Breathing for Performance: How Elite Athletes Regulate Pressure | E12: Jack McMillan

Breathing for Performance: How Elite Athletes Regulate Pressure | E12: Jack McMillan

Jack shares his personal journey of overcoming pre-performance anxiety and the pivotal role of breathing in managing stress and pressure. He highlights the lack of education and support for athletes in managing their breath and the impact of dysfunctional breathing on recovery, decision-making, and performance. Jack's transition to coaching and the integration of science and traditional methods in breathwork reveal the surprising lack of education in elite sports. The conversation covers visualization techniques in elite sports, the application of breathing techniques in corporate environments, challenges and best practices in breathing coaching, identifying signs of dysfunctional breathing, and the role of data in breathing coaching. The discussion provides insights into the practical application of visualization and breathing techniques in sports and corporate settings, as well as the importance of data-driven coaching and the identification of dysfunctional breathing patterns. Takeaways * The importance of athlete-specific tools for managing pre-performance anxiety * The impact of dysfunctional breathing on recovery, decision-making, and performance Visualization techniques are used in elite sports to evoke feelings and improve performance. * Breathing techniques are applicable in both sports and corporate environments, impacting mental health and performance. Chapters * 00:00 The Impact of Pre-Performance Anxiety * 06:00 Transition to Coaching and Breathwork * 11:52 Patterns of Problematic Breathing Behavior * 23:53 Costs of Dysfunctional Breathing in Athletes * 29:56 Visualization Techniques in Elite Sports * 35:25 Application of Breathing Techniques in Corporate Environments * 45:36 Challenges and Best Practices in Breathing Coaching * 53:18 The Role of Data in Breathing Coaching

How Breathwork Rewires Stress, Sleep and Performance for High Achievers

The conversation covers the career transition to holistic health, the introduction to Tiger and Turtle, the impact of breathing on mental and physical state, fear of slowing down and parasympathetic activation, coherent breathing and its benefits, gender differences in breathing, and key breathing techniques for executives. The takeaways include insights into holistic health and the importance of breathing techniques for well-being. Takeaways * Holistic Health * Breathing Techniques Chapters * 00:00 Career Transition to Holistic Health * 07:06 Diagnostic Tools for Breathing * 15:05 Impact of Breathing on Mental and Physical State * 20:42 Coherent Breathing and Its Benefits * 26:24 Gender Differences in Breathing * 32:33 Key Breathing Techniques for Executives

From Burnout to Breathwork: How One Breath Changed Everything with Rory Warnock I E10

In this episode of Art & Science of Breathing, Patrick talks with Rory Warnock — performance coach, breathwork expert, ultramarathon athlete, and author — about the science of breathing and nervous system regulation. Rory explains how conscious breathing can improve stress resilience, mental focus, sleep quality, and physical performance by directly influencing the autonomic nervous system. They break down functional breathing, why many people live in chronic stress, how breathwork changes physiology in real time, and practical tools you can start using today. Whether you’re interested in neuroscience, high performance, or everyday wellbeing, this episode connects cutting-edge research with actionable strategies. Follow Rory Warnock: Website: https://www.rorywarnock.com/ [https://www.rorywarnock.com/] Instagram:   / rorywarnock_   [https://www.instagram.com/rorywarnock_/?hl=en] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wdLn [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wdLnVwc3TziOXsqvPxHSq?si=jhecqXAhS9eh29WiYDulhA&nd=1&dlsi=5ace6c8b97a74b75]... [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wdLnVwc3TziOXsqvPxHSq?si=jhecqXAhS9eh29WiYDulhA&nd=1&dlsi=5ace6c8b97a74b75]

Unlocking Longevity Through Breath, Energy, and Consciousness with Raj Khedun I E9

n this episode of Art & Science of Breathing, Patrick sits down with Raj Khedun, founder of KeepFit Kingdom, longevity practitioner, and breath coach, to explore how breathing, consciousness, and energy intersect at the core of human performance and wellbeing. Raj shares his unconventional origin story - from an early obsession with evolution and human potential, through a decade of monastic study, to developing a simple, memorable breathing method now used to reduce stress, improve sleep, and restore nervous-system balance in everyday people. Together, they: • Break down how breathing directly shifts the autonomic nervous system • Explore why most people stay trapped in sympathetic overdrive — and how to exit it • Walk through Raj’s 3-3 breathing method in real time and observe its immediate effects • Discuss stress, insomnia, anxiety, ADHD, and emotional stagnation through a nervous-system lens • Examine where modern neuroscience and ancient wisdom converge • Challenge common myths around longevity, mindset, and health optimization This is a grounded, experiential conversation - moving from physiology and neurochemistry to flow states, consciousness, and what it actually means to regulate your inner state in a noisy, high-pressure world. If you’re curious about breathing as more than relaxation, as a tool for energy, clarity, and long-term resilience, this episode will expand how you think about the human system.

From Boardroom Pressure to Calm at Home: Nervous System Mastery for Leaders I E8

Patrick welcomes breathwork facilitator and executive coach Chelsea Kane for a deep exploration of how chronic stress shapes the lives of high performers - and how intentional breathing can restore clarity, presence, and emotional balance. Chelsea shares her transition from high-pressure PR in New York to guiding CEOs, founders, and executives through nervous system regulation, personalized breathwork, and transformative practices like Breathwave.  ⸻ Key Takeaways • Why many high achievers unknowingly normalize fight-or-flight — and how to unwind it. • How nervous system regulation improves clarity, productivity, creativity, and relationships. • The link between emotional regulation and perception under stress. • “Breath as medicine”: choosing the right technique for stress, sleep, energy, or emotional release. • A guided walkthrough of Kapalabhati for instant alertness without caffeine. • When deeper practices like Breathwave are appropriate — and why facilitation matters. • How to build intuition by reconnecting with sensations in the body. • Practical guidance for beginners: why starting with a human guide is often the best first step.    ⸻ Connect with Chelsea Kane • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/practice.with.chelsea/ [https://www.instagram.com/practice.with.chelsea/] • Website: chelseakane.podia.com