A Brain That Breathes: Essential Habits for an Overwhelming World (Jodi Wilson, Murdoch)

Amid the frantic pace of modern life and the wellness industry’s constant stream of coping strategies, yoga instructor and blogger Jodi Wilson’s A Brain That Breathes offers a gentler alternative. She suggests that the “simple habits our ancestors practised daily” hold the key to calm. Focusing on “creating space” for the brain to breathe, the book encourages readers to rest each day, letting their minds wander and resetting their nervous systems. Presented as a step-by-step guide, the chapters explore the nervous system, different types of rest, a range of bodily needs, and the benefits of walking, with most suggestions accompanied by practical exercises. While many tips are pragmatic, others feel less achievable, such as taking a 20-minute rest in which one stares into a green horizon every 90 minutes. The structure and tone firmly place the book within the self-help tradition, although Wilson’s clear and personable voice, combined with the sincerity of her Buddhist and anti-capitalist reflections, is more contemplative than prescriptive. She draws on various experts to support her “brain breathing” concept and explains how we weren’t biologically designed for constant productivity. However, the reference section relies heavily on songs, podcasts and meditation practices rather than scientific data. A Brain That Breathes is heartfelt and genuine, offering readers permission to rest and disengage for the sake of their mental health. For readers who enjoyed Anna Ferguson’s The Vagus Nerve Reset and Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Marissa Kyriakopoulos lives in Naarm and is a bookseller, book reviewer and osteopath. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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