example, carrot, chunky meat, vegetable, etc.

Part 3 Breathing+

20251214 - Chapter 8 More, on Occasion 139

Wim Hof breathing is amazing.
https://gemini.google.com/share/fd7675698c88

20251231 - Chapter 9 Hold It 165

"Take a deep breath" is not a helpful instruction, "Hold your breath" is much better. p178
"Take a deep breath" normally let us relax, then breath less.
"Hold breath" might make us nervous, and breath more.
It's more about our mind.

The most effective and safest blend they found was a few huffs of around 7 percent carbon dioxide mixed with room air. p180
"I did some carbon dioxide treatments 3 times yesterday, about 15 minutes a piece." p180
Is the effect just temporarily? Or else, why it's not popular? Not even in athlets and billionaires?

20260102 - Chapter 10 Fast, Slow, and Not at All 185

I don't think that prana is related to sub-atomic level. I guess it's some type of emergence at cell level.

He tells me that only in the twentieth century would yaga poses be combined and repeated into a kind of aerobic dance called "vinyasa flow." p197
"Aerobic dance" is about form, together with attention and breath, is much better than just attention and breath. At least in theory.

I relax my throat and take a very deep inhale into the pit of my stomach, then exhale completely. Inhale again, and repeat. p201
This can be practiced anywhere and anytime.

20260102 - Epilogue A Last Gasp 203

The perfect breath is this: Breathe in for about 5.5 seconds, then exhale for 5.5 seconds. p212
How about for 6 seconds? How about for 6 heartbeats?

Those breathing exercise apps are worth trying.

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