The Power Of Breath As Medicine with James Nestor

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, BiOptimizers, and InsideTracker. The way we breathe impacts everything from how well we sleep to our metabolism, cognitive function, immunity, and more. That’s why it’s so alarming that most of us are doing it wrong. Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I talk all about the science and evolution of how we breathe, and how to get better at it, with James Nestor.  James Nestor is an author and journalist who has written for Scientific American, Outside, The New York Times, and more. His latest book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, was an instant New York Times bestseller. Breath explores how the human species has lost the ability to breathe properly—and how to get it back. James has appeared on dozens of national television shows, including ABC’s Nightline and CBS’s Morning News, and on NPR. He lives and breathes in San Francisco. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, BiOptimizers, and InsideTracker. Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com.   BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough formula contains seven different forms of magnesium, all of which have different functions in the body. Go to magbreakthrough.com/hyman and use code hyman10 at checkout for 10% off your next order.   InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 20% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman. Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):  Why breathing is so important to our overall health (4:34 / ​​1:50) Using breath to boost your immune system and break stress (9:03 / 4:25)  The personal health issues that led James to study breath (14:26 / 11:25) Why breathing through your nose is better than breathing through your mouth (16:38 / 13:36)  The benefits of nighttime mouth taping (23:07 / 20:06)  Nasal breathing tips and techniques (29:19 / 25:30)  Ancient lost arts of breathing (30:36 / 27:14)  Lung capacity and aging (37:51 / 32:44) Breathe like your ancestors (43:13 / 37:06) What is kundalini? (53:19 / 48:13)   Learn more about James’ work and get his book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, at mrjamesnestor.com/order-now.