“Breath” - A Review

“Are you familiar with breath work?” Asked Emily, at my Harmonic Egg appointment. I’ve never been to a breathing workshop or anything and I know I’m no expert, so I just said no.

Later when I was recounting this to Trent, I said, “I don’t know why I said that. I’ve been practicing yoga for decades. All that is is breath work, hahaha!”

“And you literally just read a book called “Breath”. You probably know more than she does, hahaha.”

I’m sure that’s not true, but I’m further along than your average mouth breather.

I started reading this book Samhain/Halloween weekend 2024, while holed up in a tiny cabin in the woods of Black Forest on a spiritual retreat with my dog.

While I was out there, inviting the wisdom of the ancestors who might be hanging around while the veil was thin, I opened up “Breath”. Suddenly, I was learning more about the evolution of the human skull in relation to sinuses than I’d ever known before. Also, did you know that a 6-second breath is the breath of prayer? From Hinduism to Catholicism, and those who seek to find whatever God is using only their breath, it is the sacred wind. I read about early, pre-Homo sapien anatomy, and past medical breakthroughs. I realized the ancestors were speaking to me through this book, taking me on a journey through the past to help me be conscious of my breath today. How “lucky” that I’d brought it with me that weekend, not really knowing what it was about, just taking it on a recommendation from someone I admire.

As I read about ancient texts of Chinese and Tibetan monks (who are obviously not MY ancestors, but they’re some of the greats) which equate mouth breath to evil, I got to thinking about quality of breath, of the words we exhale. How much power words actually have, and how harmful words and ideas can physically affect the people and world around us, and how things that aren’t quality aren’t worth saying.

That’s why - in part - when the election happened, I got quiet. I couldn’t be one more person throwing worst-case scenarios into the cosmic algorithm - even though it was so tempting, and I failed a LOT behind closed doors! - and normalizing the use of names and titles that are fucking terrifying because that shit manifests! It took me a while, to overcome a lot of anxiety, to try to only use the power of my breath for good, but then when I would finally decide to say something, or to write something, they were the wrong things. Trash breath.

So I’ve waited, and been even more quiet (online, anyway) over this year, trying to take the pieces of what I’d learned from not only this book, but every magical thing that happened that weekend in the woods (there’s a lot) and apply them to every adventure I’ve been on, and every day I live.

When I left Black Forest on November 3rd, 2024, I’d only made it through 2 of 3 parts of “Breath”. The intro to the third part sounded like it was about to get very technical with breathing exercises, and after all the third-eye opening shit I’d just experienced, I was ready to float - not force - my way back into the real world, so when I got home, it went back into the TBR pile.

I decided to finish it a couple weeks ago, on Samhain weekend 2025. Trent was gone again on his Vegas trip. I’d spent the week preparing for the arrival of the ancestors with a simmer pot and small acts of reverence to set an inviting atmosphere with an apropros soundtrack.

A few months ago, I decided to dive into yoga again. When I said earlier that I’ve been practicing for decades, it’s really been on and off, technically, though yoga is something that never really leaves you, and while being aware of my breath had continued to be a part of my daily life, a regular practice had not.

I’d had a small bout of psychosis (embarrassing, really), and I needed to still my mind (and quit smoking so much pot *sad face*) so I found a yogi on YouTube who I really like. I’ve been to yoga classes but I actually prefer just being on my own with an instructor on the screen. Takes me back to my Rainbeau Mars DVDs from the early aughts. But anyway, this Adriene chick suits my vibe (and has a dog!) and I’ve been enjoying yoga more than I ever have, actually.

In the week leading up to Samhain, it really started clicking for me in a way that it never has. I’ve been aware of terms like “breathe into your body”, and literally checking my body with my breath for tension. Massaging my muscles with the warm rush of life flowing from my lungs and belly to every appendage, and making movements and adjustments according to the feedback I was getting. Yeah, I was familiar with it and was even able to fully sink into it from time to time, and maybe find a few moments of pure stillness at the end of a practice, but now - it’s all connecting like it hasn’t before. The ability to actually send physical waves over my brain with my breath to wash away my anxiety and quiet intrusive thoughts is there like it hasn’t been before. Congrats to anyone for whom this is basic knowledge, but it’s a new sensation for me, and it’s pretty exciting.

So after my Harmonic Egg session on Halloween morning, when I told Emily I’d actually been feeling really good that week and no, I’m not familiar with breath work - a lie which betrayed me when I emerged from the Egg and she asked how it was and I said, “very relaxing - like a really long savasana”, I went home and picked up “Breath” for Part 3.

Lo and behold, it does get technical, with specific exercises, but the overall theme is the ability to heal one’s body with breath. From fending off everything from hypothermia to depression, to eliciting psychedelic-like phenomena, the secret is in the breath. It confirmed the things I’ve been feeling, with modern science and with millennia of experience. But I’m still no expert and there’s lots of practice to do.

As all good books/instruction manuals do, “Breath” wrapped everything up neatly, making callbacks to the first chapters, finishing up book-long experiments, reminding the reader of the key factors. For me, this book helped open doors to rooms of thought I hadn’t entered before, and for that I’m grateful.

Breathe like you love yourself.

Speak like you love the world.

10/10