Breathwork: How to Use Your Breath to Change Your Life

by Andrew Smart, Eric Nyquist (Illustrations)

Harness the power of your breath to nourish your mind, body, and spirit.

For anyone in search of peace, clarity, and calm, Breathwork is an all-levels handbook of breathwork techniques—the practice of combining breathing exercises with meditation.

Decrease anxiety, foster energy, and build awareness using breathwork traditions.

• Covers foundational breathing techniques from a range of traditions—including Zen breathing, Somatic breathing, and Holotropic breathing
• Teaches simple-to-follow breathing exercises that you can do on your own
• Unintimidating and highly accessible to beginners

With practices for energy, healing, awareness, stress relief, and more, this all-levels guide gives you everything you need to find balance and clarity.

All you need is your breath to foster health and happiness.

• The perfect gift for anyone seeking simple self-care techniques to help for their mind, body, and spirit
• A useful skill to learn and pair with other mindfulness practices, such as meditation and yoga
• Great for readers who enjoyed The Little Book of Mindfulness by Patricia Collard, Calm by Michael Acton Smith, and The Healing Power of the Breath by Richard Brown

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Spirituality

160 pages, Hardcover

Published May 19, 2020

About the author

This is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as Andrew Smart

Reviews

[Vendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE BEST breathwork book!!
5/5!! well-written and the beautiful cover!❤️

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like a primer, or a taste-tester containing a number of different breathwork techniques- one per chapter. It's written in an informal and casual style, making it easy to read and follow. It's a great little resource to then use and go away to research a style or approach that takes your interest. I like the fun way it is written, and the different styles of breathwork that the author has chosen to explain with minimal fluff. Some of the more popular ones are Holotropic breathing, Wim Hof, Kundalini Yoga, Box breathing, and there's even a chapter on running, which I found quite enlightening as I hadn't thought about running as a spiritual practice or way to improve breathwork. Overall, great little book and introduction into the world of purposeful breathing and breathwork.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty quick read, and written with a certain sort of jazz in the language, which I liked. I really appreciated the "how to" aspect, and that there were many modalities of breathwork introduced to the reader, with pretty clear instructions. Very enjoyable to read, and of course, extremely beneficial to actually do some of the breathing techniques. I did the Wim Hof method today at lunch, and after three rounds felt like I was going to burst into literal, actual light. And my energy! No mid-day coffee needed today, that's for sure!

[Mike Knirnschild · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent introduction to a variety of breathing techniques. Written in a playful manner. Definitely an easy and quick read. A great place to start and if you find a particular breathing method you’re interested in the book provides further reading suggestions.

[Chanda Scobee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up “Breathwork” thinking it would be a typical self-help book with some simple breathing exercises sprinkled in. What I got instead was a thoughtful, well-researched exploration of how something as automatic as breathing can be intentionally harnessed to shift our mental and physical states, sometimes even dramatically and intentionally.

Andrew Smart blends neuroscience, psychology, and ancient breathing practices to create a compelling case for why breathwork is a real, evidence-based way to regulate our nervous system, reduce stress, and even address trauma. His writing is clear and accessible without being oversimplified. There's enough science to feel grounded, but it never feels like a textbook.

What stood out to me:
✔️ The discussion of the autonomic nervous system and how breathing interacts with it.
✔️ Clear, practical instructions on different breathwork techniques and when to use them.
✔️ Smart’s ability to translate complex physiological processes into everyday language.

I think strikes a great balance between the scientific and the experiential. I recommend it for readers curious about somatic healing, how breathwork impacts the body, or anyone who struggles with anxiety, burnout, or simply wants to deepen their connection to their body. Sometimes healing doesn’t require adding more, but just noticing what’s already there. Start with the breath.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short little read. The first half is kind of a why do breath work and the second half is exercises. I’ll be marking my library’s E-book as a favorite so I can go back and reference easily.

[Infada Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

...closer perhaps to two and a half stars.

[May-Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

great primer on various breath techniques and more of a persuasive argument for carving out time to focus on breathing. i found it accessible, although he opens by overselling in my opinion. promising nirvana and then suggesting it might not happen for you seems like an overreach. coming from chronicle books, it's simply gorgeous; colors inspire you along your breath journey, as well as excellent line drawings and beautiful typography. the book itself is a joy to flip through. as someone who tends to hold my breath when stressed, i appreciated the overview and plan to try out a couple of the techniques in a deeper way. we can all stand to breathe better!

[Am Y · Rating 2 out of 5]

Provides an overview of many different breathwork techniques and how to practise them. The book contains linguistic errors, uncensored swear words, and lots of trendy libspeak such as "cultural appropriation", etc. There is absolutely no science involved to back up any of the claims listed. It's perfect for the woo-woo, woke, hippie lib crowd, and mildly amusing for anyone else interested in taking a glimpse into the mentality of this group.

[Daniela Lopes ☕ · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read and reread! My first deeper contact with breathwork, in words, after an event that made me completely change my mind about the power of my breath.
The book isn't very scientific or in-depth, but that's exactly what I needed right now, and definitely I will embrace a book now with more depth on the subject. The illustrations are amazing, the phrases highlighted, everything! Very good editing job. :)

[Bridget Burkill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptic so that this book would change by life, but it without a doubt has. Both enlightening and informative, with amazing step by step techniques outlined. Breathing is now a conscious part of my daily life!

[Kes · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s a trend to write short repackaged books so you earn a quick buck.. this unfortunately reads like one of them. Nothing new on why breathwork is good for you; and the second half of guided examples on breathwork could be easily obtained elsewhere.

[Drew Ayling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good primer on breath work. Only knowing zen breathwork, this was an interesting read into other styles and techniques. The final technique is one that rings true to many athletes, running is meditation. I should go grab my running shoes.

[Ish · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid introductory book.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read

It feels a little light at the end just spitting out existing types of breathing. I like the first half much better.

[J Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm relatively new to breathe work and learned a lot. Easy, small book to read. I got a library copy but I'm tempted to buy it so I can try out the different versions.

[Kaustubh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a kooky one!

[Sian Lile-Pastore · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit too bro-breathwork for me

[Libby Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read! It’s nice how they divided the book into explanation then exercises. Definitely a book to review back to for guidance.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

good intro to breathwork book that will educate you on a lot of different types

[Amila · Rating 1 out of 5]

satirical (hopefully)

[Phil Calandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Breathwork is a general overview of the importance of our breath in our lives. Our breath can aid us in our physical, mental and emotional well-being and cultivate our spirituality. Also, it is one of the few modalities in which you don't need a class or guru. Included are various breathing techniques from the different practices and traditions of Pranayama, Buddhism and others.

[Luke Wiest · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very basic introductory book on breathing techniques. It's a good launch point but save yourself some money and get it from your library if you want to read it.

[Kara Rowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice overview of different methods and modalities of breathing for healing.

[Tom Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buncha baloney in here, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Breathing becomes breathwork when you add attention and energy to it. Breathwork is the simple act of becoming aware of the breath. (17)

2 stars. Enthusiastic but unscientific.