50. Breathing+

Hi friends,

Welcome to the 50th dispatch of How Humans Flourish, a research-informed newsletter on how humans thrive.

This month, we’ve been exploring the profound power of breath through the lens of James Nestor’s Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Nestor reminds us that breath is more than an automatic function; it’s a gateway to healing, resilience, and transformation.

The Dance of Two Systems

Our breath governs a delicate dance between two halves of the autonomic nervous system (which regulates involuntary physiologic processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal): the parasympathetic and the sympathetic. When we breathe slowly and deeply, we engage the parasympathetic system—the realm of rest, recovery, and restoration. This is the calm after a nourishing meal, the tears of joy at a wedding, the soft sense of safety when we’re held by someone we trust.

In contrast, rapid, shallow breaths activate the sympathetic system—alertness, readiness, and survival. Blood rushes to the muscles, the heart races, and the mind sharpens. This state is essential for short bursts of action but becomes harmful when prolonged. In our modern world, many of us live suspended between these states, rarely fully relaxed and never fully at ease.

Nestor calls intense breathing modalities that shock these two systems into overdrive, Breathing+. In the dance of fire and stillness, stress and release, we rediscover the profound capacity within us to heal and transform.

Tummo: The Fire Within

Tummo, the ancient Tibetan practice of “inner fire,” teaches us to lean into this tension with purpose. Imagine monks seated in freezing snow, generating heat so powerful it raises their temperature by 17 degrees Fahrenheit. Through rapid, controlled breathing, they ignite their inner furnace. Adrenaline surges, cortisol floods the body, and yet—in the stillness that follows—deep calm settles.

Modern practitioners like Wim Hof have taken Tummo out of the realm of mystics and brought it into scientific spotlight. Hof’s feats of endurance—submerging in ice, running marathons in the Arctic, controlling his immune response—demonstrate that conscious breathing can unlock the body’s hidden potential. His message is simple and raw: Breathe. Consciously. Fiercely.

Rewiring the Mind with Holotropic Breathwork

If Tummo ignites the body, Holotropic Breathwork blows open the mind. Developed by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, this practice uses prolonged, rhythmic breathing to explore the subconscious. In a dark room, with music as a guide, participants breathe rapidly for hours, diving into layers of suppressed emotions and memories.

This intense practice can lead to tears, visions, and catharsis. Grof described it as a “mini life-death-rebirth” experience. For many, Holotropic Breathwork becomes a path to healing long-held wounds and rediscovering a sense of wholeness.

The Science Behind the Breath

Modern research supports what these ancient techniques teach us: breath is a direct lever for the autonomic nervous system. By engaging with the breath, we can stimulate the vagus nerve—a key player in regulating stress and relaxation. Intentional breathing allows us to toggle between tension and ease, fostering adaptability and resilience.

Studies show that practices like Tummo and Holotropic Breathwork can:

• Reduce anxiety and depression

• Improve immune responses

• Ease chronic pain

• Enhance mental clarity and emotional well-being

When we push ourselves to the edge of controlled stress and then return to rest, we teach our bodies to bend, not break.

With gratitude,

P.s. Interested in trying out Breathing+ for yourself? I recommend trying Wim Hof Guided Breathing for Beginners.

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