Breathwork

Breathwork is one of the most direct tools for shifting mental states. These articles explore the neuroscience behind intentional breathing — how it influences the nervous system, regulates stress, and supports emotional awareness. Written by Natalia Cajide, a registered psychologist and trained breathwork instructor, these pieces connect the science to lived experience.

Why slowing your breath changes how anxiety feels

Anxiety often shows up in the body before it is named in the mind. Slow paced breathing changes the body and may change how those signals are read. A psychologist on what the strongest evidence shows, and where breathing fits inside the broader landscape of evidence-based care for anxiety.

Natalia Cajide

Jun 46 min read

Breathing retraining: Why how you breathe, not just that you breathe, matters

Breathing is automatic, and that is exactly why it escapes attention. The clinical evidence suggests automatic is not the same as optimal. This piece explains what breathing retraining is, the four dimensions along which breathing patterns go wrong, and why nasal breathing specifically matters. It also covers what the recent evidence says about the social media trend of mouth taping.

Natalia Cajide

Nov 13, 20245 min read

Unlocking Inner Peace: The Power of Breathwork for Stress Relief and Mental Clarity

Breathing is the one part of the nervous system we can consciously influence. This piece explains what breathwork is, what the research says about it, and how to try slow diaphragmatic breathing at around six breaths per minute, the technique with the strongest general-population evidence base.

Natalia Cajide

Oct 31, 20246 min read