You’ve Heard of Breathwork. But What Is It Really?

Breathwork is the practice of consciously controlling your breath—and there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of ways to do it. From yogic pranayama patterns like Breath of Fire, to nervous system-activating methods like Wim Hof, to the deep emotional release work I offer through Rebirthing Breathwork—each technique serves a unique purpose.

At its core, breathwork is about shifting your present-moment state to access new insight, emotion, or awareness. In my life and in my coaching practice, it’s the single most powerful tool for transformation I’ve encountered in 25 years of exploring paths to personal freedom and personal power.

What Is Rebirthing Breathwork?

This is the modality I’ve trained in and now offer. If you haven’t experienced it, the name may sound strange—but stay with me... I'm as rationale as you; an ex-pilot, ex-police officer and 20 years in corporate HR. I love this breathwork practise because it works.

Rebirthing Breathwork is a conscious, connected breathing method designed to release stored emotional and energetic blockages—often rooted in early life experiences. These patterns run deep. Feelings like unworthiness, disconnection, fear or shame quietly shape how we move through the world. They become the filters we unconsciously see through, often without realising they’re there. But we might feel the symptoms: life feels stuck, something’s off, or there’s a quiet sense that more is possible.

At our core, we are who we were when we were born—pure potential, naturally gifted, bright, open-hearted. As life happens, we take on stories: I’m not enough. I’m not safe. I don’t belong. These shape our relationships, decisions, and self-image. While therapy, coaching, and self-development can all support us—they often stop short of reaching these imprints at their root.

In my experience, only a couple of methods can reach down deep enough. Breathwork is the most powerful of these.

Why It Matters

Breathwork allows us to reconnect with that original, undistorted version of ourselves. Not in theory or through effort—but through real, embodied experience. It’s not about fixing; it’s about remembering who you are beneath the stories. Engaging in breathwork requires trust, because our mind scans these statements and comes up confused and argumentative. If we are fully associated with our mind we might not proceed, but underneath deep inside our heart knows. So as we loosen the grip of our mind, we may become curious and at least try it and see. It might be the single most profound act you ever take, and the single most important gift you give yourself. It was for me.

Through breathwork, our internal wounds begin to heal. When these wounds heal our felt experience of life shifts. We become clearer, safer, more grounded. We act from wholeness—not reaction—and naturally, the results in our relationships, work, and self-leadership change too. It's profound, and literally life changing work.

What a Session Looks Like

In a Breathwork session with me—whether group or private—you lie down and enter a gentle but energised breath cycle, in and out through the nose, with no pause in between. I guide you to trust into your breath, surrender a little more with each round, and allow your own inner intelligence to do the work. Just like your body knows how to heal a cut, it knows how to heal what lies within—when given the space and energy to do so.

I intuitively guide the room with prompts and reflective questions, a curated playlist supports your journey. In the first 5-10 minutes many report wondering how long they can keep the breathing practise up for, and thoughts about the day may pass through. Yet suddenly it's the end of the hour, and you realise you were somewhere else deep in emotion, memories, realisations. Time disappeared. As you come back into the room you are amazed at how far you went, what you saw, experienced and released. There is a short sharing of our experience a the end with each other which can be as healing and nourishing as the breathwork itself. For many it's a profound experience beyond words and you leave feeling lighter, clearer, energised in unimaginable ways.

400 Journeys and Counting

This week marked over 400 individual breathwork journeys since I began facilitating in early 2024. I’ve witnessed people cry tears of relief, unlock deep realisations, and walk out with a lighter presence. Some have completed their tenth session and beyond—and for those who stay with the practice, the feedback is unanimous: it’s life-changing.

After four years of being a student of breathwork, I feel the same.