Breathwork · Exeter & Online
Breathwork, offered in its own right
The breath is one of the few parts of the nervous system we can work with directly. Breathwork here is a considered, paced intervention in its own right — not a warm-up to something else — designed and delivered by a Clinical Psychologist who is also an accredited yoga teacher.
What it is
A standalone intervention, not an add-on
Breathwork is the deliberate, structured use of breathing practices to influence how the body and mind settle, steady or energise. It can be offered on its own, or alongside therapy or yoga where that fits better.
Because it is led by a Clinical Psychologist, the psychological side is built in from the start: what shows up in the body is understood alongside the thoughts, memories and emotion patterns that travel with it. Pacing, language and choice are treated as part of the practice, not as an afterthought.
It suits people who find talking-based approaches hard to access, people who want practical skills they can use between sessions, and people who already have therapeutic support and want a body-based strand alongside it.
Breathwork is offered to individuals, small groups, and organisations — one-off sessions, short programmes, or a longer block of work.
What a programme covers
Inside a breathwork programme
Programmes are shaped around the person or group, but they usually move through these four stages in order. Nothing is rushed, and earlier stages are revisited whenever that is the more useful thing to do.
1
Safety & orientation
Settling in before anything else: what breathwork is and isn't, what will and won't happen, how to pause or stop, and how to set up a space and a position that feel manageable. Any relevant health or medical considerations are talked through first, and sometimes checked with your own health professional before starting.
2
Regulation skills
Building a small, reliable toolkit — slow and extended exhalation, paced and balanced breathing, grounding through the senses, and gentle attention practices. The emphasis is on skills that are simple enough to draw on in everyday life, not only on the mat.
3
Nervous system activation & emotion patterns
Learning to notice your own signs of activation and shutdown, what tends to set them off, and how breath, posture and attention shift them. Emotions and the patterns they travel in — the familiar loops of anxiety, anger, numbness or self-criticism — are met with curiosity rather than pushed through.
4
Integration
Turning practice into something that lasts: a realistic home routine, what to use when, how to recognise progress, and how breathwork fits with therapy, yoga or other support. Sessions close with time to reflect and re-orient before you go back to your day.
Longer programmes may also include rest and restorative practice, breath and movement together, and work with sleep, focus or performance, depending on what you're hoping for.
How it's run
The principles behind every session
Breathing practices can be powerful, and some are genuinely activating. These principles shape how sessions are held, whoever they are for.
- Invitational language — every practice is an offer, never an instruction
- Choice and control stay with you throughout
- Predictable structure, with no surprises
- Gentle, gradual pacing — less is usually more
- Trauma-informed throughout
- Resting, pausing or opting out is always welcome
- Practices sized to what feels manageable that day
- Time to settle before, during and after practice
Formats
Ways to work with breathwork
One-to-one
Individual sessions
Online or in person in Exeter, built entirely around you — as a single session, or as a programme moving through the four stages above.
EnquireSmall groups
Groups & workshops
Small-group courses and workshops in Exeter and online, for people who would rather learn alongside others.
Small group yogaOrganisations
Teams & client groups
Breathwork sessions and programmes for staff teams, charities and community services — on their own, or within a wider wellbeing programme.
For organisationsIndividual sessions, group blocks and organisational programmes are quoted on enquiry — see the fees page for how pricing works across the practice.
Before you start
Breathwork is a wellbeing practice, not medical treatment, and it isn't a substitute for medical or psychological care. Some breathing practices aren't suitable for everyone — for example alongside certain heart, respiratory, neurological or pregnancy-related conditions. If you have a health condition, or you're unsure, please check with your GP or the health professional who knows your situation before starting, and bring anything relevant to the first session so practices can be adapted.
Questions
Common questions about breathwork
- Do I need any experience of yoga or meditation?
- No. Breathwork is taught from the beginning, and no flexibility, fitness or previous practice is assumed. Sessions can be done seated, lying down or standing, and adapted for most bodies and spaces.
- How is this different from a breathing exercise on an app?
- An app gives you a technique. A session gives you a considered sequence, chosen for what you bring and adjusted in real time, held by someone trained in both psychology and yoga who is watching how your system responds. The stages of safety, skills, working with activation and integration are what turn a technique into a practice you can actually rely on.
- Is breathwork intense?
- It doesn't have to be, and here it generally isn't. Some styles of breathwork deliberately provoke strong physical and emotional responses; the approach taken here is gradual and carefully paced, with steadying skills established before anything more activating is explored, and always with your consent.
- What if I feel uncomfortable during a practice?
- Then you stop, or change it — that's an expected part of the work, not a failure. Every practice is an invitation, and a session always includes ways to pause, come back to something steadier and settle before finishing.
- Can I have breathwork alongside therapy?
- Yes. Some people have breathwork on its own, some alongside psychological therapy here, and some alongside support from another clinician. Where you're working with someone else, it's helpful to let them know — with your consent, things can be coordinated so the two pieces of work sit well together.
- Can we book breathwork for our organisation or community group?
- Yes — for staff teams, charities and community services, as a single session or a programme. See yoga for organisations and wellbeing for organisations, or get in touch to talk through what your group needs.
Get in touch
Curious about breathwork?
Have a conversation first — what you're hoping for, what would suit you, and whether breathwork on its own is the right starting point. There's no obligation to go further.