“Breath; The new science of a lost art” by James Nestor.
This book follows a journalist on his quest to discover why so many of us are chronically sick and tired.
Basically we have (de)evolved to become one of the worst breathers in the animal kingdom. As our food has become softer, our jaws and mouths have become smaller. As our brains have become bigger, it pushes forward and takes up room of our sinuses/nasal cavities. Not to mention how our stressful lifestyles and often slouched compressing postures can affect our capacity to take a deep, fully oxygenating breath.
This book draws on ancient texts and emerging science to challenge our conventional wisdom of breathing, and how we may affect athletic performance, snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease, and even the structure of our body (eg scoliosis) by simply tweaking the way we inhale and exhale.
If you breathe, you should read this book.
