Breathe easy: the science of functional breathing with James Nestor
For the past decade, science journalist James Nestor has been travelling the world, exploring why so many of us have lost the ability to breathe functionally and why this is leading to serious health issues. His bestselling book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, uncovers ancient breathing practices and modern science that reveal how small changes in breathing can enhance athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs – and more.
James Nestor has challenged everything we thought we knew about our most fundamental biological function, figuring out what went wrong and how to fix it.
“We all assume that we’re breathing correctly because we’re alive, right? But 90 to 95 percent of us are breathing dysfunctionally. We’re just breathing to get by, just as eating junk food allows us to live, but it doesn’t mean we’re healthy or progressing in any way. I see health aficionados all the time who are doing everything else right but they’re terrible breathers. They’re wondering why they still get migraine headaches or why their blood pressure is still high or why they’re anxious all of the time.”
An advocate of nasal breathing, “I do not unconsciously breathe through my mouth anymore, even when I’m not actively paying attention,” James has spent the past decade shaping global conversations around the science of breathing and its transformative impact on health and performance. It all starts with the fundamentals. “If you aren’t breathing functionally, you are just spinning your wheels. So, I start with the foundation. Only then can you use your breath more emphatically or ecstatically – to destress, warm up, focus, and even heal yourself of chronic conditions in ways that are scientifically verified. What I like about breathing is that it’s instantaneous. There’s no high bar; you start doing it consciously, switch on, and feel your body and brain switching on. We can measure a lot of what is happening to your blood pressure, heart rate, and brain waves.”
James is one of the collective of visionary thinkers, creators, and healers who bring their wealth of knowledge to the Alma Frequency community. Joining the mountain edition at Six Senses Crans-Montana in June 2025, he’ll be putting his research into action. “Group breathwork is my favorite thing to lead. In the same way that listening to live music with an audience is different from listening on your headphones, there’s a unique energy about a group of people all contributing to the same thing and finding a rhythm that becomes synchronized as we start cohering with one another. Something else happens in a group environment that we haven’t quite yet been able to measure. And it’s that mystery and space between science and – you can call it what you want but spiritualism or unknown science – that is a great place to explore next. When you breathe in specific patterns in a group, you can access things through your breath that you aren’t able to access otherwise.”
“Breathing is not a culture, trend, supplement, or hack. It is a biological function, and by adopting better habits, you can literally change your biology in ways that are studied and measurable.”
“Breathing is not a culture, trend, supplement, or hack. It is a biological function, and by adopting better habits, you can literally change your biology in ways that are studied and measurable.”
James advocates how, with a little practice and patience, you can consciously train yourself to nasal breathe your way to better health. “It takes weeks or maybe months to develop a new habit. But when good habits become your unconscious default, you can retrain your body so that it is naturally inclined to breathe in and out through your nose in a low, slow, paced manner. It’s how we were born. We just have to relearn our natural abilities. Breathing is not a culture, trend, supplement, or hack. It is a biological function, and by adopting better habits, you can literally change your biology in ways that are studied and measurable.”
When James is not breathing (!), his research is leading him in a new direction, inspiring material for a new book. “I am absolutely floored by some of the experiences and some of the things I am discovering right now.”
James Nestor has challenged everything we thought we knew about our most fundamental biological function, figuring out what went wrong and how to fix it.
“We all assume that we’re breathing correctly because we’re alive, right? But 90 to 95 percent of us are breathing dysfunctionally. We’re just breathing to get by, just as eating junk food allows us to live, but it doesn’t mean we’re healthy or progressing in any way. I see health aficionados all the time who are doing everything else right but they’re terrible breathers. They’re wondering why they still get migraine headaches or why their blood pressure is still high or why they’re anxious all of the time.”
An advocate of nasal breathing, “I do not unconsciously breathe through my mouth anymore, even when I’m not actively paying attention,” James has spent the past decade shaping global conversations around the science of breathing and its transformative impact on health and performance. It all starts with the fundamentals. “If you aren’t breathing functionally, you are just spinning your wheels. So, I start with the foundation. Only then can you use your breath more emphatically or ecstatically – to destress, warm up, focus, and even heal yourself of chronic conditions in ways that are scientifically verified. What I like about breathing is that it’s instantaneous. There’s no high bar; you start doing it consciously, switch on, and feel your body and brain switching on. We can measure a lot of what is happening to your blood pressure, heart rate, and brain waves.”
James is one of the collective of visionary thinkers, creators, and healers who bring their wealth of knowledge to the Alma Frequency community. Joining the mountain edition at Six Senses Crans-Montana in June 2025, he’ll be putting his research into action. “Group breathwork is my favorite thing to lead. In the same way that listening to live music with an audience is different from listening on your headphones, there’s a unique energy about a group of people all contributing to the same thing and finding a rhythm that becomes synchronized as we start cohering with one another. Something else happens in a group environment that we haven’t quite yet been able to measure. And it’s that mystery and space between science and – you can call it what you want but spiritualism or unknown science – that is a great place to explore next. When you breathe in specific patterns in a group, you can access things through your breath that you aren’t able to access otherwise.”
“Breathing is not a culture, trend, supplement, or hack. It is a biological function, and by adopting better habits, you can literally change your biology in ways that are studied and measurable.”
“Breathing is not a culture, trend, supplement, or hack. It is a biological function, and by adopting better habits, you can literally change your biology in ways that are studied and measurable.”
James advocates how, with a little practice and patience, you can consciously train yourself to nasal breathe your way to better health. “It takes weeks or maybe months to develop a new habit. But when good habits become your unconscious default, you can retrain your body so that it is naturally inclined to breathe in and out through your nose in a low, slow, paced manner. It’s how we were born. We just have to relearn our natural abilities. Breathing is not a culture, trend, supplement, or hack. It is a biological function, and by adopting better habits, you can literally change your biology in ways that are studied and measurable.”
When James is not breathing (!), his research is leading him in a new direction, inspiring material for a new book. “I am absolutely floored by some of the experiences and some of the things I am discovering right now.”
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