Breathe in Breathe Out: Restore Your Health, Reset Your Mind and Find Happiness Through Breathwork

by Stuart Sandeman

It’s time to get your breath back. Since tragic loss brought him to breathwork, Stuart Sandeman has helped thousands of people transform their lives, simply by changing the way they breathe.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Science

456 pages, Library Binding

Published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[Tom Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Useful info, insufferable tone.

2.5 out of 5.

[Eirimė|Pusvalandis tylos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be galo įtraukianti knyga apie kvėpavimą ir jo praktikas. Autorius knyga rašė iš savo patirties, kas ją padarė tik dar labiau skaitytojui artimą. Išvengta specifinių žodžių, kurių niekas nesupranta. Vietoj to, rašoma šnekamąja kalba kuri daugeliui priimtina.
Kvėpavimo praktiko prasideda nuo lengvesnių ir einama prie sudėtingų. Tačiau visos aiškiai aprašomos iki smulkmenų, tad suklysti nelieka kur.

[Shruti Pathak · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if I tell you that all I did for the past three months was breathe?
Strange isn't it? Because all we ever do and all we've ever been doing since we were born is breathe! So how can something so easy as breathing help us in surviving and managing our trauma response, in short, change our lives?

More than being a life force, breathing is proof that we're alive, and something which is proof enough of our existence has the power to heal. How? Let's leave that for contemplation alone that this book subjects us to. As someone living with PTSD, this book became a bit too personal, not to mention that this one is the first non-fiction self-help book that I've read in years! This book turned out to be exactly what every person living with trauma needs, because it opens a whole other dimension of healing through breathing. The anxiety gang would agree that breathing exercises during overwhelming situations are quite helpful. More than the breathwork and the calmness that it brings of the danger passing, it helps us to dive a bit deeper into our being, the being that wants to heal, the being that wants to find out the reason, the being that wants to find the purpose of it all.
Sometimes we need a little push towards the direction we deem is correct, so this book is that push you need when you don't know where to start. There are many exercises, quite simple ones but really effective if you want to start your healing journey through something which is so basic!

The book starts with a personal experience shared by the author and how that led him to the path of healing himself and healing others. It's definitely trauma that makes a person who he is, that's for sure.
I wish we all heal from whatever it is we're dealing with and carry on with our lives with peace, freedom from thoughts, and deep breaths. Let's also remember that every journey is different, but the elements of healing are all the same for everyone. Isn't breathing what all of us do?

[Katie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As someone with lifelong, compounded, always-expanding stress, this book gave me both the science and the heart behind the significance of breathwork and got me excited about "fixing" my own breathing. I've already noticed an impact!

[Neil Pasricha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up I’d sometimes wake up early and head downstairs to discover a thin bright light under the closed basement door in the dark hallway. I’d tiptoe downstairs to discover my dad, on his shins, pumping his fists into his stomach, while snorting like a horse. “What the … ?” My adolescent brain was, of course, not open to his always-at-the-ready tutelage in the ways of pranayama – the ancient yoga practice of breathwork. (“Prana” means “vital life force” and yama means “to gain control.”) Of course, as often happens, we circle back to wisdom from our parents later. My dad is 77 now and I’m 43 and, well, guess who’s the weird dad doing breathing exercises in the basement before sunrise now? Two things have been helpful for me recently: this extremely accessible book and the Othership breathwork app. The book has already paid for itself many times over but the most life-changing two pages for me were 102-103 where Stuart outlines a 10-second “nose unblocking technique” I wish I knew decades ago. If you’re a “one nostril plugged all day” person like me this is massive. Basically: 1) Take a normal breath in through your nose and out through your nose, 2) Gently pinch your nose while now holding your breath, 3) Tilt your head slowly all four directions – left, right, forwards, backwards, 4) Get back to looking straight and unplug your nose before breathing in a gentle breath. Did it work? If not, do it again. This has, no joke, completely unblocked my nostrils every single time I’ve done it. Stuart, where have you been all my life? Written in incredibly accessible “blog-posty” style prose this is a wonderful come hither to the land of breathwork. Highly recommended.

[Kathryn Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing and insightful read into the world of breathwork. Packed with breathing exercises ... very clear and concise along with other helpful information. Would definitely recommend this book if you are feeling stuck or just curious about the movement of breathwork...

[Timea Salma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this book to be much more helpful in terms of navigating life through grief after a loss such as the author described in the beginning of the book. But I didn’t think it was quite as life changing as I thought it’d be.
40 exercises to try out over a certain period.
Don’t get me wrong, one of the exercises actually taught me how to get a great uninterrupted sleep, but the read was rather boring.

[Brian Hoogheem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was useful in that it identified some unhealthy breathing habits that I wasn’t aware of and some exercises to break those habits. It was longer than I thought it needed to be, and I didn’t connect with some of the sports performance and transcendence material. I got something useful out of it, so will give it some credit though.

[Jonathon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tips but gets a little "non-sciency" in places. The book did effectively expose bad breathing habits and I feel a little calmer now that I am more conscious of my breathing.

[Milan Buno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kolegyňa vraví - načo to čítaš, veď vieš dýchať, inak by si zomrel. Čo tam treba študovať...na..ježiši, to má až 330 strán?
Nuž, mýli sa - vynikajúca kniha, o tom ako sa naučiť poriadne dýchať, aby ste mali lepší a zdravší život. V knihe nájdete cvičenia, ktoré vás preberú, upokoja a zlepšia váš výkon v akejkoľvek oblasti. Naučíte sa lepšie sústrediť, naštartovať svoju tvorivosť. Správne dýchanie vám pomôže zbaviť sa zlozvykov a nepotrebných návykov...

„Dych je život, a ak dýchate dobre, budete na tejto zemi dlho,“ hovorí jedno sanskritské príslovie.

Väčšina z nás dýcha ústami, čo nie je celkom správne – ako sa zjednodušene hovorí: ústa sú na jedenie, nos je na dýchanie. No pritom dýchame najmä ústami a to nám môže spôsobovať mnohé zdravotné ťažkosti alebo vedľajšie účinky.

Mnohí odborníci sa zhodujú, že ak nesprávne dýchate, je takmer nemožné, aby ste sa cítili dobre. Aby ste jasne premýšľali, dobre spali, prekonávali choroby alebo získavali nejaký prospech z cvičenia či iných zdravých praktík.
Ak nedýchate poriadne, vaše bunky a orgány ani váš mozog nedostávajú palivo, ktoré potrebujú na dosiahnutie optimálneho zdravia.
Vaše telo sa musí oveľa viac namáhať, aby sa zbavilo toxínov. Zlé dýchanie spôsobuje únavu, stres, úzkosť a vplýva na fyzické, duševné aj emocionálne zdravie. Dobrou správou je, že sa to dá napraviť.

Veľmi ma oslovili najmä kapitoly o tom, prečo je lepšie dýchať nosom.
Vzduch, ktorý dýchate, neobsahuje len znečisťujúce látky. Cudzorodých látok sa v ňom môže nachádzať oveľa viac. Sú tam rôzne čiastočky, prach, peľ, baktérie, vírusy, plesne, organické zlúčeniny, kovy a rôzne malé čiastočky. Toto všetko vám dráždi pľúca, ak dýchate ústami.
Váš nos filtruje, čistí a sterilizuje vzduch s cieľom ochrániť vás pred tým. Kým povolí vzduchu vstúpiť do klubu, dá ho do poriadku. Má na to viaceré metódy.

Prvou obrannou líniou sú malé chĺpky vnútri nosa, ktoré okamžite filtrujú väčšie čiastočky.
Ďalšou je sliznica, vlhká tenká vrstva tkaniva, ktorá vystiela vnútro nosa a produkuje hlien, ten lepkavý neobľúbený materiál. Hlien zachytáva prach, odpadové látky, baktérie, huby, jednoducho všetko, čo by mohlo poškodiť telo. Ak sa tam niečo zachytí, telo to buď rozloží, alebo to vyfúkate do vreckovky...

Veď si prečítajte :-)

[Nadia_nvk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ako práve dýchate?
Nijako to nemeňte. Len svoje dýchanie pozorujte a chvíľu o ňom premýšľajte.
Dýchate nosom?
Plytko?
Rozpína sa vám hrudník viac ako brucho?
Cítite pri dýchaní niekde v tele napätie?

Po prečítaní DYCHU od Jamesa Nestora som si hovorila, že ďalšiu knihu o dýchaní asi čítať nepotrebujem. Potom som si ale prečítala tento úvod a chcela som sa dozvedieť viac.

Táto kniha o dychu len nerozpráva, skôr učí, ako svoje dýchanie pozorovať a zlepšovať. Autor vysvetľuje, že naše dýchanie pomáha ovplyvňovať hladinu energie, našu tvorivosť, vie zmierniť stres aj bolesť, pomáha regulovať emocionálny stav. Môže byť kľúčom k uzdraveniu z traumy - to je dokonca jeho osobný príbeh.

Kniha je viac praktická ako teoretická a ponúka množstvo cvičení. Je rozdelená na tri veľké časti. Prvá sa nazýva NÁPRAVA. Cieľom je sledovať a uvedomiť si, ako dýchame, aké chyby pri dýchaní robíme (dýchanie ústami, tesné oblečenie, držanie tela…) a vedome sa sústrediť na ich odstránenie. Hneď na úvod zistíte, aký máte dýchací archetyp. Nasledujú cvičenia na zlepšenie bežného, každodenného dýchania, najmä na dýchanie nosom a správne používanie bránice. Potom cvičenia na zníženie stresu a kvalitnejší spánok.

Druhá časť má názov HLBŠIA PRÁCA a zmeriava sa na prepojenie dýchania a emócií. Všetky emócie - tie pozitívne aj tie negatívne - vedú totiž k reakcii tela. Buď emóciu prejavíme (dýchanie aj emócie plynú, smejeme sa, kričíme, plačeme…) alebo ju potlačíme (čo sa prejavuje zadržiavaním dychu a “uväznením” emócie vnútri).

Tretia časť OPTIMALIZUJTE je niečo ako PhD z dýchania. Sú tu cvičenia ako “Štvorcové dýchanie”, “Dychová pumpa” či “Dýchaj ako rytier Jedi”.

Dokopy je tu 40 cvičení s dychom, a nie je to taká tá kniha na jedno prečítanie, ale niečo ako domáca lekárnička. Bolí ma hlava? Aké bolo to cvičenie, ktoré na to pomáha?

Príručka, ktorú sa rozhodne oplatí prečítať, veď dýchame celý život, tak prečo to nerobiť správne?

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this is the next step up from meditation. And both work together well. The author is obviously an expert. There are exercises and assessments throughout. While it is sometimes difficult to determine where you personally are in the assessments, Sandeman gives detailed descriptions of what doing it correctly looks like so you can still progress to that no matter where you start.
I listened to the audio and also own a print copy. My main quandary is practicing the breath work. Audio is best especially for the guided and timed exercises but the book contains some pictures that help visual learners. I believe that his website also offers the exercises verbally but there is a fee. The audio book does have the exercises on disc and would be a fabulous buy at a library book sale.

[Masyitah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.4/5

I think breath is an underrated topic but certainly so important so i really appreciate that the book has shown me just how important it is and explained really the amazing things breath can do. It's made me understand and be more aware of my own breath and dysfunctional breathing patterns. It has a lot of different breathwork exercises too.

But I think a book probably cannot replace the in-person guidance and so sometimes even when trying it out, I didn't feel I did it right and couldn't feel the effects.

Also, please note that I felt that more inner work needs to accompany the breathwork for it to really be effective. So I felt it is more an accompanying practice to inner work. But, maybe that's just my experience of it, and for others the breathwork helped greatly with their inner work.

[Donlawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in breathwork or you are at the beginning of breathwork practice, this book is for you.

It changes our erratic breathing to normal breathing pattern through diaphragmatic breath. Moreover, it make your unconscious breath to conscious one’s, the mindful breathing.

Our body, mind, emotion and breath are interconnected. If you can pay attention to your breathing, you can start to reconnect with your unconscious mind, thought and feelings.

There are various kinds of breathwork exercises which you can practice yourself everywhere everetime you would like to.

You can make positive changes for your life through breathwork. Let’s Breathe In Breathe Out.

[Maartje Nierop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandeman takes you by the hand in a nice way through the fascinating world of breathing. Accessible, supported by scientific research and personal experience, you learn a lot about the possibilities of different ways of breathing.

A selection of the contents; stress less, sleep better and manage pain, release trauma, transform, look death in the eye, find flow and focus, and how to use your breath for better sports performance (eg breathing with your mouth closed!!!!).
And finally, for dessert: reaching transcendent states.

A book to put next to your yoga mat and consult every day and of course using the exercises during the day.

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read the more popular 'bestseller' on breathwork by James Nestor. That book had fallen flat. But 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' didn't.

Partly because Stuart really gives some pretty quick fixes to your breathing. I can't say I know it all, but some of the tips on stress and managing emotions are good to work with. Breathwork is complex, but Stuart makes it simple to start.

I loved the tip on immediately unblocking a clogged nostril. It has worked everytime, especially for someone like me who has a lifetime with a deviated septum. And the infinity breath he recommends is calming. Well, all breathing is calming, I guess. But that's the point. We need to read a book to implement it.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much wisdom in this book that I took a long time to read and absorb the knowledge it imparts. From the science to the personal stories of the author and his clients, it all comes together in a way that said, this book is for you. I’m much more aware of my breath and am starting a daily breathing routine to start my day off in a positive place.

This is the second book about the breath that I’ve read and it only solidifies my desire to continue my quest for more knowledge on the subject. To quote a Sanskrit proverb that Sandeman references in the book, “Breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on the earth”.

[Lisa Poe]

Love this book. I got to the last page and went back to the beginning to read it again. This time I'm taking notes. This book is a game changer for me and my physical fitness levels. I believe this could also be the answer to my migraines. I'm incorporating breath work into my daily routine. I highly recommend this book. It is well written and easier to read than "Breathe" which I also recommend.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical, practices are walked through w readers.



Not a fan of some parts of the book- shallow water blackout deaths. Milner experience.


In Breathe In, Breathe Out, breathwork expert Stuart Sandeman reveals the hidden power of breathing and how, by changing the way you breathe, you can transform the way you think and feel. Since tragic loss brought him to breathwork,

[Ariadne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoewel er met regelmaat tamelijk irritant taalgebruik opduikt, staat dit boek vol nuttige en interessante informatie en oefeningen. Bijzonder prettig vind ik hoe hij tot in precisie uitlegt waarom dingen werken zoals ze werken, bijzonder minder prettig zijn verhaaltjes over "Danny" en "Tom" (om maar wat namen te noemen) en hun persoonlijke verhalen.

[Elizabeth J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

This is a great book and well worth reading. I have been dealing with long Covid issues, and so started working through the exercises Mr Sandeman sets out in this book and I am amazed by the vast improvement in how I feel and my energy levels. I am so happy to have found this book and am learning to travel light.

[Aneesh Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Read

A beautiful read regarding connection between breathe,.mind and body.Loved doing infinity breathing excercise .A must read for health enthusiast for learning the fundamentals of breathing.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this. It's clear, practical, and science-based. It goes into all the reasons why breathwork can help you in different ways, and gives you simple, effective exercises you can do at home without the need for a therapist or doctor. (And he also tells you when you should go to a doctor!)

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grateful for this book. Learning to breathe properly is a skill for life! The book is full of advice and exercises.

[Inga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and important.

[HTP Books]

Healthy Living, Stress Management, Exercise, Human Anatomy & Physiology

[Sarah Oakley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really practical and relevant advice on how to work through difficult emotions. The breath is your anchor and superpower

[Pretzel Penpal · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beginner I found this really easy to understand and practice. My HRV improved in 2 days of trying the exercises. I loved the audio book read by the author.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook, this was great as it guided you through breathing exercises as if in a class. A great intro to breathing techniques, science and applications. Keen to learn more.

[Leanne Potts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, Stuart makes it really easy to understand everything he is speaking about.
If in doubt, breathe it out!