I Thought I Was Handling It. My Body Was Holding It.

I’d always been told that Breathwork would be advantageous for me to integrate into my daily routine. I’ve always had a high-functioning disposition, although, transparently, I never realised the impact this would have on my body over time.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, my mind and body could handle a lot. I travelled significantly and, at one point, my commute was London to LA. I worked extremely hard, across all sorts of time zones, with an equally as busy social life. Additionally, I had experienced trauma and significant chronic stress. That mix builds up over time, and once I hit my 40s, my goodness, I didn’t realise that my body had been holding on to everything.

Word to the wise, particularly for those in their 20s and 30s: just because you can handle it all, I highly recommend that you don’t. Your body will remember. It will catch up with you at some stage, and it takes a long time to undo a stuck state of dysregulation.

Anyway…back to the point of the article.

One year ago, almost to the day, my husband and I left California and relocated to North Carolina. One month before we left, I noticed a newly opened haven in Newhall, Santa Clarita, called Rise Mindful Healing. My curiosity got the better of me, and one day I popped in.

I was greeted by Jen and Gracie, the founders, who are two of the kindest people I have ever met, immediately, I felt at ease. The space is designed to support people who are healing, regulating, and prioritising their well-being. It is beautifully created, and everything feels intentional and calm. Within minutes of talking to Jen and Gracie, their passion for supporting individuals really stood out to me. They shared their own healing stories with me, and I immediately felt connected to them, the space, and their mission.

My challenge was that, in 30 days’ time, I was relocating to the other side of the country. But we collectively agreed that my nervous system would benefit from immersing myself in their membership for that final month, and I am eternally grateful that I did. Every day they were open for that month, I visited the space and participated in sound healing, red light therapy, yoga, and Breathwork. I adored it so much that, on some days, I attended both morning and evening sessions.

One thing I was not prepared for was meeting Eva and the impact she made on me. Eva Payne led Breathwork classes at Rise, and she may well be one of the most magical human beings I have had the pleasure of meeting. She created a safe, guided environment, and the movement of emotions that travelled through me during her classes was life-changing.

I had no idea that Breathwork could be this powerful and so immensely healing. I learnt very quickly that my body was holding on to a lifetime of emotions, stress, shame, trauma, and fears. Breathwork was a practice that began supporting my body during a period of need.

During this month of immersive focus on regulation techniques, I felt that every class I attended was slowly moving the needle in my healing. I must warn you, healing and regulation are not a quick fix. For some people, it is a lifelong journey, and I believe I fall into this category. Beyond the feeling that it was making a difference, I was able to look at a data point that reflected the positive impact my time at Rise and with Eva appeared to be having.

Introducing the measure of HRV.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the tiny variation in time between each heartbeat. It can give us an indication of how our autonomic nervous system is responding to stress and recovery. Generally, a higher HRV relative to your own baseline suggests that your nervous system has greater flexibility and capacity to shift between activation and recovery. A consistently lower HRV can indicate that the body is under greater physiological or psychological load.

To be clear, it isn’t about achieving a perfect number. What’s most useful is how your HRV changes relative to your own baseline over time. I use it as a measure to understand if the practices I am implementing are supporting me or not. I often see a dip with my HRV average during the months of intense travel, time zone shifting and stress.

During my month-long membership with Rise, I did something to support my nervous system every single day. Sometimes it was Breathwork, sometimes it was yoga or a sound bath, and I also used red light therapy regularly. I wasn’t doing it to improve a number on a screen. I was simply giving my body consistent opportunities to slow down and regulate.

But my Oura data showed something interesting. (I adore my Oura ring…I personally find it wildly useful.) My average HRV, a measure that can offer insight into how the autonomic nervous system is responding to stress and recovery, had been 28 ms in May and 28 ms in June. In July, it increased to 31 ms, the highest monthly average I had recorded across 15 months of data.

The following month, when that daily regulation routine was no longer in place, it dropped to 26 ms. Can I say that those practices caused my HRV to increase? No. HRV is influenced by everything from sleep and exercise to hormones, alcohol, illness, and stress.

But I can say this: during the month when I was most consistent about creating moments of regulation and recovery, my body recorded its highest HRV of the entire 15-month period.

And I think that’s worth paying attention to.

More importantly, 31 was 15% above my 15-month average of 27.

So, not only did I notice a difference in myself, but my HRV data offered a positive signal that the daily practices I had implemented were supporting my nervous system. Every tiny step towards regulation helps your body feel safe and supported.

In fact, I believe wholeheartedly that these practices make such a difference that I explore regulation techniques with my training and coaching clients. Whether you are a leader, a business owner, or an individual creating the most resourceful life for yourself, I recommend beginning with regulation.

I practise Breathwork daily, and even though I am on the other side of the country from Eva, I can still enjoy her gift through the Insight Timer app. She also offers retreats where people can immerse themselves in her work.

And, honestly, I’m looking forward to next visiting California so I can spend some time back at Rise. If you are in the LA or Santa Clarita area, I could not recommend them highly enough.

Healing through modalities including Breathwork, sound baths, and red light therapy may not be for everyone. But if you can trust yourself to lean into the practices and allow yourself to feel, your mind, body, and soul will be eternally grateful.

And if you are someone who feels that you are already regulated, supporting your body by flexing the muscle of Breathwork will prepare you for any future bumps in the road.

If you are open to exploring Breathwork, the Insight Timer app is a good place to start. And, I recommend starting with beginner breathwork sessions. There are some techniques which take me to such a deep state, that sometimes I need to remain laying down for an hour afterwards, which isn’t always convenient. Integrating Breathwork takes the same practice as building muscle….start slow and be consistent.

If you’re interested in exploring the advantages of breathwork or any other healing modality, drop me a message and let’s chat!