Breathwork – you’ve been doing it your whole life right? What you might not know, is that thing you have been doing all your life is one of the most underrated tools for mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
The thing is, you are breathing… but are using the breath as a tool to support stress, burnout, sleep, relaxation, panic attacks – because that is just a short list of all the ways breathwork and your breath can support you.
When you start to use your breath intentionally
- your nervous system shifts states.
- stress hormones begin to lower,
- stuck energy becomes unstuck,
- your capacity to handle stress increases,
- your resilience increases,
- your interrupt old patterns
- you connect back with your body (because, if you’re like me, you may have forgotten that there is something attached to the bottom of your neck)
What Is Breathwork?
Breathwork, simply, is how we use our breath to support ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Breathwork is an umbrella term and underneath that umbrella are many types of breathwork.
The ones I focus on in my work are
- Foundational breathing (improving day to day breathing habits),
- Nervous system support (using the breath as a tool to shift nervous system states)
- Somatic release (altered states of consciousness for deeper processing)
The Science Behind Breathwork
Your breath is a function of your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) – one of your many systems working behind the scenes to keep you alive.
The breath is one of the ways that you can process stress, create safety in the body and shift your nervous system state.
The nervous system has 2 main branches,
The parasympathetic – Connection, safety, presence (but also, freeze, shutdown, collapse)
The sympathetic – fight or flight
(blog post coming soon with more depth on the nervous system)
Your breath can influence which state is active (tell me that’s not cool?!)
Physical Benefits of Breathwork
Reduces muscle tension.
Do your shoulders touch your ears? Is your jaw always tense? Do you constantly feel like you need a massage? One of the most powerful benefits of breathing deeply is reduced muscle tension
30 minutes working with one of my clients, we shifted lower back pain and she said, ‘I’ve been going to a chiropractor for over a year, and in 30 minutes I felt a shift doing work with you’. And let’s not forget the wonderful woman who’s been in PAUSE and has now reduced her blood pressure tablets.
Improved digestion.
When you’re stressed, digesting your food is not a priority. Conscious breathing brings us out of the stress response so your gut can do what it needs to do. Think less bloating, easier bowel movements and less discomfort in that area.
Other physical benefits include
- better sleep,
- better hormone balance,
- reduced anxiety,
- better circulation
- better immune function
Emotional Benefits of Breathwork
Support emotional release.
Emotions, when not felt are stored in the body – they can show up as tightness, tension or even total shutdown. Think anger in the jaw, grief in the chest and overwhelm in the stomach.
When we use specific breathing techniques, we allow ourselves to create the space for the emotions to move and release safely.
Increases your capacity and safety.
When you increase your capacity you have the ability to hold more whether that’s emotion or sensation. Things that once felt too much, start to feel like you can be with them more.
Other emotional benefits include
- Deeper connection with your body,
- reduced anxiety
- increased self awareness.
Mental Benefits of Breathwork
Improved focus and less brain fog.
When we breathe more efficiently you have more oxygen delivered around your body giving it the energy it needs to be creative, curious and think clearly.
Better decision making
When you’re more present and connected to yourself you become less reactive and more responsive. You’re present and can make clearer and calmer decisions.
Other mental benefits include
- a better mind body connection
- less time spent in the fight or flight state of the nervous system.
Breathwork and Stress Relief
Breathwork is one of my favourite tools to use with people when we work to improve their relationship with stress.
Stress lives in the body, your muscles, fascia, breath and nervous system and so you need to use body based tools to process it.
When you connect with your breath you move stagnant energy through the body reducing tension and overwhelm.
How to Start Reaping the Benefits of Breathwork
New to breathwork but starting to realise it’s the tool you need in your back pocket?
Set an alarm 4 times a day and breathe intentionally for 2 minutes.
Inhale in through your nose for 4 seconds and exhale through your nose for 6 seconds.
Prefer being guided? Join my PAUSE membership and have access to audios on Spotify (or whatever platform you listen to podcasts on) and let me guide you through the sessions you need.
Your Breath Is Your Superpower
Remember, you don’t need 60 minutes, a gorgeous studio and all the other aesthetics… Your breath is always with you. It’s simple, accessible, and bloody powerful. Use it, and you’ll be amazed at how much it can change your day (and your life.)
Ready to enter the world of breathwork and looking for personalised support?
My 1:1 somatic coaching is designed for people who feel stuck in survival mode, are constantly exhausted, struggle to switch off or know something needs to change but don’t know where to start.
Together we look at the whole picture, your breathing patterns, sleep, physiology, daily habits and nervous system to understand why your body is responding the way it is and create a personalised plan that fits your life.
Because lasting change doesn’t come from adding more. It comes from understanding your body and and getting better at what it’s already doing.
About Clare Pritchard
Clare Pritchard is a Somatic Stress & Breathwork Coach helping individuals and organisations move beyond chronic stress and build healthier, more resilient lives.
Through personalised 1:1 coaching, Clare helps people experiencing chronic stress, anxiety, burnout, fatigue and poor sleep understand their body and create lasting change. Combining science-backed breathwork, somatic coaching, physiology and nervous system education, her approach supports the whole person—not just the symptoms.
Alongside her private practice, Clare is the Resident Wellbeing Coach at LoopMe and delivers workplace wellbeing workshops for organisations including FutureNet, Republic of Media and We Mind The Gap, helping teams build resilience, improve communication and reduce workplace stress.