5 years ago, I had never given a second thought towards my breath. It was simply a subconscious activity my body used to keep me alive. Then, after learning about Wim Hof on a podcast, I picked up his book. Wanting to learn more, I then read another book on breathwork. And then another.
Skip ahead 5 years, and I’m now a full-blown breathing nerd, holding multiple instructor certifications and coaching dozens of athletes.
Here are my favorite books to help you get started on your own breathwork journey.
Best Introduction to Breathwork
Breath is the most popular breathwork book for good reason. It covers a wide variety of topics, including proper breathing mechanics, breathing for athletic performance, and breathing during sleep. It also covers a wide variety of breathing philosophies and methodologies. It doesn’t go into strong detail on everything, but it includes actionable exercises that you can implement immediately.
If you’re new to breathwork, I highly recommend starting with Breath. You’ll learn a lot, and from there you can dive deeper on what interests you the most.
Best for Optimizing Health and Performance
Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
If you enjoyed Breath, Oxygen Advantage is a great follow-up read. It goes deeper into the science of proper breathing, and how it can optimize your health. Patrick struggled with asthma, so that is one of his big focuses. There is also a lot of great information for athletes, explaining how strengthening your diaphragm and improving your CO₂ tolerance leads to better performance.
If you’re interested in understanding the science behind breathwork and learning actionable steps to improve your health and performance, Oxygen Advantage is for you.
Best for Healing and Resilience
In The Wim Hof Method, you’ll learn about Wim’s incredible story, including his upbringing and his early years developing his breathing method. Wim used his breathing method to complete dozens of incredible stunts, including a 112-minute ice bath, a marathon in -13°F weather wearing only shorts and sandals, and a marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking water. He then used his method to help other people push their own limits, taking groups of people with conditions like Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis up Mt. Kilimanjaro, completing the hike in less than half the time that it takes most groups. This helped Wim convince scientists to study him and his trainees, ultimately proving the science behind his method.
If you’re interested in using breathwork to push your limits, you’ll love The Wim Hof Method. Although everything Wim teaches is backed by science, he focuses more on feeling and listening to your body instead of scientific details. This is reflected in his writing.
Best for Mindset and Martial Arts
Breathe is a must-read for any martial artist. Rickson discusses everything from his upbringing in the Gracie family to his incredible Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Vale Tudo accomplishments. Throughout the book, you experience the shift in his mindset from an aggressive, high-energy athlete with a big ego to a calm, stoic warrior who was prepared to die in the ring. He credits this change to breathwork and connecting with his deeper self through nature.
If you’re interested in learning the mindset and practices of an elite martial arts athlete, you’ll enjoy Breathe.
Want to Learn Without Spending Hours Reading?
Functional Breathing 4 Week Program
Consider enrolling in my Functional Breathing Program. Over 4 weeks, you’ll completely transform your breathing habits through daily exercises and short lessons (5-10 minutes of reading per week). This is a great option if you don’t have the time or desire to read a 200-300 page book, but you still want to learn actionable, science-backed breathing techniques.
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