Author: Mariam Nayyem
Publisher: Лабораторія
Number of Pages: 264
Cover Type: Softcover
Reader Age: Adults
Year of Publication: 2025
How to Breathe Slowly? A Guide to Decolonization — a relevant book about freedom and identity
The book How to Breathe Slowly? A Guide to Decolonization is not just an analytical text, but an emotional and at the same time deeply grounded guide for everyone who needs to rethink their own identity and experience of colonial past. The author, Mariam Naiem, a cultural studies scholar and public figure, shares personal and collective stories that resonate with millions of Ukrainians.
What is this book about
The full-scale invasion of Russia into the territory of Ukraine has reopened colonial traumas. Mariam Naiem carefully explores the emotions we often hide — anger, shame, confusion — and shows how these states can become the cause of internal barriers in our development and self-awareness. She invites the reader to go through the path of decolonization not only in the political, but also in the mental dimensions.
Structure of the guide
Anger, shame, confusion — stages at which we understand the scale of the influence of colonial thinking;
Curiosity, grieving, creation, forgiveness — stages of recovery, search for new meanings and formation of identity.
Why it’s worth reading
The writing style combines analytics with emotional immersion;
A necessary tool for self-knowledge and national self-awareness;
Relevance of the topic in the conditions of war and the search for new cultural support.
How to Breathe Slowly? A Guide to Decolonization will be a suitable option both for personal reading and for discussion among friends, educators, activists.
It gives strength to speak, to remember, and to shape the future without fear.
