Breathing - right

Last week I spent four days at the Breathe Festival, learning from world-leading experts in breathing science, and taking part in workshops led by gifted facilitators in the practice of breathwork.

It’s astonishing to think that something so natural and accessible as the way we breathe - the only automatic function in the body we can consciously control - can profoundly shape our ability to focus, regulate our state of mind, calm our nervous system, and support physical health. 

Yet it’s almost entirely absent from mainstream education and healthcare.

One of the most eye-opening sessions I attended was with bestselling author @Patrick McKeown, founder of Oxygen Advantage and the Buteyko Clinic International. His work centres on how we breathe every day, not just in a breathwork session. 

His science-backed talks highlighted the importance of nose breathing, and breathing softly and slowly. The benefits are countless - from improving concentration to calming the body and enhancing sleep. If you’re curious, I'd definitely recommend going down a rabbit hole of exploring his YouTube videos or free app.

Patrick shared something that challenges a common belief: taking long, deep breaths does not necessarily tell our brains or nervous systems we are safe. When we breathe through our mouths, we ‘over-breathe,’ blowing off too much carbon dioxide. This reduces blood flow to the brain, constricts blood vessels, raises blood pH - and keeps us in a low-grade fight-or-flight state.

To feel calm and function better, we need to breathe in a way that signals safety. Nose breathing, slowly and softly, does exactly that.

Chronic mouth breathing has many other detrimental effects. Research shows that children under five who habitually breathe through their mouths are more likely to experience attention and learning challenges later in life. These patterns often continue into adulthood - affecting concentration, resilience, and our ability to cope with stress.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if this knowledge was more widespread? Even simply to give people the chance to try it for themselves and decide from experience.

Personally, I found it reassuring. For the past couple of years, I’ve been cultivating a slower, gentler daily breathwork method based on the Heart Coherence technique from the HeartMath Institute - breathing in and out with my focus on my heart, while cultivating feelings of gratitude. I’ve brought this into my guided meditations, and I’m curious to see how these new insights will shape them.

It was so inspiring to be surrounded by heart-led, passionate people using breath as medicine. 

Do you have a regular breathwork practice? Was any of this new to you? I’d love to hear how it landed for you.