The way that you breathe can dramatically shape whether we're feeling anxious or calm. How might our experience of technology be different if it paid attention to how we're breathing? To day, on your undivided attention, we'll use our breath to explore how we might design more humane technology. Here to guide us through that exploration is journalist james nestor.
When author and journalist James Nestor began researching a piece on free diving, he was stunned. He found that free divers could hold their breath for up to 8 minutes at a time, and dive to depths of 350 feet on a single breath. As he dug into the history of breath, he discovered that our industrialized lives have led to improper and mindless breathing, with cascading consequences from sleep apnea to reduced mobility. He also discovered an entire world of extraordinary feats achieved through proper and mindful breathing — including healing scoliosis, rejuvenating organs, halting snoring, and even enabling greater sovereignty in our use of technology. What is the transformative potential of breath? And what is the relationship between proper breathing and humane technology?