Fix your breath
from the ground up.
A functional breathing practice to expand your ribs, get your diaphragm doing its job and slow your breath down. This is the foundation to restoring a natural, deep, satisfying breath.
A gentle practice, but please read before you begin first.
Most of us breathe high, fast and shallow. Into the chest and shoulders, often through the mouth, and more often than the body actually needs. Over time, that pattern keeps the nervous system quietly on alert.
This isn't an emotional or cathartic practice. It's retraining. Expand the ribs, use the diaphragm, slow the breath. Simple mechanics, done well.
You breathe around 20,000 times a day, and every one of those breaths sends a signal. Change your default breath and you change your baseline.
Breathe out to the sides and back, not just up into the chest. Give the lungs room to actually fill.
Let your main breathing muscle do the work, so your neck and shoulders can stop picking up the slack.
Fewer, fuller breaths. A slower rhythm tells your nervous system it's safe to settle.
Functional breathing is a skill. Repetition, not intensity. Don't force it.
This is a gentle, low-intensity practice and suits most people. That said, slowing and changing the way you breathe does affect your body, so please check in with your health practitioner first if you:
- Are pregnant
- Have asthma, COPD or another respiratory condition
- Have a heart condition or blood pressure concerns
- Have had recent surgery or injury to the chest, ribs or abdomen
- Find that focusing on your breath tends to trigger panic or anxiety
- Never practise while driving or in or near water
- A mild "want for air" is fine. Straining isn't. Ease off if you're gasping or tensing up
- If you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, return to your normal breath. You're always in charge
- If your nose is blocked, breathe gently through your mouth for now
This practice is for educational and wellbeing purposes and isn't a substitute for medical or psychological care. If you're unsure whether it's right for you, speak with your health practitioner before starting.
Where does your breath usually live? And what changed when you gave it more room?
If you feel like sharing, reply to the email this practice came in. It comes straight back to me. — Pat
go deeper?
The Insight Breathwork Facilitator Training is a 12-week, IPHM-accredited training that teaches you to read the breath and the nervous system in real time, and to guide transformational breathwork with confidence. Join the live cohort starting 21 January, or begin self-paced today.
Learn about the training → Or book a free Clarity Call