Why I Stopped Forcing My Breathwork Practice (And What Shifted When I Did)

Letting go of the “perfect practice” and choosing what truly supports me instead.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been rethinking my relationship with breathwork. Not because I lost interest or needed something new, but because I came to an important realisation: for any practice to be sustainable, it must meet you exactly where you are.

Some days, I feel energised and ready to dive into a long, all-encompassing session. Other days, my body just quietly says, "not today." And instead of pushing through or drowning in guilt, I started giving myself permission to show up differently. That’s when it clicked: breathwork isn’t something to perfect or tick off a list—it’s something to feel into. To honour. To experience as part of an evolving, compassionate relationship with myself.

Creating a breathwork toolkit rather than sticking to one rigid routine

I put together a breathwork toolkit I can draw from depending on how I’m feeling. It’s simple, but it’s changed everything:

• Soft + Slow Breathing: For grounding, calming, and reconnecting with my body. 

• Short, Energising Burst (10 mins): To shake off sluggishness and find my focus.

• Deep, Layered Session (around 45 mins): Starting gently, building into more active breath, and finishing in stillness or meditation. These are my emotional reset days.

This flexible approach keeps me consistent without the pressure. I still show up, but in a way that’s kind and responsive. And on the days when even ten minutes feels too much? I simply lie down, rest my hand on my belly, and feel my breath. That counts too.

Less Doing, More Being 

There was a time when I believed I had to stick to the plan no matter what. That if I wasn’t doing the full session, I wasn’t doing it right. But now? I’ve changed the question.

Instead of asking: 

• What should I do today?

I ask: 

• What would feel good? 

• What would support me right now? 

• What is my body asking for?

That small shift in mindset has transformed everything. Because healing doesn’t happen when we’re forcing ourselves to perform wellness perfectly. It happens when we soften. When we listen. When we let honesty and compassion guide us. And sometimes, the most healing thing is to cancel the plan and just be still. That’s breathwork, too.

The Shifts I’ve Noticed Since embracing a more flexible breathwork practice

I’ve noticed some beautiful changes: 

• My sleep has improved. 

• I feel more emotionally regulated and grounded in my decisions. 

• I’m no longer dragging myself through something that’s meant to support me. 

• I feel more connected to myself—on the good days and the hard ones. 

• I trust my body’s signals more and meet them with kindness.

That softness has spilled into other areas of life, too. How I rest. How I move through conflict. How I hold space for discomfort. Breathwork has become a mirror, showing me where I was still gripping too tightly.

Coming Home to Myself Somewhere along this journey

I discovered that purpose isn’t always about doing more. It’s about becoming more of who you already are. For a long time, I searched outside myself for meaning, direction, and validation.

But the deeper I breathed, the more I began to hear a quieter truth:

Your purpose is you.

Not a role.

Not a checklist.

Not a title.

Just you—fully met, fully witnessed, and fully held in compassion.

So now, I focus on what I need. I honour how I feel. And that shift has brought more clarity and peace than any goal ever could. Because when we start aligning with our truth—when our breath, our choices, and our energy reflect self-respect and self-trust—purpose stops feeling like a destination. It starts feeling like home.

The Body Remembers—But Breath Can Help Us Rewire 

What I love most about breathwork is its ability to bypass the thinking mind and go straight to the source: the body. It gently reaches into the places where tension and old stories hide, creating space to feel, to release, and to begin again.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: The body remembers what the mind forgets. But the breath helps us reconnect—and sometimes even rewrite the story.

Emotional Health Isn’t a Quick Fix. We wouldn’t expect to get physically strong from one workout. And yet when it comes to emotional or mental health, we often hope a single journal session or therapy appointment will "solve it."

But emotional wellbeing isn’t a checkbox. It’s a relationship. A steady, compassionate return to ourselves. Again and again.

So, if you’re feeling stuck or frustrated that something you thought you’d already worked through is resurfacing, please remember:

You’re not broken.

You’re not backsliding.

You’re being invited to meet yourself more deeply.

To soften. To listen. To breathe.

And maybe, just maybe, something beautiful is waiting on the other side.

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