#829: James Nestor — Breathing Protocols to Reboot Your Health, Fix Your Sleep, and Boost Performance

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Sep 30, 2025

James Nestor, a science journalist and author of the bestseller "Breath," delves into the transformative power of breathwork. He distinguishes between ancient methods like tummo and modern approaches such as the Wim Hof technique. Nestor discusses the link between childhood sleep issues and ADHD, emphasizing home checks for breathing problems. He highlights the importance of nasal breathing and shares valuable sleep improvement tips, including his own use of sleep tape. Nestor also introduces concepts like measuring CO2 levels to enhance cognition and the significant benefits of proper breath mechanics for athletes.

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ANECDOTE

Rehabilitated Lungs Through Breathing

Maurice Dubard rehabilitated severe lung disease with breathing practices instead of surgery and gained remarkable stamina.
He lived into his 90s performing extreme endurance feats that inspired modern cold-exposure and breathwork stories.

INSIGHT

Two Different Paths To Tummo Heat

Tummo has at least two versions: a slow, metabolic one and a fast, hyperventilation-style one like Wim Hof's.
Both create heat but use different mechanics and training intensities.

ADVICE

Use Breathwork For Chronic Respiratory Issues

Do practice structured breathwork if you have chronic respiratory problems because it can eliminate recurrent infections.
Track outcomes objectively to confirm real physiological improvements.

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James Nestor is a science journalist and the author of the international bestseller Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, with more than three million copies sold in 44 languages.

This episode is brought to you by:

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Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Start.

[00:01:37] Why I waited years to interview James about Breath.

[00:02:35] Maurice Daubard: The mysterious 90-year-old who preceded Wim Hof.

[00:05:01] Tummo breathing: Ancient Bon Buddhist heat generation.

[00:08:13] James’ personal breathwork practice and the Wim Hof method (with warnings).

[00:09:25] How breathwork cured James’ chronic respiratory issues.

[00:11:46] Sudarshan Kriya: The weekend workshop that changed everything.

[00:16:56] My nine-minute breath hold experiment (hyperbaric chamber edition).

[00:18:57] Post-book revelations and angry doctors’ offices.

[00:20:41] The ADHD-breathing connection: A controversial Venn diagram.

[00:22:00] DIY breathing assessments for kids.

[00:25:55] Mouth tape: From hostage situations to sleep optimization.

[00:28:48] James’ seven-year mouth taping commitment.

[00:31:14] CO2 levels: Your LEED-certified hotel is suffocating you.

[00:36:50] Monitoring CO2 with the Aranet4 and building a CO2 database.

[00:39:51] James’ travel kit: Red lights, granny packs, and a Soviet-era PEMF device.

[00:51:59] In Weirdville, eyes sing The Body Electric.

[00:52:58] The supplements included in David’s granny packs.

[00:54:16] Natto vs. nattokinase.

[00:56:18] Athletes and breathing: The BOLT score explained.

[01:03:25] LeBron James’ alternate nostril breathing and diaphragmatic dysfunction.

[01:04:47] Inspiratory muscle training and the back soreness warning.

[01:08:47] The Relaxator: An adult breathing pacifier for focus.

[01:12:54] San Francisco Writers Grotto and the trustafarian invasion.

[01:16:10] Writer’s block: A convenient excuse for hobbyists.

[01:19:04] Cutting the corporate cord: James’ visceral “I quit” moment.

[01:23:25] The freediving story that launched a book deal.

[01:25:41] Deep‘s disappointing launch and publisher betrayal.

[01:28:10] Breath: From 290,000 words to 85,000 in a house in the woods.

[01:31:51] Finding the skeleton: The Stanford experiment as through-line.

[01:35:44] Prayer and coherent breathing: The 5.5-second secret.

[01:38:44] James’ critique of breathwork culture and barriers to entry.

[01:41:07] Sleep optimization: SnoreLab, side sleeping, and incline bed therapy.

[01:44:56] Parting thoughts and where to find James and free breathing protocols.

Show notes for this episode: https://tim.blog/2025/09/30/james-nestor-breath/

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