15. How to Use Your Breath to Calm Stress, Sleep Better and Build Resilience | Níall O Murchu, Breathwork Expert

In this episode of The Wellness Script, Pharmacist Lauren O’Reilly MPSI is joined by Níall O Murchu, breathwork expert, former international athlete, and best-selling author, for a powerful conversation on why the way we breathe can shape how we feel, think, sleep, and respond to stress. Níall shares how severe childhood asthma first made him aware of the breath, how that evolved through sport, Shaolin training, yoga, and years of teaching, and why breathwork remains one of the simplest and fastest tools for regulating the nervous system. From mouth breathing and sleep quality to long exhales, cold exposure, and building resilience in modern life, this episode is a practical masterclass in using the breath as a daily tool for calm, recovery, and presence.Níall O Murchu’s journey from severe childhood asthma to becoming a leading voice in breathwork Why the breath is one of the fastest tools we have to calm stress and regulate the nervous systemHow modern life, pressure, and habit can lead to mouth breathing, poor sleep, and low-level anxietyA simple breathwork practice to use in traffic, before meetings, or in stressful moments: long, slow exhales The role of nose breathing, yoga, and mouth taping in retraining healthier breathing patterns How to use cold exposure as a tool for resilience, recovery, and presence - without overdoing itWhy stress itself is not always the problem — but staying stuck in it can be Níall’s books, app, and practical tools for bringing breathwork into daily life **Our Sponsor**This episode is brought to you by Sona Vitamins, Ireland’s longest established nutritional supplement producer.Find Sona online at sona.ie, in pharmacies nationwide, and in selected health stores.Use SONAGIFT at checkout to have a free gift added to your order.Gift selected by Sona. Terms and Conditions apply. While stocks last.https://bit.ly/wellness-script Links and Resources:Breathe with Níall: https://www.breathewithniall.com/Follow Níall: https://www.instagram.com/breathewithniall/The Blissful Breath by Níall O Murchu (Book)The Power of Cold by Níall O Murchu (Book)Breath by James Nestor Naze Nose Strips (not affiliated but mentioned): https://www.nazestore.com/Susanna Søberg and her cold exposure research summary referenced in the episode: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34755128/