Great question. This is probably the most common question that pops up about CCB. Basically, as you probably know, in our day-to-day lives, you normally want to breathe through your nose. There are many reasons for this. Among them are that the nose filters, cleans, moistens and heats/cools the air we bring in, triggers nitric oxide to be released, and encourages slower, lighter breather. All of this is conducive to the most efficient, health-supportive way of breathing.

Knowing all this, why do we use an open mouth in conscious connected breathwork? Because CCB is not everyday life – it’s a supported, held, controlled space in which to breathe in a way that can enable you to access altered states of consciousness, connect deeply with emotions and make energetic space.

Just think of a CCB session as like a gym session, or a cold-water dip: it’s a short space of time in which you consciously put your body under a subtle amount of stress to be able to build resilience. In the case of CCB, this resilience is widening your window of tolerance so that have increased capacity to meet the stresses of life. Try it out for yourself.

Yes! While in-person breathwork can be extremely beneficial as you have the added advantage of being able to receive touch from the facilitator (if you consent) and being in each others’ energy fields, online breathwork can be equally powerful. It’s just different. And it’s often a matter of preference. Some people much prefer one or the other.

As many of my clients are busy mums who do not have time to make it to in-person classes, receiving breathwork online, in the comfort of your own home is much much more convenient for many. This is how I personally do most of my breathwork and it's been simply life-changing for me. Find out more about tailored 1:1 sessions and weekly group sessions via Mother Breath and try online breathwork for yourself.

Yes. Due to the powerful nature of the breathing technique, it can have various impacts on the biochemistry of your body. As a result, there are several conditions that are contraindications to conscious connected breathwork.

If you suffer from schizophrenia, bipolar, severe PTSD, or have a history of epilepsy, you should not do this practice without first consulting a medical professional. Pregnancy (especially early or delicate pregnancy), heart condition, extremes of blood pressure, glaucoma, aneurysm, stroke or recent abdominal surgery are also contraindications. You can still do conscious connected breathwork in these cases but I will invite you to do a modified version and go gently.

If in any doubt, I will always encourage you to err on the side of caution and do a gentler breath, through the nose, which is considered safe for most people to do. Please do tell me about any conditions you have when you book your sessionsand I can suggest the best course of action to make sure you can get the most out of breathwork while remaining safe.

Unless you are an experienced practitioner, I would not recommend practising conscious connected breathwork on your own. This is because a trained facilitator can fully support you through the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual experiences that may occur during a CCB session.

Having a properly trained, experienced breathwork facilitator holding space for you in this way is truly what makes the experience so profound. And safe. That said, once you have been practising with me for a while, I will invite you to do 5-10 minutes of conscious connected breathwork alone a few times a week if that is appropriate for your unique situation.

To do some practices that are absolutely recommended to do on your own, make sure to download your free copy of The Everyday Breathwork Bundle.

Conscious connected breathwork is a a therapeutic experience that takes time to prepare for and integrate. Also, you can go to quite deep places emotionally during sessions. Think of it as a little like therapy without the talking. As a result, I recommend doing a session anything from once a week to once a month in order to have the spaciousness to integrate each session but also keep up the momentum of your practice. Ways to practice with me.

While regulating techniques such as coherent breathing and the physiological sigh are very well supported by a tonne of studies, research into conscious connected breathwork is still in its infancy. Anecdotal evidence has long said ‘it works’. But what about the science?

More and more research is being done into CCB, often with stunning results.

As is often the case, the science is proving what has long been ‘known’ by breathworkers. For example, more research is being done into the psychological and physiological changes that occur in the body during a CCB session. For example, evidence is emerging that techniques such as CCB induce certain mind body impacts like regulating the nervous system, inducing altered states of consciousness. Interesting studies into conscious connected breathwork techniques have also found it to improve self-awareness, manage stress and improve overall well-being, and positively impact our emotions. There is even emerging evidence that connected breathwork techniques show potential in treating PTSD.

CCB is considered a powerful and safe way to regulate the nervous system, increase your window of tolerance, access expanded states of consciousness and facilitate healing and personal growth. As a result, the therapeutic potential of CCB and other breathwork techniques is considered to be compelling and profound. That being said, there are aspects of conscious connected breathwork that remain somewhat mysterious, and that is part of the beauty of it. Try it out for yourself.

Yes and no. There are types of breathwork that are suitable for pregnant, and others that need to be approached with caution or avoided altogether.

Some techniques that are great for pregnancy: belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing), coherent breathing, breath awareness, extended exhales (only as long as feels comfortable), and many others. I would avoid: breath holds, any breathwork technique that involves intense movement in belly area (e.g. Sufi breathing), over extending your inhale or exhale.

What about conscious connected breathwork? Breathing through the nose is the safest and best option for a pregnant person at any stage of pregnancy, and is recommended for early or delicate pregnancy. This is what I will suggest if you want to join one of my conscious connected breathwork sessions while pregnant.

A fantastic starting place is to download your free copy of The Everyday Breathwork Bundle. These are simple, 4-10 minute practices that are accessible to all. Once you have tried this, feel free to come to join a weekly group sessions via Mother Breath or book a tailored 1:1 session with me. Alternatively, you can always book a 20-minute connection callwith me to chat through your options.