#32 Breathwork: Benefits & Risks for Women in Peri-Menopause

Breathwork is everywhere right now, and many women are turning to it hoping to feel calmer, more grounded, and more connected to themselves, but not all breathwork is designed for regulation. In this episode, I unpack the origins of Holotropic Breathwork - a method originally developed to facilitate non-ordinary states of consciousness - and explore why this intention is very different from the stress-relief most women are seeking today.I talk about the current breathwork trend, the confusion between practices aimed at opening versus those aimed at settling, and why stepping into altered states without therapeutic holding or integration can be destabilising for already dysregulated nervous systems. I also share why I believe regulation must come first - particularly for midlife women, people-pleasers, and those carrying unresolved trauma / stress - before any form of deep experiential work.This episode is an invitation to slow down, understand what you’re actually signing up for, and choose practices that meet your nervous system where it is, not where the wellness world says you should be.