Intelligence Squared Why Changing How You Breathe Can Transform Your Health, with James Nestor
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Feb 11, 2026 
James Nestor, science journalist and bestselling author of Breath, explores how ancient and modern breathing practices reshape health. He discusses breathing’s role in chronic illness, anxiety, sleep and athletic performance. He shares cultural traditions, simple daily habits like nasal breathing, and remarkable personal stories of recovery and performance gains.
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Breathing Is A Lost But Powerful Pillar
- Humans average ~25,000 breaths daily yet many breathe incorrectly, harming health.
- James Nestor argues restoring correct breathing can transform sleep, allergies, mood, and performance.
Personal Health Sparked The Investigation
- Nestor began researching after personal respiratory problems and found many 'incurable' conditions improved by breathing changes.
- He recounts a friend told his three-year-old would have asthma for life, illustrating medical complacency.
Breathing Underlies Anxiety And Asthma
- Anxiety and asthma share nearly identical dysfunctional breathing patterns and low CO2 thresholds.
- Many psychiatrists say anxiety treatments fail unless breathing is corrected first.
