Breath: The New Science Of A Lost Art

There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing, something that is gravel all to often overlooked and dare say done incorrectly.  The journalist James Nestor  has traveled  the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices  to figure out what has gone and how to fix it. This is more than just another book about breathing, as well as offering some instruction, it fills in a lot of the background information about breathing in an interesting and engaging format. This does not feel in any way like an academic tomb about the anatomical, mechanical working of the breathe but a journey through history of mankind relationship with breathing.There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing, something that is gravel all to often overlooked and dare say done incorrectly.  The journalist James Nestor  has travelled  the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices  to figure out what has gone and how to fix it. This is more than just another book about breathing, as well as offering some instruction, it fills in a lot of the background information about breathing in an interesting and engaging format. This does not feel in any way like an academic tomb about the anatomical, mechanical working of the breathe but a journey through history of mankind relationship with breathing.

Why We Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our life, health and longevity and something I talk to clients a lot about as along with breathing can effect every part of your body and have a huge influence on your health and wellbeing.  Having said this sleeps importance is hugely underestimated with an alarming number of us approaching it in totally the wrong way.  I fundamentally focus on the sleep from the wellbeing and mental health application, however this book highlights the devastating consequences lack of sleep can cause including: every major disease in the developed world – Alzheimer’s, cancer, obesity, diabetes – all having a very strong causal links to deficient sleep.

Professor Matthew Walker explores twenty years of cutting-edge research to solve the mystery of why sleep matters. Looking at creatures from across the animal kingdom as well as major human studies, Why We Sleep delves into everything from what really happens during REM sleep to how caffeine and alcohol affect sleep and why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime, transforming our appreciation of the extraordinary phenomenon that safeguards our existence.

The Oxygen Advantage

As A trained Oxygen Advantage Instructor by Patrick McKeown himself – This is one of my go to books.  I had undertaken a Buteyko course myself and found it fascinating but Patrick took it to a whole new level with the Oxygen Advantage.

The secret to your health, fitness and overall well-being lies in the most basic and overlooked aspect of your workout: how you breathe. Developing body strength while ignoring breathing strength is counterproductive.

In The Oxygen Advantage, Patrick McKeown combines his successful breathing exercises with techniques designed to simulate high-altitude training in a highly successful programme that will significantly improve anyone’s health but will also empower athletes to improve their sports performance. These scientifically validated exercises have the potential to drastically improve your overall fitness, whether you are a habitual couch potato or an Ironman triathlon champion.

These easy-to-use techniques can help to reduce your breathlessness, improve your sleep as well as reduce anxiety and stress. Drawing on his own experiences as an ex-asthmatic and the work he has done to help athletes and asthma sufferers alike to achieve greater fitness, Patrick shows you the key to a healthier, fitter you.

Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice

A lot of what I do is based in looking at behaviours and habits.  This book – Bounce is an interesting read asking the question of nature vs nature.   Two-time Olympian and sports writer and broadcaster Matthew Syed draws on neuroscience and psychology to explore the secrets of top athletes and introduces us to an extraordinary cast of characters, including the East German athlete who became a man, and her husband – and the three Hungarian sisters who are all chess grandmasters. Bounce is crammed with fascinating stories and statistics.

The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness

The Chimp Paradox is an incredibly powerful mind management model that can help you become a happy, confident, healthier and more successful person. Prof Steve Peters explains the struggle that takes place within your mind and then shows how to apply this understanding to every area of your life so you can:

– Recognise how your mind is working
– Understand and manage your emotions and thoughts
– Manage yourself and become the person you would like to be

The Chimp Mind Management Model is based on scientific facts and principles, which have been simplified into a workable model for easy use. It will help you to develop yourself and give you the skills, for example, to remove anxiety, have confidence and choose your emotions. The book will do this by giving you an understanding of the way in which your mind works and how you can manage it. It will also help you to identify what is holding you back or preventing you from having a happier and more successful life.

How The Mind Can Heal Your Body

There is no longer any doubt that the way we think affects our bodies: countless scientific studies have shown this to be true. For former pharmaceutical scientist Dr David Hamilton, the testing of new drugs highlighted how profoundly the mind and body are connected. Time and time again, the control group of patients in drug trials improved at similar rates to those who actually received the medicines. Astounded, Dr Hamilton decided to change the direction of his work to explore the relationship between the mind and the body.

The power of visualisation is a process I often teach people to harness – whether it is for relaxation, dealing with phobias, improving performance or dealing with unwanted habits.  This book highlights the science behind visualisation.   Dr David Hamilton has written several books, some of which I will also have highlighted here, but he also does really good lectures and talks.  If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of his talks – I would highly recommend it.