104. Why Breathing Determines Performance Under Clinical Pressure

In this week’s episode of the Life of Flow podcast, physical therapist and BreathLab & Yoga Studio founder Kattia Lohmann joins the conversation to share how breath became the turning point in her own experience with anxiety, panic, and burnout.She reflects on moving from clinical work and years in the vascular medical device industry into a deeper exploration of breathing, awareness, and regulation. Grounded in lived experience, the discussion connects physiology, stress, and attention in a way that speaks directly to the realities of high-performing professionals.🎧 This episode is a conversation about how physicians and high-stress professionals experience pressure, stillness, and regulation, and why learning to access calm and focus outside of the operating room matters as much as performance inside it.02:49 Kattia’s background in physical therapy and early interest in healing05:09 Anxiety, panic attacks, and discovering breath as a starting point09:10 Different styles of breathwork and first discussion of holotropic breathwork21:59 How to assess your own breathing patterns and build awareness27:02 When breathwork can worsen anxiety and why awareness comes first29:04 Nasal breathing, nitric oxide, and circulation32:00 Coherent breathing and regulating the nervous system37:10 Breath, intuition, and accessing flow states43:45 Stillness in surgery versus stillness outside the operating room55:10 Quick grounding tools for high-stress moments Who Should ListenThis episode is for physicians, surgeons, and other high-stress professionals who operate in intense environments and want practical ways to regulate stress and attention. It will also resonate with healthcare and MedTech professionals interested in how physiology, awareness, and performance intersect.About Kattia LohmannKattia Lohmann is a Physical Therapist and founder of BreathLab & Yoga Studio, where science meets soul through conscious breathwork and embodied healing. She bridges her background in rehabilitation and physiology with mindfulness and yoga to help people restore balance, vitality, and inner peace. Kattia has an MBA and over a decade of experience in the vascular medical device industry, a background that fuels her mission at BreathLab to merge science, mindfulness, and movement for whole-body health.Connect with Kattia Lohmann💼 LinkedIn: Kattia Lohmann📲 Instagram: @breathlab_yogastudioFollow Life of Flow📲 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@LifeofFlowPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠👍 Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Life of Flow Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Life of Flow Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠🐦 X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@VascularPodcastIf this episode helped clarify how breath awareness can support focus, regulation, and decision-making under stress, consider sharing it with someone navigating similar demands. A quick review also helps others find conversations like this.