February 11, 2026
are you an elite breather?
<p>Breath is the one thing we do more than anything else, yet most of us give it almost no thought. We assume it takes care of itself.</p><p>In this episode of Great Books, Great Voices, that assumption gets gently but decisively challenged.</p><p>In this conversation, I sat down with Joe Simote, a functional breathing specialist whose own journey into breathwork began not with curiosity, but with pain.</p><p>As a yoga teacher dealing with chronic back issues, Joe discovered that many well-intentioned movement and breathing practices were not helping him heal. They were, in some cases, making things worse. That realization sent him down a path of careful study, experimentation, and unlearning.</p><p>What emerges in this dialogue is a refreshingly grounded view of breath. Joe pushes back against the modern obsession with “big breathing,” forceful inhales, and dramatic techniques. Instead, he makes a compelling case for something far more subtle and far more difficult to master: soft, quiet, nasal breathing sustained throughout the day. The kind of breathing that restores carbon dioxide tolerance, stabilizes the nervous system, and brings the body back into balance.</p><p>We also explore how modern life has quietly sabotaged our respiratory health. Drawing on the work of authors like <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/20960/9780735213623"><strong>James Nestor (Breath) </strong></a>and <a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/20960/9780062349477"><strong>Patrick McKeown (Oxygen Advantage)</strong></a>, Joe explains how lifestyle, posture, stress, and even cultural ideas about fitness have physically and chemically altered how we breathe. The result is a population that is over-breathing, under-recovering, and often disconnected from its own internal signals.</p><p>At its core, this conversation is about stability in an overstimulated world. Joe introduces his Elite Breathing framework not as a quick fix, but as a skill, one built through consistency, awareness, and patience. If you have ever felt ungrounded, anxious, fatigued, or simply curious about how something so simple could be so powerful, this interview offers a calm, clarifying place to begin.</p><p>Here at Great Books, Great Minds, we create intimate circles, high-energy literary salons, and author conversations that spark connection and ignite transformative dialogue.</p><p>Our movement now includes 10,367 followers and 4,447 subscribers across all 50 states and 94 countries who remain thirsty for the power of a great book.</p><p>There are no Substack paywalls here. Everything remains open because the heart of this work is community, conversation, and shared discovery.</p><p>If these gatherings, essays, and exchanges enrich your life, I invite you to join us as a free subscriber or as a paid supporter. Paid support helps me offer small writer fees to contributing voices like <a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/users/49932920-marc-friedman?utm_source=mentions">Marc Friedman</a> whose work deepens the conversations we hold.</p><p>Your presence matters. Your support keeps this space alive. And your generosity, even a bit of <a target="_blank" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/chocolatetaoist"><strong>coffeehouse love for a dirty chai,</strong></a> helps us continue exploring together, page by page.</p><p><strong>Diamond-Michael Scott</strong></p><p><strong>Independent Journalist and Global Book Ambassador</strong></p><p><strong>Great Books, Great Minds</strong></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://greatbooksgreatminds.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">greatbooksgreatminds.substack.com/subscribe</a>
