Breathwork, SOMA® Breath and How I Use It in My Daily Practice

Breathwork has been a part of my life for years, initially through yoga, where I was introduced to the breath in a more traditional way. Standalone breathwork has been part of my life for the last couple of years, and that’s where things really began to deepen.

I first came across SOMA Breath and signed up to the free version of the app, exploring it here and there, but over time I found myself settling into a more consistent practice with The Breathpod. That came down to a few things. The variety of sessions, the early morning live classes that fitted in with my life, and the way Stuart delivers it all.

What really stood out was the balance. The blend of science, performance, ancient practices and spirituality felt very authentic. It wasn’t too much, it wasn’t overwhelming, it just landed in a way that made it easy to come back to again and again.

That’s what supported me in building a consistent practice.

But when I reached the point where I felt ready to take this further and begin sharing breathwork with others, I found myself coming back to SOMA.

The Breathpod doesn’t currently offer facilitator training, and coming from a healthcare background, safety and responsibility are something I take seriously. I knew that if I was going to hold space for others, I needed to be properly trained.

SOMA offered that structure. It’s powerful, rhythmic and accessible, and it provides a clear framework for guiding people safely through breathwork, whilst still allowing space to bring your own style and understanding into the sessions. Its practice also takes you on a transformative music journey, which really resonates with my love of beats and bass.

So whilst my personal practice and what I teach aren’t identical, they are both rooted in the same place.

The breath.

The Origins of Breathwork: Ancient Practices Meet Modern Science

Breathwork is not a new trend. It has been used for thousands of years across different cultures as a tool for healing, awareness and control of the body and mind.

In yogic traditions, pranayama focuses on controlling life force energy through specific breathing techniques.

Practices such as Tummo breathing in Tibetan traditions use breath to influence internal states, including heat generation and focus.

More modern methods, including the Wim Hof Method, Holotropic Breathwork and SOMA Breath, build on these ancient foundations, combining rhythm, music and scientific understanding to make breathwork more accessible today.

What we are seeing now is not something new being created, but something ancient being reintroduced in a way that fits modern life.

The Science of Breathwork: How It Affects the Nervous System

One of the reasons breathwork is so powerful is because it directly influences the autonomic nervous system. Breathing is both automatic and controllable, which means we can consciously shift our physiological state.

Slow, controlled breathing with a longer exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body move into rest, recovery and repair. This is often accompanied by a reduction in cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, which is why people often feel a noticeable sense of calm after even a short practice.

More rhythmic or faster breathing patterns can increase alertness and focus by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, creating a controlled rise in energy without tipping the body into overwhelm.

Breathwork also influences the release of key neurochemicals associated with mood, motivation and connection. Practices have been linked to increased production of dopamine, supporting focus and drive, serotonin, which plays a role in mood stability, oxytocin, associated with connection and bonding, and endorphins, which contribute to feelings of pleasure and natural pain relief. There is also growing interest in anandamide, often referred to as the “bliss molecule,” which is associated with feelings of wellbeing and flow states.

Breath retention techniques improve CO₂ tolerance, which enhances oxygen delivery to tissues through the Bohr effect. This makes the body more efficient at using oxygen.

From a neuroscience perspective, breathwork also impacts the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, supporting emotional regulation, focus and stress reduction.

There’s also another layer to this that’s being explored more and more, and that’s the connection between breathwork and altered or transcendent states.

Certain breathwork practices, particularly those that involve rhythmic breathing and retention, can create profound shifts in perception, awareness and emotional experience. Some theories suggest this may be linked to the body’s natural production of compounds like DMT (dimethyltryptamine), a molecule associated with dream states and altered consciousness. Whilst research in this area is still developing and not fully understood, what is clear is that breathwork can access deeply immersive states without the use of external substances and this is something I’ve experienced personally.

For years, I was part of the rave scene, and like many people in that environment, there was often a link between music, connection and using substances to access a certain state, a sense of release, presence or transcendence.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that the feeling I was chasing wasn’t coming from the substances themselves, it was coming from a shift in state. Breathwork was the first time I experienced something similar without needing anything external. That sense of connection, clarity, and being fully in the moment, but created naturally, through the body. That was a big turning point for me because it reframed everything. It showed me that these states aren’t something we have to chase outside of ourselves, they’re something we can access from within. Whilst the science is still evolving, the lived experience for many people is very real.

This is why breathwork can feel so powerful, not just as a tool for relaxation, but as a way to explore deeper states of awareness in a safe and controlled way.

The Benefits of Breathwork

From both personal experience, research results and working with others, the benefits of breathwork are wide-ranging. Here are just a few of the common examples:

Nervous system regulation - Helping reduce chronic stress and bring the body back into balance.

Emotional release and processing - Creating space to process and move through emotions.

Mental clarity and focus - Reducing overwhelm and improving concentration.

Energy and fatigue management - Using breath to either energise or calm the body depending on what is needed.

Improved sleep - Supporting the body in downregulating before rest.

Breathwork for Performance, Endurance and VO₂ Max

Breathwork is becoming increasingly recognised in both sport and performance settings.

Improving breathing efficiency can have a direct impact on endurance, recovery and overall performance.

One key factor is VO₂ max, which measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise. Breathwork can support this by improving breathing mechanics, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide tolerance, allowing the body to perform more efficiently under stress.

Increased CO₂ tolerance also plays a role in endurance, helping the body deliver oxygen more effectively to working muscles.

Breathwork can positively influence heart rate variability (HRV), a key indicator of recovery, resilience and overall nervous system health.

Beyond physical performance, breathwork also supports mental performance. It can improve focus under pressure, emotional control and the ability to stay present in high-stress situations.

This is something that translates not only into sport, but also into demanding environments like healthcare or leadership roles.

Finding the Right Breathwork Practice for You

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that there isn’t one “right” way to practice breathwork. There are different styles, different intensities and different approaches and what works will depend on the individual.

The key is finding something that feels accessible, safe and supportive for where you are right now.

For me, that looks like combining my own Breathpod practice with teaching SOMA Breath in a way that allows me to bring my own experience, understanding and approach into each session.

As someone with 25+ years of coaching experience in one way shape or form, I have no doubt that my breathwork facilitation will be no different while it continues to evolve.

Because one thing I know is breathwork isn’t about doing perfectly, it's abut learning how to use something as simple as your breath to support your body, your mind and your life.