August Slugs & Steins with Professor Nancy N. Chen

Breathing in the Anthropocene: Reflections on Breath, Air, and Vitality

This presentation examines breathing in the present moment when humans vastly transform Earth ecosystems that impact health and well-being. Atmospheric transformations via worsened air highlight connections of breath with health. How might breath be shaped by cultural and individual experiences? Ethnographic research at the intersections of medical and environmental anthropology have renewed attention on energetic relations between bodies, landscapes, air, and health, especially the role of vital energy in qi, prana, or ha. In addition to these breath centered approaches, we examine recent biomedical research on breath management across a broad range of complementary medicine and health interventions.