Breathing is living
Sometimes we forget to breathe, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. But breath is more than air; it is life force. It carries us through our days, through our emotions, through our lives.
How we breathe reflects how we feel. At times, we hold our breath. We brace ourselves. We become breathless with tension or emotion.
Breathing is also surviving
Often, we unconsciously adjust our breathing to match our emotional state.
Think back to a moment when you held your breath. Maybe as a child, when someone was yelling at you and you tried to become invisible. Or in the middle of a traumatic event, when keeping your breath quiet and shallow felt like a matter of survival.
Perhaps you recognize the impulse to slow or stop your breath in order to suppress emotions. When tears rise, you might feel yourself holding your breath, as if trying to contain the grief. When anger comes, your jaw tenses, and your breath becomes high and shallow. When you're overwhelmed, your breath may get stuck in your chest.
These automatic responses deserve recognition. They were there to protect you, to help you survive difficult moments. But what was once necessary may now be holding you back. When tension becomes stored and the body clings to old patterns, it can lead to chronic stress, physical discomfort, and a sense of emotional numbness or disconnection.
Breathwork helps you recognize and release these patterns.
Through conscious breathing, you can let go of tension, clear your mind, and reconnect with yourself, more deeply and more fully.
The Connected Breath
One of the techniques I work with is the connected breath. This is a powerful breathing technique in which you breathe continuously, without pauses between the inhale and exhale. This creates a natural flow of energy in the body, allowing stored emotions, memories, and beliefs from the subconscious to surface, so they can be felt, processed, and released.
Connected breathing is usually done through the mouth and is more intense than your everyday breathing pattern. On a physiological level, this way of breathing activates the fear and stress system. But unlike in daily life, this happens in a safe and guided setting. You’re consciously inviting discomfort in, with the intention to stay with it and allow it fully.
On an emotional level, feelings, memories, and beliefs may come up, things you may have consciously or unconsciously pushed away. The difference is that this time, you breathe through them instead of holding or flattening your breath. You learn that you can stay present with what arises. That you can handle it. That it's allowed to be there.
This can bring a sense of empowerment and often leads to deep emotional and physical release and relaxation.
Connected breathwork brings you into contact with your core: who you are beneath your survival strategies, patterns, and beliefs. Many people describe this as a spiritual experience, so the practice can have effects on that level as well.
Connected breathwork can support you in:
Processing trauma and long-held patterns
Releasing suppressed emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, or joy
Breaking through tension and stress stored in the body and mind
Creating a deeper connection with yourself and your emotions
What does a connective breathing session look like?
The session are always 1,5 hours. For the first session I recommned 2 hours. The connective breathing session will follow an intake that takes 30 minutes. Here we will discuss your problem, goals and other important information.
1. Preparation & Intention (± 10–20 min)
We take time to arrive and attune.
You’re welcome to share how you're feeling and what you need in that moment.
Together, we set an intention for the session or simply check in with what wants attention.
2. Breathwork (± 60 min, supported by music)
You’ll breathe for about an hour using the connected breath: a deep, flowing rhythm without pauses between the inhale and exhale. The session has different phases: a gentle buildup, an active breathing phase, and a period of rest and release.
The breath journey is supported by carefully selected music to help you drop deeper into your experience and stay connected to your breath.
There’s space to express what’s alive in you, through sound if it arises. This isn’t about being loud, but about allowing what wants to move through you: a sigh, a tremble, a tone.
Movement can also emerge naturally. You might feel the urge to shift, stretch, or let your body move with the sensations or emotions that come up.
If it feels supportive, I may use gentle touch or pressure point techniques to help release tension and support emotional release.
Everything is welcome and nothing is required. You don’t need to make anything happen. The practice is about allowing whatever is already there.
3. Integration & Closing (± 10–20 min)
After the breathwork, you take time to let your body and emotions settle.
We take a moment to reflect on your experience, and I offer practical suggestions for how to integrate what came up into your daily life.
Is breathwork suitable for everyone?
I truly believe that breathwork is beneficial for everyone.
Becoming aware of your breathing pattern and applying simple techniques in daily life can already bring about meaningful change.
It can shift the way you respond to challenges, help you allow emotions more easily, and reduce (chronic) stress.
A connected breath session, however, is more intense, physically, emotionally, and spiritually and it is not suitable for everyone.
There are certain groups for whom connected breathwork is not recommended, including people with:
epilepsy
glaucoma
specific heart conditions
psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia & bipolar disorder.
Even if a connected breath session isn’t right for you, we can always explore other forms of breathwork that are more suitable for your body and situation.
If you have questions or doubts about whether connected breathing is a good fit for you, feel free to get in touch. And when in doubt due to a medical condition, please consult your physician before booking a session.