Dylan Werner - The Illuminated Breath

First published in 2021 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Copyright 2021 Dylan Werner

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1-628604-23-8

The author is not a licensed practitioner, physician, or medical professional and offers no medical diagnoses, treatments, suggestions, or counseling. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Full medical clearance from a licensed physician should be obtained before beginning or modifying any diet, exercise, or lifestyle program, and physicians should be informed of all nutritional changes.

The author/owner claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Cover design and illustrations by Dylan Werner

Interior design by Kat Lannom

Printed in Canada

TC 0121

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Many say one should never add details that would date a bookdetails that would, over time, render the tome and its contents obsoletebut something unexpected and catastrophic happened a few months into 2020 that in this case changes the rules. The entire globe capsized into an ocean of illness called COVID-19, and while citizens of nations far and wide retreated with civic duty into their homes, first responders raced to the front lines in order to right our world again. What doctors, nurses, and the like discovered was a respiratory illness hitting hardest among those who already struggled to breathe. With the sick on respirators and the healthy or asymptomatic covering their mouths and noses, the entire world altered its breath.

Against this backdrop, Dylan Werner burned the candle at both ends, quietly and solitarily researching, writing, and illustrating The Illuminated Breath from a small flat in central London. When he called to say he had decided to write a book and funny that its on breath and not yoga, I couldnt help but smile a little from my own shelter in place, knowing that whatever he produced would be heartfelt, philosophical, innovative, and most of all helpful. In this moment and every moment to come, global pandemic or international wellness, we need guidance on one of the most fundamental actions we unceasingly undertake: breathing. In other words, The Illuminated Breath is permanently timely. In this, his first book, Dylanrenowned yoga teacher and humble studentillustrates why he is abundantly equipped to show us the way.

While most authors maintain an often restrained distance between themselves and their subject as if to underscore their theoretical mastery of it, Dylan wholeheartedly and playfully enmeshes himself in his object of inquiry: the history and method of breathing. In so doing, he encourages his readers to be equally curious and eager to practice what on first mention seems banal. If we are all breathing, why do we need to learn what we think we already know? Here, Dylan dispels misconceptions regarding breath work and its perceived simplicity. He delves into the anatomy and physiology of breathingwhat happens on a biological and even cognitive level when we over-breathe, for instance, or when we breathe primarily through the mouth. In a series of elucidating, practical examples, he makes the case for a balanced, intelligent, curative approach to our second-to-second, breath-by-breath lives. He outlinesnot as a detached reporter but rather as a fully engrossed and lifelong practitionercontemporary and ancient methods, their uses, their misinterpretations and myths, their modifications, and their benefits. Dylan demonstrates, by way of explanatory text, step-by-step instructions, and comprehensive charts, how one can not only gear the breath for specific results but also modify or combine breath sequences for a more personalized approach. In short, The Illuminated Breath is not a strict textbook but rather a malleable manual designed for unique readers, not imagined cutouts.

On a few occasions, Dylan and I spoke about the challenges of completing a manuscriptof where to take it, how to shape it, and even how to bring it to an end. During one of these conversations, I told him about an extraordinary painting entitled Artist in His Studio by Rembrandt. In the foreground stands a tall and looming easel upon which an equally large canvas rests. We see the back side of the painting, and when our eyes veer left, we spot a tiny painter dwarfed by the work ahead. When I showed Dylan the painting, I imagined he recognized the task at hand and the blank page before him. I also imagined he visualized himself climbing atop the easel and doing a one-arm handstand there.

The point of this story is not to heap praise upon a capable first-time author. Instead, it is to emphasize how, no matter the enormity of the project, if we take it one brushstroke at a time, we will eventually complete it to our satisfaction. Yet if we grip the brush with anxiety, we will suffer through the process.

In this book, Dylan teaches us that life is the same. If we focus only on the future, on the years yet to come, holding our breath as we move, we will find ourselves overwhelmed by the blank page. But if we take each day one learned breath at a time, not only will we compose a picture we admire, but we will undertake that composition from a state of total health. The point is not simply to be alive. The point is to live.

Dylan Werners The Illuminated Breath returns us to that supposedly simple thing we have done from the moment we entered this world, uncovering the profound influence our most subtle actionbreathinghas on our lives. At last, breath is paramount.

Kiersten Jakobsen, PhD

E-RYT 500

Breathing is one of the most natural things we do. From our first breath to our last, we spend our entire lives in a perpetual cycle of inhalations and exhalations. Yet few of us are taught how to breathe, why we breathe, or the ways in which the breath is capable of influencing us emotionally, energetically, physically, and spiritually, or how we can use our breath for positive transformation.

The first time I was introduced to any type of breathing exercise was with pranayama in 2009. Pranayama, a yogic practice of breathing, has been around for thousands of years, yet despite the vast legacy, only a few written records remain. Most practices have been passed from teacher to student, and with that, many deviations in the teachings were spread. As a newer student, I heard different teachers explain the same practices with varying methodologies and attribute a wide array of physical and energetic benefits to those practices.