Revisiting Cannabis: History, Stigmas, and Sustainable Futures
Weed, Green, Wacky Tobacky, the Devil's Lettuce, Sweet Mary Jane, SweetLeaf (if your Ozzy) these are all common names for Cannabis Sativa the plant that can be medicine, paper, textiles, construction materials, and, perhaps most surprising, fuel. Cannabis has been used throughout most of recorded history and we have archeological evidence that it was in use prior to recorded history. It’s no wonder that our ancestors cultivated these fascinating plants before tomatoes.
Today I want to focus on some of the more modern thoughts surrounding what is arguably one of the most versatile plants in existence. I grew up in the DARE era. I was shown commercials about how my brain on drugs looked like a fried or broken egg. Weed being one of the most talked about for some reason. Sure, the program talked about coke and heroin but for some reason, weed was the focus of the media it seems. This was of course decades ago now and I live in a state that has legalized the “recreational” use of cannabis. I put recreational in quotes because I am of the opinion that all folks that are using mind and mood altering substances are self-medicating to some degree.
“What are your qualifications?” I can hear some of the more critical folks asking. I have been observing and living various degrees of addiction since I was born. I’ve seen it all. I lived with an alcoholic mother who at some point developed a love affair with booger sugar and other things that we don’t often automatically even consider as addiction. Members of my extended family have all shared stories of their own addiction struggles. I spent years tending bar. I’m observant and psychology is a hyper fixation of mine, even though I do not have a degree. I have spent years observing addiction and drug use, in various settings. And I have that face that everyone wants to share their demons with. You start to notice some patterns after a while.
Now back to cannabis, specifically. Did you know that our Founding Fathers smoked, just, a lot of pot and used hemp as textiles? Neither did I until I started working in the cannabis industry. I started working with a company that took great pride in their caregiver roots. Caregivers are what the medical industry called folks that grew for medical use patients. Card carrying patients with any number of ailments ranging from chronic pain and loss of appetite caused by cancer and cancer treatment to severe and debilitating anxiety. Because this company took great pride in what they were doing, they provided us with reading material for education purposes that we were encouraged to read during our down time. I unfortunately can’t remember all the books that I read, but I will do my best to include a list of references for more reading.
Wait, so the founding fathers smoked pot and used hemp and then it was bad and now it’s good again? How did we get here? Great questions. Hemp and Cannabis are the same plant, but one is bred specifically for its medicinal benefits. We actually used cannabis in this country for like 100 years without an issue. Then POC brought us jazz music and jazz cabbage became associated with POC. I shouldn’t have to tell you that during the early 1900s we, those of us lacking melanin, were particularly heinous in our treatment of what we perceived as others. Many of us STILL are and unfortunately that is a conversation for another day. So, I am saying that racism set our country back significantly.
Had it not been for racism and greed we could have had a healthcare system that bothered to research why cannabis is medicine and we could have been further ahead in identifying exactly which compounds work best for which ailments. Had it not been for racism and greed we could have saved millions of acres of forests in Michigan alone. I’m not here to educate you on why that’s bad. I’m sure there are better resources for that. Well where does greed come in, you ask. It was lobbyists with personal interest in things like paper made from trees and criminalizing the medicine to make a profit that convinced corrupt politicians to help demonize it. Crazy to think that we still allow lobbying despite humans proving again and again that they will only look out for their own best interests instead of the best interests of the many. But again, that is not today’s topic! Stay on track.
When Nixion had cannabis scheduled as a drug, it was against medical professionals advice. For context, because context is always important, there were protests against the Vietnam war going on at this time, there were civil rights protests and there was the women's liberation movement. Politically it was an active time. Culturally, the communities that would be disproportionately affected by the criminalization were - you guessed it- POC. There are better educators out there than me to explain the nuance here, but it boils down to this, believe POC when they tell you their experience and how it is we got here. Generational trauma gets passed down in two ways; behaviors like people pleasing and code switching (and many others.) and a literal genetic component. Trauma: individual like abuse suffered in the home and collective like slavery, lynching, and an un-winable war literally change our DNA. None of that is actually today’s main focus however it is an important bit of context. And you are always encouraged to fact check me.
Medical professionals knew that there were real world applications for cannabis in the healing sector, even in the 70s. In the 70s, maybe for the first time, we were seeing things like PTSD which were talked about as “shell shock” and “combat fatigue”. While there was a huge stigma around mental health, even more so than today, especially in regards to our veterans, what they were seeing would eventually be labeled as PTSD. I can’t say for sure that medical professionals knew cannabis would help with mental health things back then, but given that was when they were also looking at LSD for its ability to rewire the brain, it's not hard to imagine they had an inkling.
What we know now is that humans have what is called an endocannabinoid system. Its a complex system that I once read described as being responsible for the body’s homeostasis. Research on this is a bit on the newer side of course but what we know is that the shape of the compounds found in the cannabis plant fit perfectly into this endocannabinoid system. This system helps regulate things like cortisol, the stress hormone and other systems. It is a key player. I can’t remember specifically if I read this next bit or if it is an original thought, but it seems to me that the endocannabinoid system can be thrown out of wack by living in fight or flight and this effects the cortisol levels. I don’t remember the specific science that led me there, unfortunately. Smoking pot, anecdotally, helps me function like a normal person with a normal nervous system. Smoking pot helps others manage their physical pain. Cannabis is medicine.
Moving forward, I hope to see a future where we use cannabis in sustainable ways. Imagine less deforestation and more hemp farms. Picture a shift from oil to hemp biofuel and replacing concrete with hempcrete for building materials. Cannabis is a plant that requires fewer resources to grow than most crops, and its applications are endless. If we hadn't demonized this plant a century ago, we might already be living in a greener, more sustainable world. But the second-best time to make this a reality is now. If you have thoughts on how we can make this vision a reality, let’s chat in the comments.
With love,
Mia Marie
P.S
Further Reading
Green: A Field Guide to Marijuana by Dan Michaels and Erik Christiansen
Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America by Emily Dufton
The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness by Steve DeAngelo and Willie L. Brown Jr.
Terpenes: The Magic in Cannabis by Beverly A. Potter Ph.D
Additional resources:
Generational Trauma
Trauma and Addiction
Generational Trauma and substance use
War on Drugs and the demonization of Cannabis
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Breaking Silence: My Journey Through Domestic Abuse and Healing PT. Poe
I recently broke my silence on big things that have happened in my life in a big way. One way was calling out my husband for continuing to refuse a divorce after almost 13 years as the only way he has to maintain control over me. In honor of breaking my silence and in observance with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I have decided to share my various stories of abuse. I’ve experienced a lot, if I’m honest, with a lot of people. To keep on track, I will only be focusing on the fellas I actually shared a home with. (I acknowledge that I have had a lot of relationships. It is worth noting I do not accuse all of my exes and I am, in fact, friends with some of them.)
Some of you may find this series unbelievable. I understand; not everyone recognizes the cycles and patterns of abuse. Not everyone understands the generational trauma that so many of us witness and relive until we decide to break the cycles. The first step to breaking the cycle is awareness. The second is knowledge and identification of abuse. The third is real people sharing their real stories to help break the shame surrounding the abuse we’ve suffered and the silence that the patriarchy benefits from.
It is my goal to illustrate some aspects that we don’t always immediately recognize as red flags. If you’ve always been blessed to have a functioning nervous system and don’t care to see other perspectives, this series isn’t for you—and honestly, I may not be for you. But if you are open to different perspectives and, like me, grew up licking love off of knives or being spoon-fed general dysfunction, please stick around.
It is best to start at the beginning. So, let’s begin with the boy I dated when I was a freshly minted “adult.” At 17, I was living in an apartment, having recently graduated from a pre-independent living program after living in a group home. We aren’t here to talk about how I got there. I was no longer eligible for the program because I had graduated high school a semester early, so I went to college, worked, and lived independently at 17. Poe and I met on one of the two buses I took to and from school each day. I was enamored with Poe, and Poe was enamored with me.
We became fast friends, and he quickly divulged a laundry list of mental health disorders. I was young and naive, studying psychology, and thought I could handle it. At some point, he stopped taking all of his medications. What ensued was unintentional, but very real harm—for both of us. I debated even including this story for a couple of reasons: one, I believe I was partially culpable—I was in some kind of spiritual psychosis and thought I could heal him; and two, I am very aware that he was not well.
As far as I know, Poe is usually doing well these days, and I have no ill feelings towards him. I’m sharing this story strictly because it highlights some heavy abuse tactics. He would often show up to my job in hysterics, claiming that demons in our apartment were causing problems—not to cause me trouble, but a lot of abusers will use this tactic to make you lose your job to keep you trapped. I eventually dropped out of school, worked two jobs, and left or lost both, either directly or indirectly because of him.
He would manufacture crises, keeping me in a state of fight or flight. This can be done on purpose to keep the target confused and stressed. Again, his motivation was not to cause problems; unfortunately, the outcome was the same. He would wake me up while I tried to sleep. Sleep deprivation isn’t just any ol’ kind of abuse; it’s legit torture. And that’s why I ultimately decided to put Poe in this series. It showcases some of the more insidious and difficult-to-catch signs of abuse. It’s all crazy-making behavior.
As I continue to unpack my experiences, I invite you to join me in this series. Let’s create a safe space for sharing our stories and learning from one another. I hope to hear from you, whether it’s through comments, messages, or sharing your own experiences. Together, we can foster understanding and support, paving the way for a healthier future.
With Love and Compassion,
Mia Marie
The Power of Names: Exploring Meaning, Personality Traits, and Numerology
I have other, more important blog posts to write, but I woke up thinking about names and their meanings. This isn’t the first time I’ve thought about it, but it is the first time it woke me up at a brisk 5 a.m. So, here we are. What’s in a name? Who named you, and why?
My father gave me three things: a cool name, a wild mane, and an addictive personality (not so cool). My name, Mia, was rare—at least until The Princess Diaries came out. I met only one other girl growing up who shared my name, but we both moved too much to stay in touch. (This was before social media and cell phones.) It’s worth noting my name has never been short for Amelia, and any hair similarities are coincidental. Also, if you have a dog named Mia, or your cousins dog is named Mia I don’t want to know. Please, please, if I have to hear about one more dog that shares my name I will cry. You don’t want me to cry do you?
My father insisted my name meant “My Precious One” in Irish. Don’t come for me—those were his words. I never found any evidence to back up that particular meaning, and believe me, I looked. What I did find is that my name means "mine" in Spanish and Italian, "water" in Swahili, and most recently, I discovered my favorite meaning: In Sanskrit, Mia was a lesser hearth goddess. I mean, come on, I’m nothing if not a kitchen witch. 😈 My middle name, though? It means "bitter." So depending on how you spin it, I’m either “my precious bitter one,” "mine bitter," "bitter water," or a bitter hearth goddess. And there was definitely a time when I resonated a little too hard with that "bitter" part.
I’ve had a theory for as long as I can remember that people with the same name share similar personality traits, and almost without exception, similar energy patterns. I think this is how we get meme names like Karen and Kyle. I mean, we all kind of instinctively know it’s true to some extent, right? Sure, there are exceptions, but by and large, tell me you don’t expect Karen to give you a hard time in a customer service setting. And for me, it goes even deeper when we start looking at the difference between given names and their shortened versions—like Matthew to Matt, Robert to Rob (or Bob), or my personal favorite, Bobert, Douglas vs. Doug, Cassandra vs Cassie, Rebecca vs Becky or Becca. You get the picture and Urban Dictionary can help solidify what I’m saying here. Not that Urban Dictionary is true or accurate, but its fun and you’ll see listings for names that essentially back up your own preconceived ideas about the name.
I will never date another Matt, but I’ve never met a Matthew with the same behaviors or energy signature as someone that goes by Matt. I have anecdotal evidence that I am not the only person that knows the name Matt equals a hard time. Fun fact about me: I used to play on a dart league. While throwing darts my friend and I often spoke about a couple of Matt’s we knew and how awful they were, then one day we were up against a team named “Matt Sucks” which just solidified that our experiences were the norm for men named Matt. So because this is a phenomena I’ve been observing my whole life, I got to wondering why.
The truth is I don’t know why. For me it’s quite the chicken or the egg quandary. Did their names shape their personality or did their parents happen to choose a name that fit them perfectly? I have a feeling until we know a lot more about energy, quantum physics and how it works we will never know. Something I explored that came close to explaining this was numerology. Disclaimer: I only dabbled. The premise behind numerology, as relevant to today’s conversation, is that each letter has a numeric value. Each name adds up to a number. Each number carries its own energy signature.
So, Mia Marie would break down like this. M=4 I=9 A=1, M=4 A=1 R=9 I=9 E=5 You add those together and get 42, 4=2 = 6. So, 6 is my number, and it holds a specific meaning (which I can’t remember because, again, I only dabbled). Usually, you do this with your last name too. If you want to learn more about numerology, there are plenty of books available. Unfortunately, I lost mine, so I don’t even know what I used. You can also find numerologists like you would astrologists, if you are less of a DIY spiritualist. If you happen to be in Houghton Lake, MI, Arjay at Mystical Awakenings offers numerology readings (this is not sponsored, I’m just aware of his offerings). His wife, Deb, offers mediumship sessions if that’s more your thing.
I just think that the name we are given holds more weight than what we usually consider. Names are important, never give yours to the Fae or the creepy dude/dudette at the bar. Maybe consider not naming your child Jeff Jeffries or Markus Markle, or any other silly repeating thing. Don’t name your children names that carry negative meanings such as Matt. Just kidding, name your kid Matt if you want, but he’ll be the reason the next generation knows that Matt’s are dishonest, disloyal, and sometimes disgusting. Maybe stay clear of Mallory, which means ill-fated, and I have had occasion to meet a few Mallorys, they often are dealing with unfortunate circumstances. So, just be careful out there when choosing your kids names and your own should you find yourself needing to rebrand. Maybe don’t choose names of ancient Gods, either. But that’s a little too superstitious, even for me. Tell me in the comments what your favorite name is, what your name means, and how you feel about it.
With love and humor,
Mia Marie
A Brief Introduction to Herbal Medicine
Something I’ve been wanting to talk about for a while is Herbalism. I want to tell you how I came to understand plant medicine, what herbalism is, what herbology is and how it came to be that we believe plant medicine to be bunk science. To be frank, I am not an expert, I have simply had occasion to be in rooms with (self-taught) herbalists. I make the self-taught distinction because it matters, at least to some extent. The herbalists that I work with know their limitations, there is a lot of complexity when we are working with plant medicine. My purpose with this post is to lend credibility to Herbalism as an ancient and complementary practice that works with modern medicine. First, let me tell you a bit about my mother, the first herbalist I learned from.
My mother has had many medical issues in her life that I can remember. She’s an alcoholic, she has had mental health issues including suicidal ideation, she has fought several different kinds of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. I watched my mother struggle with mental health meds that not only didn’t help but also caused a slew of other issues with the side effects. I watched as they put my mother on med after med until she eventually worked herself off of all of them, because she understood that this med caused the high blood pressure, and the high blood pressure med caused another issue that caused another med and another issue until she was taking 10 medications a day. This prompted my mother to start making St. John's Wort tinctures. She made several others that I don’t remember but I remember the St. John’s wort was the first. She had researched enough to know what the plant was, where to find it, and perhaps most importantly what you can and cannot take with St. John’s Wort. My mother continued making tinctures and other herbal concoctions for many years and by the time my mother and I had a relationship again, she had painstakingly researched and produced a salve for her arthritis, we call it At Bay, because it keeps the pain at bay. I use it for my migraines, my sister for her fibromyalgia, a friend used it to help her knee after surgery, another friend uses it for migraines, and a few years ago a friend that has arthritis asked to try it again. My mother taught my oldest sister and I how to produce it when she got a grim diagnosis a few years back, it is her legacy.
So what is Herbalism? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines it simply as “herbal medicine”. In the USA you often have to have a degree or certificate to practice as an herbalist. Technically the mentors that I have probably fall under the “Herbologist” label. Neither my mother or my mentor will diagnose you, neither will feel comfortable telling you what you need to take, that is stuff you learn in courses. But both know things like; soy is an estrogenic, or capsaicin is a vasodilator, and St. John’s wort is a nervine. It was on me to learn that the soy carrier may be what’s helping my migraine, or that I can use capsaicin in a poultice to draw heat to an area, and that a nervine might help me relax. It was also on me to learn that several nervine herbs I might take for my extreme PMS or anxiety/depression would also interfere with my birth control. My mentor is a nurse, so she goes even deeper, recently she was telling me about plants she was going to try that affect specific parts of our brain chemistry. 2 things to note, she did the research on the plant and her symptoms, and advocated to her medical team that she would like to try plant medicine, but still work with her medical team. Even Western doctors are starting to recognize the benefits of plant medicine, though most still won’t even entertain the idea of connecting you with an herbalist. Do you wonder why that is? Or maybe you think that my claims are too anecdotal. Well to explore both of those points further let's chat about how we abandoned our roots. (A rare intended pun for you.)
I would hope that it is common knowledge by now that all ancient civilizations had a deep relationship with the plants found around them. So when did we stop favoring plants and start looking to modern medicine to solve our problems? In the 19th century, scientific advancements allowed us to isolate and extract active compounds from plants. This was revolutionary because it meant that medicine could be concentrated, mass-produced, and fast-acting. For instance, one of the earliest examples was the isolation of salicylic acid from willow bark in the 1800s, which later became known as aspirin—one of the most widely used drugs in the world today.
But instead of honoring the roots of this discovery, the powers that be (pharmaceutical companies with money and political influence) chose to rebrand herbal medicine as “folk medicine” to discredit it. Why? To pull the power of healing from our hands, funneling it into their pockets. In the early 20th century, as pharmaceutical companies grew in power, they began lobbying governments and medical boards, establishing the dominance of Western medicine. The infamous Flexner Report of 1910 played a key role in this. Funded by the Carnegie Foundation, it reshaped medical education in the United States and Canada, pushing for a more scientific, pharmaceutical-based curriculum, while discrediting practices like herbalism, homeopathy, and naturopathy as “unscientific.”
What chaps my ass is that instead of acknowledging herbalism—which WALKED SO MODERN MEDICINE COULD RUN—as a foundational practice, they ridiculed it. The pharmaceutical industry is now a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut, generating over half a billion in the USA alone annually, and that number is only set to increase. The discrediting of herbal medicine wasn’t about its efficacy, but about profit. Herbalists were painted as quacks (along with massage therapists, chiropractors, and other “alternative” medicine practitioners) so that these corporations could monopolize healthcare.
When I first started looking into herbal medicine for myself at 19-20 years old, the information available online was sparse. It was a lot of digging through folk remedies and reading about the properties of herbs to see if there was sound logic behind why they worked. But let’s not forget, even with limited research back then, some remedies have always been effective. I’ve used garlic and turmeric for a mouth infection, clove for the pain, and a mixture of onion, garlic, ginger, and black pepper for bronchitis. These were the remedies of our ancestors, and in many cases, they still work just as well today—maybe just a little slower than modern medicine.
Fast forward to today, and now, when I look up the properties of herbs, WebMD itself often provides peer-reviewed studies on the topic. However, even with this newfound access to information, many of us don’t know the right questions to ask or where to find reliable sources on how to harvest, work with, and properly ingest these herbs. Modern society is preoccupied with quick fixes, and that’s where modern medicine excels. It’s why specific compounds in plants are isolated and concentrated in the first place.
Take cannabis as an example. Since its legalization, there has been a surge in research on how its compounds interact with the body. A key concept emerging from this research is what’s known as the entourage effect—the idea that the whole plant works together to create a synergistic effect, with compounds like terpenes and cannabinoids complementing each other. In contrast, isolating just one compound, like THC or CBD, can reduce the overall efficacy of the plant. The Swamp Yeti Project, an industry leader, advocates for this whole-plant approach, emphasizing that isolating compounds can strip away many of the plant's natural benefits. (We’ll get into more cannabis specific lore and research soon.)
This principle applies to all herbalism. Some folks will try an herbal remedy, and when it doesn’t work immediately, they dismiss herbalism as “bunk.” What they don’t realize is that their fast-acting pills also have roots in plant medicine, often with their active ingredients isolated and concentrated to act faster. The issue here is a fundamental misunderstanding of how herbs work. Take catnip, for example: I can’t take it once and expect to experience all its benefits. As with anything natural, consistency is key. We’re working to correct imbalances in the body—imbalances that didn’t develop overnight.
Herbalism, like proper diet and exercise, is about working with the body over time, not forcing a fast, temporary solution. Maybe it’s my experiences with my mother’s journey, or those of others who have been steered wrong by modern medicine, but I always seek a long-lasting solution with as few side effects as possible. That being said, I don’t hate modern medicine entirely. I hold a healthy skepticism about the motivations of the doctors I speak with, and an understanding of the limitations of both modern medicine and herbalism. I’m not like these other spiritual girlies, looking at you queen of appropriation, I’m going to the doctor for a kidney infection, or any infection really - the garlic and tumeric helped buy me time to get to a dentist but I still needed antibiotics. I’m still getting vaccinated against tetanus. Herbalism is a great preventative measure, as I alluded to earlier, but it’s awful for a fast acting CURE. Herbalism is also a great long term solution for righting imbalances. If your suicidal and can’t make it to tomorrow, please, please seek medical attention but know that there are other long term solutions, once your brain is in a better spot.
I have provided a link to the Swamp Yeti Products page for your cannabis (THC, CBD, and Nootropics) herbal needs. Full disclosure, I am a part of their affiliate program, but I believe in their mission, and I personally know the passion and care they put into their research and products. Also, for other tincture and dry herb needs, Holly at Wyrd Owl Cottage has you covered. I am not an affiliate of hers, but she is my mentor, and someone I know to be responsible and ethical in her production.
Love yourself better by questioning everything,
Mia Marie
Book Review: Science of Breath A Practical Guide
We’re back with another book review! In my last post, I mentioned that the book I’d just finished prompted me to start reviewing books. Specifically, the conversation about breath in that book was intriguing enough that I wanted to dive deeper. So I went to my boyfriend and asked him what book I should read next if I wanted to learn more about Pranayama, specifically, and he went to his library, emerging with my next two reviews.
I can already sense your eye roll: "Mia, it’s breath. It’s an automatic function—wtf are you on about?" But breath is foundational to many practices, like singing, yoga, meditation, and many other various sports and hobbies. This is something I’ve been vaguely aware of for quite some time, especially from my years in choir and band, where we were taught basics like standing up straight and breathing with the diaphragm and again later when I started to get into Hatha yoga and meditation. Fun Mia fact: diaphragmatic breathing was also a topic of heated debate with a particularly contentious ex of mine. So if you don’t believe in anatomy or science, feel free to skip this post. But if you're curious, let’s dive into Science of Breath: A Practical Guide by Swami Rama, Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., and Alan Hymes, M.D. (Copyright 1979, 1998)
Before we do that though, let’s meet our authors. I intentionally did not look up these people before reading the book so as to remain impartial to the information it held but I did look them up afterwards. The book tells us of Swami Rama’s credentials, which, among the authors, is the hardest to prove to our Western Standards. So, let’s first understand that Swami is a title given to yogis that have attained a certain level of mastery, specifically in the Hindu faith system. Even that is an overly simplistic explanation of Swami Rama, even though it isn’t intuitively understood by many of us here in the US, it is in fact, a high honor. Swami also opened the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy. We will have to discuss his and other spiritual leaders' misdeeds another time, as that is a more nuanced discussion but one absolutely worth having. The M.D.s in question are Ballentine, specialty area psychiatry, and Hymes, a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon that is apparently still practicing today. Their credentials are of course a lot more straightforward. Together they take us through a technical and in-depth journey that is almost reminiscent of a Magic School Bus episode, sadly, sans most of the magic.
Ballentine and Swami work together to bring us ideas and supporting evidence on how breath affects one’s psyche. For many of us with C-PTSD and other dysregulatory conditions, we are familiar with this concept on a surface level at least. Take deep breaths and count to 10, focus on your breathing. You hear it in labor classes too, they teach specific techniques to breathe through what is commonly considered one of the most painful things we can experience. So the connections that Ballentine and Swami make here are not hard to digest for many of us. The more mechanical and technical aspects of these connections are explained expertly by Alan Hymes. Hymes in my opinion is the backbone of the book. Without him, a lot of this would be Eastern practice and psychology which is valid but also harder to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt.
The authors start by acknowledging that breathing is an automatic, involuntary process. Sort of. As they take us deeper into the topic, they introduce us to yogis—traditional practitioners of yoga. This is a more loaded term than what most of us, who have only been exposed to Hatha yoga, might think. Yogis have made claims since ancient times about being able to do great and unthinkable things, including healing themselves.
"Okay, great, what’s this got to do with breath?" I hear you. Yogis believe that their ability to control breath is foundational to all other parts of their practice. The authors also point out why Western science hasn’t studied breath as much as other bodily functions—we’re more interested in matter, things that can be easily observed and quantified, like the heart.
If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you know that the heart has an electromagnetic field that extends beyond our body (an aura). Western science only recently discovered this, while yogis have known about this energy long before we even understood electricity. Swami explains that yogis recognize three distinct bodies: the Subtle body, the Vital body, and the Energy body (or aura). Prana, or energy, travels through the breath, and the nasal cavities play a far more complex role in this process than I expected. Did you know our noses have erectile tissue?! I, unfortunately, am at 33 years old, a 12 year old boy, I laughed a little too long.
Hymes does an excellent job explaining why the lungs often get overlooked compared to other organs. He makes a solid case for why they deserve more attention, as they help carry oxygen to all the organs in the body. This information is essential for understanding the gap between Western and Eastern knowledge. He also describes how emotions and breath are scientifically linked and touches on other systems that interact with breathing and emotions. One surprising fact I learned from Hymes is that sleep apnea and heart disease are connected. So, make sure you’re breathing well at night!
But, also, like, maybe learn to breathe properly. Many people that decide to read this book will be unnerved to know that they have forgotten how to breathe somewhere in the transition between infancy and adolescence. I know for myself, even being aware of the differences in diaphragmatic breath and a more “normal” shallow breath, it is hard to remember what once came so naturally. Apparently proper breath, (and diet, and exercise but those are other topics to dive into later) helps our body dump toxins. You’ll have to read the book to understand how the nose gets so worked up over waste in the body that it puts us in danger by changing its mucus viscosity, thus making us vulnerable to viruses and infection. I did not realize that this is why Indians use the neti pot.
Neti refers, perhaps obviously, to the nasal passages, which is one of the areas yogis are instructed to keep clean. I did take a little issue with Swami throughout the book for offering instruction on advanced techniques, both for the neti pot and later for asana, and breath work, while only offering a small disclaimer about the advanced forms needing to be done with an advanced practitioner. (Even before I learned about his misconduct it gave me the ick.) He of course did this because he wants us to all go to HIS school to learn these things. It would have been more responsible to explain there are several other techniques that one can do and given instruction on how to find a teacher. I don’t love hidden motives, even if I understand them.
Outside of what I would dub the sales tactics of Swami, this book has a lot of technical information about both Eastern and Western studies and it does a good job of linking them. I recommend reading Science if Breath to just about anyone, again as long as you believe in science and anatomy. This book would be excellent for yoga instructors, practitioners and anyone looking to bring the mind and body back into balance through breathwork. I will say that I was familiar with a lot of the Eastern concepts due to the yoga teacher training that I started but having such a balanced perspective offered in this book was more beneficial than I expected. It has also made me draw more awareness throughout my day about where my breath is going, and I am excited to dig deeper into Pranayama.
8/10 Do recommend. Book lost points because of Swami’s marketing techniques and because even with having a working grasp of many of the concepts it is still a complex read.
With Love,
Mia Marie
