The Wave Breathwork Podcast

The Physiology of Breathwork - Rewiring Fear, Building Resilience and Thriving with Martin McPhilimeyWhat if the way you breathe is shaping your resilience, your sleep, and even the way your brain processes fear?In this episode of The Wave Breathwork Podcast, I’m joined by respiratory physiologist and sleep scientist Martin McPhilimey, founder of the School of Breath Science, to explore the physiology behind breathwork and why understanding the science of breathing is essential for both wellbeing and performance.Martin shares his journey from studying lung pathology and sleep disorders as a clinical scientist to developing a framework for breath training that bridges respiratory physiology, behavioural science, and human performance.Together we explore how breathing influences the nervous system, the language around carbon dioxide tolerance & how learning to safely work with air hunger can help update the brain’s perception of threat.We also dive into the powerful links between breathing, sleep quality, fear memory, and emotional regulation and why physiology always needs context when it comes to metrics like HRV.This episode is a deep dive into how breath can become a tool for rewiring fear, improving sleep, building resilience, and creating a more regulated nervous system.In this episode we explore:• Martin’s story - from clinical science and lung pathology to founding the School of Breath Science• Why physiology always requires context • Breath mechanics, nasal breathing and optimising sleep• Carbon dioxide and the physiology of air hunger• The relationship between CO₂, fear memory and anxiety loops• How breathwork can help update the brain’s perception of threat• Conscious connected breathwork and altered states• Breath training for performance, endurance and recovery• The future of breathwork in healthcare and practitioner safetyIf you're interested in breathwork, nervous system regulation, sleep optimisation, or the science behind resilience this conversation is for you.Connect with Martin:Websitehttps://martinmcphilimey.comInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/martinmcphilimeySchool of Breath Sciencehttps://schoolofbreathscience.com

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Martha Havenith - neuroscientist, Oxford graduate, and one of the world’s leading researchers on Conscious Connected (circular) Breathwork. Together, we explore the neuroscience behind breathwork: what’s actually happening in the brain and nervous system when we breathe intentionally, why it’s such a powerful tool for regulation, and what the future of breathwork could look like within the healthcare system. We also touch on the ethics and responsibilities of a rapidly expanding field. Whether you’re new to breathwork or deeply immersed in the practice, this conversation lays a grounded, evidence-based foundation for understanding why breathwork works and where it’s headed next.KEY TAKEAWAYSWhat Conscious Connected (Circular) Breathwork is and how it differs from pranayama and functional breathingWhat Martha’s research and facilitation experience are revealing about breath-induced altered statesThe neuroscience of breathwork: how conscious connected breathing affects the brain &nervous systemWhether gas exchange and end-tidal CO₂ changes help explain the subjective “journey”Pivotal Mental States, neuroplasticity, and entering altered states of consciousness voluntarilyWhere science and lived experience meet: balancing measurable data with subjective transformationBreathwork as an empowerment tool through the temporary loosening of perceptual and emotional filtersThe role of group settings, attuned facilitation, and supportive touch - why community mattersSafety, trauma, and emotional activation: what current research suggests and where caution is requiredWhy practitioner integrity, integration, and breather-to-facilitator ratios matterThe need for regulation, risk management, and clinical accountability in breathworkHow breathwork could responsibly enter healthcare systems through collaboration with cliniciansThe emerging evidence for breathwork’s effects on mental health, depression, and wellbeingThe future of breathwork research, including trauma-informed studies and clearer safety profilesRESOURCESThe Breathwork Handbook: Understanding, Practicing and Facilitating Breathwork -  Martha N Havenith PhD , Abdel Nemri PhD Martha's Research Studies & PapersDecreased CO2 saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousnessMartha's Instagram