Why Deep Breaths Might Be Making You Feel Worse (Ft Patrick McKeown)

What if mental clarity, emotional regulation, and better sleep weren’t about adding another practice—but undoing a hidden one?In this conversation, Patrick McKeown reveals how chronic over-breathing quietly drives anxiety, rumination, poor sleep, and brain fog. Drawing from decades of research and lived experience, he explains why breathing less (not more) can improve oxygen delivery, blood flow to the brain, and nervous system balance.This episode challenges modern breathwork myths and offers practical, science-backed ways to retrain your breathing for everyday life.Show Partners:Get your MENTAL FITNESS BLUEPRINT here! A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip SaunasPersonal Socrates: Better Question, Better LifeConnect with Marc: https://konect.to/marcchampagneTimestamps:00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?”01:20 — Living out of the head vs. living life03:10 — How stress, sleep, and breathing patterns intersect05:00 — Discovering breath as a path to presence07:40 — Why The Power of Now actually worked10:15 — Walking away from the corporate world12:30 — The origins of the Buteyko Method14:40 — Why breathing more air can reduce oxygen delivery17:10 — Nasal breathing and brain function19:50 — Rumination, CO₂, and cerebral blood flow22:30 — Why slow breathing isn’t always good breathing25:10 — Everyday breathing vs. breathwork sessions28:00 — Practical exercise: calming the nervous system32:10 — Clearing a blocked nose naturally36:40 — Breathing for performance and public speaking41:30 — How to retrain your breath throughout the day46:00 — Measuring progress: the BOLT score & breath mastery50:10 — Final reflections on calm, clarity, and control*Special props 👇Music: Clouds - Joakim KarudSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.