Books on Breathing

Some of Our Favorite Books on Breathing

There are a lot of books now available on breathing, books filled with all kinds of breathing exercises and advice. And there is a lot of confusing, often contradictory information about which exercises to undertake and the best way to breathe.

In the list that follows, we have attempted to cull those books that we believe are the most helpful, not only to beginners but also to those who have been working with their breath for a long time. What most of these books have in common is that they are based on a genuine exploration of the principles of healthy, natural breathing. They also place the work with breathing in the larger context of the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of who we really are.

--Dennis Lewis, Free Your Breath, Free Your Life (Shambhala, 2004), available in bookstores: "This is by far the most compelling and complete book on breathing I've ever read. It is 'must' reading for everyone who is interested in optimal health."--Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause.

--Dennis Lewis, The Breath of Presence, (Authentic Breathing, 2007), available only as an MS Word download: "In light of our fast often distressful pace of living, when one can read something that is both interesting and inspiring yet slows us down to breathe easier and effortlessly in the moment, it is a very good thing. Dennis Lewis' latest book The Breath of Presence does just that. Read it and let it breathe you." Mike White, Director, The Optimal Breathing School and Institute

--Dennis Lewis, The Tao of Natural Breathing (Rodmell Press, 2006), available in bookstores: "Insightful in its breadth and simple in its presentation, The Tao of Natural Breathing offers something new, especially to those skilled in pranayama (yoga breathing exercises). Dennis Lewis presents practices that are less about control and more about letting go. He gently entices us to allow our conscious breath to become the teacher, the healer, and the expression of our soul." --Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., P.T., author of 30 Essential Yoga Poses

--Ilse Middendorf, The Perceptible Breath: A Breathing Science (Paderborn, Germany: Junfermann-Verlag). Middendorf, who is based in Germany, is a pioneer in the exploration of breath and one of the world's leading breathing therapists. This book is a "must have" for anyone serious about breathwork.

--Donna Farhi, The Breathing Book (New York: Owl Books). Farhi is an internationally renowned Yoga teacher based in New Zealand. The book, which is widely available in bookstores, is an invaluable guide to both the theory and practice of healthy breathing.

--Carola Speads, Ways to Better Breathing (Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press). Speads studied and taught for many years with famed movement teacher Elsa Gindler. Her book provides simple but powerful methods for awakening our authentic breath.

--Carl Stough and Reece Stough, Dr. Breath: The Story of Breathing Coordination. This is an excellent book by a breath explorer who has worked with both Olympic athletes and respiratory patients. Difficult to find, but an important book.

--Michael Grant White, Secrets of Optimal Natural Breathing. Mike White, also known as "The Breathing Coach," updates this helpful, important manual several times a year.

What is Natural Breathing?

Learning to Breathe With Your Whole Body

Natural breathing can be defined as breathing with your entire body, the way a healthy baby, a healthy young child, or a healthy animal breathes. Natural breathing is based on the harmonious interplay of the lungs, diaphragm, belly, chest, back, and other parts of the human body. In natural breathing, the depth and speed of the breath is appropriate to the actual needs and demands of the moment, as long as those needs and demands are not being conditioned by unnecessary tensions, contractions, or restrictions in the body.

During inhalation, the diaphragm moves downward massaging, either directly or indirectly, all the internal organs, and the energetic wave of breath moves upward through entire body, opening the belly, chest, back, and lungs. During exhalation, the diaphragm moves upward massaging the heart, and the wave of breath moves downward closing the lungs, chest, back, and belly.

In human beings, natural breathing occurs mainly through the nose. This not only ensures the natural filtering, warming, and moisturizing of the air, but it also helps ensure that we don't release carbon dioxide too quickly, as we often do when we breathe through our mouths.