Breath: Wake Up to Life

Bestseller Rawat (Hear Yourself) offers a series of thin and repetitive reflections on utilizing the “gift of breath.” In spare text interspersed with line drawings, he frames breath as an “anchor” in moments of instability; as a reminder to remain present; and as a source of gratitude that “flow[s] all the time” (“Without this breath... there is nothing”). Breath, according to Rawat, is also a force that connects humanity (“When I look at people, I feel love for them because they are human beings.... The breath is coming into them. The breath is coming into me”) and a source of individual peace that can heal a hectic world beset by violence and disconnection (“It is not governments, not big institutions... but each human being taking responsibility for this peace that is going to make a difference”). Unfortunately, the author’s uplifting message is delivered in metaphors that feel more tired than revelatory (“The song of life is played on an instrument called breath”), and his suggested solutions to global problems come across as hazy and naive (“When you are in love with your life... that’s when you begin to respect other people’s existence. This is not the case in the world today. This needs to change”). It’s a disappointment. Illus. (Jan.)