Breathwork is a powerful tool that can help us improve our physical, mental and emotional health. It involves the conscious control of the breath, which can be done through a variety of breathing techniques and approaches. With every conscious breath, we can shift stress, soften anxiety, ease old wounds, and create space for clarity, energy, and connection. It’s a practice that meets you exactly where you are, whether you’re suffering from PTSD, anxiety or burnout, managing chronic pain, or simply craving a deeper sense of wellbeing.
Apart from breathing workshops and in-person classes, books are one of the most accessible ways to dive into the world of breathwork. They allow you to learn at your own pace, revisit powerful techniques whenever you need, and explore the wisdom and science behind both this ancient healing practice.
We’ve explored countless breathwork books and distilled them into a curated list of the 20 best to read in 2025. Each title offers a unique perspective – from ancient wisdom to modern science – providing practical tools and fresh insights to help you grasp the importance of breathwork, experience its benefits, and refine (or even begin) your own practice.
The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown is a practical and inspiring guide to tapping into the power of your breath. Drawing on his own journey as a former asthmatic and his expertise as one of the world’s leading breathwork teachers, McKeown blends simple, proven techniques with high-altitude training methods to help you feel stronger, calmer, and more resilient.
Whether you’re aiming to improve athletic performance, sleep more deeply, ease anxiety, or simply support your overall health, this book offers clear, science-backed exercises that are easy to apply in daily life, showing how small shifts in your breathing can unlock big changes in the way you feel and perform.
An international bestseller and one of the most talked-about books on breathwork, Breath by James Nestor is a must-read if you’re curious about the science of breathing. As a journalist and health enthusiast, Nestor travelled the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices, taking you through the history of breathwork, exploring how our modern lifestyle has altered the way we breathe, and what we can do to restore it. Along the way, he weaves in insights from leading experts and shares practical exercises that make the science easy to understand.
McConnell introduces a fresh approach to psychotherapy by blending the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model with somatic therapy techniques. Through the five core practices of Somatic IFS – somatic awareness, conscious breathing, radical resonance, mindful movement, and attuned touch – this method helps create embodied safety, integrate unresolved trauma, and support deep healing.
The book outlines a step-by-step process for working with clients to help them access their internal family systems and integrate parts of themselves that have been disconnected or disowned. Through a combination of experiential exercises and case studies, McConnell demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach for treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and other emotional and psychological issues. This book is a valuable resource for therapists and clinicians seeking to incorporate somatic techniques into their work with clients.
Breath: Wake Up to Life by Global Peace Ambassador and New York Times bestselling author Prem Rawat invites readers to rediscover the miracle of something so simple, yet so profound – the breath. From our first inhalation to our final exhale, breath connects us to life itself. It is a universal rhythm shared by every human being, a constant reminder of our existence in the present moment. Yet, in our fast-paced world, this quiet miracle often goes unnoticed.
Through poetic reflection and graceful prose, Rawat reminds us that awareness of our breath is awareness of life. By turning inward and appreciating each breath, we can awaken to peace, gratitude, and the deep joy of being alive.
Conscious Breathing by Anders Olsson is a comprehensive guide to breathing with awareness and intention – a practice that can transform your physical, emotional, and even spiritual health. Drawing on decades of experience, countless hours of research, and his work training over a thousand breathing instructors, Olsson reveals how something as simple as changing the way you breathe can reshape nearly every aspect of your life. The book combines science, practical exercises, and step-by-step techniques to help you normalise blood pressure and circulation, sleep more deeply, boost energy, burn fat, strengthen immunity, and even enhance your appearance, sex drive, and overall sense of wellbeing. With inspiring insights and easy-to-apply methods, Conscious Breathing shows how cultivating the habit of intentional breathing can help you live a better life.
Just Breathe by Dan Brule is a practical yet revolutionary guide to using breathwork as a tool for stress reduction, improved health, and spiritual growth. Brulé, a world-renowned pioneer of breathwork who has taught in more than fifty countries, shares his Breath Mastery technique – trusted by elite athletes, Navy SEALs, martial artists, first responders, and yogis alike. With a blend of science, spirituality, and easy-to-apply practices, the book shows how regulating your breath can calm the mind, spark energy, and unlock peak performance. Inside, you’ll find techniques to support everything from managing pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression to boosting creativity, intuition, mindfulness, and even leadership skills. Recommended “for those who wish to destress naturally” (Library Journal), Just Breathe equips you with the tools to harness the power of your breath and bring more balance, resilience, and clarity into everyday life.
Despite being written more than 15 years ago, Holotropic Breathwork by Stanislav and Christina Grof remains one of the most influential books in the field of breathwork and transpersonal psychology. The book introduces their pioneering method of self-exploration, which uses accelerated breathing, evocative music, and supportive bodywork to enter altered states of consciousness. These states can unlock profound experiences – from reliving early childhood and birth memories to exploring archetypal and spiritual dimensions, offering powerful opportunities for healing and transformation. Alongside the theory, the Grofs provide practical instructions and case studies that illustrate how Holotropic Breathwork continues to reshape modern psychology and therapy. It’s both a comprehensive guide to the practice and an enduring resource for anyone interested in personal growth and the deeper workings of the human psyche.
Written after he wrote Oxygen Advantage, The Breathing Cure by Patrick McKeown explores the importance of proper breathing for overall health and wellbeing. It emphasises the incorrect breathing techniques common in today’s world, and how they can negatively impact overall health and wellbeing. McKeown explains that incorrect breathing patterns, such as mouth breathing and over-breathing, can lead to a variety of health issues including anxiety, asthma, sleep apnea, and even high blood pressure.
This essential guide to functional breathing shares techniques proven by Olympic athletes and elite military to enhance both performance and wellbeing. Inside, you’ll discover how to clear a blocked nose, calm your nervous system, improve lung function, prepare for competition, and much more.
In his book The Art of Breathing, international best-selling author Dr. Danny Penman, explores the power of the breath to minimise anxiety and stress and live a more meaningful life. The book is a concise guidance on using the breath as a tool for wellness, with exercises that can be done anywhere just using a chair and your body. With insights from science, culture, and philosophy, the book highlights the many benefits of breathwork and offers a path to deeper healing and personal growth.
International best-seller, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., is a comprehensive exploration of how trauma reshapes both the body and mind. Drawing on decades of research, van der Kolk shows how trauma alters brain function, undermining our capacity for pleasure, trust, and self-control. He also highlights practical, science-backed strategies for recovery – ranging from EMDR and neurofeedback to mindfulness, yoga, and movement-based therapies – that activate the brain’s natural ability to heal. At its heart, the book underscores the power of relationships to both harm and heal, offering profound hope for reclaiming life after trauma.
Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic explores the impact of modern diets and lifestyles on human jaw development, and how this impacts overall health. The authors state that changes in the way we eat and live have contributed to the widespread misalignment of our jaws, leading to a host of health and breathing issues, including sleep apnea, TMJ disorder, and poor posture. This book offers practical advice and exercises for improving jaw health, including dietary changes, breathing techniques, and orthodontic interventions. Jaws emphasises the importance of understanding the connection between jaw alignment and overall health, and provide a compelling case for taking action to address what the authors call a ‘silent epidemic’.
Breathe To Heal by Sasha Yakovleva is a book that offers a holistic approach to treating asthma through conscious breathing techniques. It contains many stories of people who tried to improve their breathing in order to tame their asthma, including Yakovleva’s personal story of overcoming severe asthma and provides practical exercises and guidance on how to use breathing as a tool for healing and managing asthma symptoms.
In Feel to Heal:Releasing Trauma Through Body Awareness and Breathwork Practice, trauma-release expert Giten Tonkov blends history, science, and practice to show how conscious breathwork can unlock the body’s natural healing capacity. Designed for those living with PTSD, chronic tension, pain, depression, and emotional overwhelm, it offers practical techniques and step-by-step exercises that can be practiced at home or with trained instructors. Tonkov’s holistic method weaves together deep, connected breathing with movement, sound, touch, meditation, and emotional release to help process stored trauma, improve relationships, and create lasting resilience. Drawing on decades of experience teaching thousands worldwide, he provides readers with a powerful guide to breaking the trauma cycle and living with greater freedom, presence, and vitality.
The Healing Power of the Breath by Dr. Richard P. Brown and Dr. Patricia L. Gerbarg outlines how to use breathwork as a tool for reducing stress, improving mental health, and supporting physical healing. Drawing on traditions like yoga, qigong, and Buddhist meditation, the authors present science-backed techniques that strengthen communication between the mind and body, calming the nervous system and restoring balance. Through clear instructions, exercises, and real-life examples, the book shows how conscious breathing can help relieve anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma-related behaviors, insomnia, and even addiction – making it a practical resource for anyone seeking greater wellbeing.
In Polyvagal Theory, Porges proposes a new understanding of the autonomic nervous system that emphasises the importance of the vagus nerve in regulating emotional states and social behaviour. Porges argues that the vagus nerve is responsible for our ability to form close relationships, communicate effectively, and regulate our emotional responses to stress. He also suggests that disruptions in vagal function can lead to a range of mental and physical health problems, including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. The book offers practical insights and applications for clinicians and researchers in a wide range of fields, from psychology and psychiatry to neurology and physiology. The good news is that there is also a pocket guide of the book that is easier to digest.
Recognizing and Treating Breathing Disorders: A Multidisciplinary Approach, (also published as Multidisciplinary Approaches to Breathing Pattern Disorders) is an authoritative, research-based resource written by an international team of clinical experts. Aimed at healthcare professionals, it introduces the symptoms and causes of disordered breathing, outlining the mechanics, physiology, and biochemistry of normal breathing before exploring strategies to restore healthy patterns. The book highlights how dysfunctional breathing links to pain, fatigue, stress, and anxiety, and provides evidence-based protocols for assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. With practical tools such as charts, self-help strategies, workbook materials, and accompanying video demonstrations, it equips clinicians, physiotherapists, and students with hands-on techniques for effective diagnosis and treatment.
Drawing on decades of experience as a therapist and teacher, in Breakthrough with Breathwork, Morningstar explores the power of the breath to release emotional blocks and physical tension, leading to profound personal transformation. Through practical exercises and techniques, readers will learn how to access the wisdom of the body and connect with their true selves. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the power of breathwork for personal growth and healing.
Relief from Snoring and Sleep Apnea by physiotherapist Tess Graham is written for anyone living with sleep-disordered breathing, or supporting a partner who does. With over 30 years of clinical experience and decades focused on breathing-related disorders, Graham explains how faulty breathing patterns, especially chronic over-breathing, contribute to snoring and sleep apnea. She presents a science-backed method of breathing retraining that helps readers restore natural breathing and experience better sleep, more energy, and improved health. Featuring step-by-step techniques, case studies, and patient stories, the book shows how even small adjustments to the way you breathe can deliver life-changing results – sometimes from the very first night.
Breathe In, Breathe Out by Stuart Sandeman shows how something as simple as changing the way you breathe can transform your life. Born from his own journey through loss, Sandeman has guided thousands to use breathwork as a tool for managing stress, improving sleep, easing pain, and boosting performance. Through research-backed insights and accessible exercises, he helps readers release limiting beliefs, build resilience, and deepen their connection with themselves and others – revealing the hidden power of the breath to create lasting change.
In Waking the Tiger, Peter Levine explains how traumatic experiences can leave a lasting impact on the body and mind. He draws upon his years of experience as a therapist and researcher to offer a new approach to trauma therapy, focusing on somatic experiencing and the idea that the body holds onto traumatic memories and can be used to heal them. By exploring the physiological responses to trauma and offering practical exercises to release stored tension, Levine provides a path for healing and moving forward from trauma.
These 20 books are the perfect place to begin, or deepen, your knowledge of breathwork. Each one offers insights, techniques, and inspiration to help you better understand the power of your breath and how it can transform your health and wellbeing.
Written by Zoe Levit 
Experiences, expeditions and education to unlock your potential, open your heart and let your breath set you free.
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