Breathing.
The one thing we do from the moment we arrive in the world until the moment we leave it. So automatic, so essential, and yet, so often overlooked.
In my early twenties, I had vocal training to project my voice to large crowds without a microphone. Those lessons weren’t just about voice, they were about posture, about filling my lungs, about accessing calm and confidence through breath. I remember walking away from each session feeling energised, uplifted, and steady.
Years later, sitting at the side of the Sanshirokwai Dojo while my son practiced judo, I joined in the warm-ups and cool-downs. Breath was always at the center, slow, deep belly breathing to settle the heart after exertion. On sleepless nights, I would lie on my back, hands on my stomach, recalling the Sensei’s voice: “Breathe deep, let your breath into your belly. Breathe in….one….two….three. Hold….two…three. Breathe Out….two, three, Four”. Calm would come. Sleep would follow.
I carried basic breathwork and posture into my own teaching, in the training room helping learners manage tensions and/ or to get their breath underneath their voices, helping them speak up with confidence. Demonstrating how posture and breath can reduce nerves, strengthen presence, and restore calm in any situation. Later, training in hypnotherapy, I delivered guided deep relaxation sessions, again, relying on my breath.
And yet… I still forgot!
Recently, I attended a breathwork training day through Em’s Yoga & Massage, based in Llanelli. Within the first hour, I realised something surprising, even my deepest breaths were locked in my chest. Ten months after losing my father to a sudden terminal illness, I thought I had found a sense of calm. Outwardly, perhaps I had, but my breath revealed the truth, I was still locked in fight-or-flight mode and I hadn’t noticed!
That day, and later during a Qigong Shibashi Tai Chi session, I began to remember. To rediscover how far my breath could go. With that came a new sense of depth, of grounding, of calm.
Here’s the takeaway…
Breathwork matters and there are breathwork techniques and breathing exercises that you can try.
It isn’t just something you try once. Like any study or practice, it takes time, consistency, and gentle reminders. The breathwork benefits are many. Breath can soothe your nervous system, relieve anxiety, release stress, unlock stored tension, and help you return to yourself.
The Breathwork Benefits Basics
- Calms the nervous system: slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic system, lowering stress.
- Improves sleep: regular breathwork can reduce racing thoughts and help the body prepare for rest.
- Boosts focus and energy: intentional breathing oxygenates the brain and helps restore clarity.
- Supports emotional balance: breath connects body and mind, creating space to process feelings.
I could pour a glass of wine or take a Nytol to help me sleep and I have, but that would only mask the things that made it difficult to calm my brain, sleep well and…
…my breath takes me to the root and helps me to release it!
Try This – A Simple Reset – Breathwork for Beginners
- Sit or lie comfortably. Place one hand on your chest, the other on your belly.
- Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four, feeling your belly rise before your chest.
- Hold gently for a count of two.
- Exhale through your nose for a count of five or six, letting your body soften.
- Repeat for 5–10 breaths. Notice the shift.
Accessible and Evidence-Based Guides
PositivePsychology.com – 7 Best Breathwork Techniques & Exercises to Use
Offers a detailed exploration of various breathwork styles (e.g., diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, alternate nostril breathing), including their benefits, proper safety guidelines, and even recommends top books and apps. Great for both practitioners and professionals
Cleveland Clinic – Breathwork for Beginners
A medically-informed, beginner-friendly guide that walks you through diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, the 4-7-8 technique, lion’s breath, and explains when each method might suit your needs.
My Next Steps
I recently came across Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi through a session run by an amazing gentleman called Huw, based at Em’s Yoga & Massage studio in Llanelli.
Shibashi Qigong, or Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi, is a gentle, flowing practice made up of eighteen simple movements that weave breath and body together. Developed in China in the 1970s by Professor Lin Housheng, it was created to be accessible for everyone, regardless of age or ability.
We have started on the first six, the movements are slow, rhythmic, and meditative, each one designed to encourage balance, relaxation, and the smooth flow of energy (qi) through the body. Unlike more complex Tai Chi forms, Shibashi focuses purely on wellbeing rather than martial application, making it both calming and restorative. The sequence offers not only physical benefits such as improved breathing, flexibility, and coordination, but also a powerful way to find stillness and presence.
For me, this is where I want to focus on my own breathwork journey, honing a practice that is as soothing as it is strengthening
Shibashi qigong free tutorials & Resources
Breathe deeply, breathe often, and remember you already have the calm you’re looking for, right there within you.
