My Breathing Story

My Breathing Story: Julia Wikeepa

(Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Te AtihaunuiĀ-Pāpārangi) founder of Hā Habit

Growing up, quite a few of us in our family had asthma and my father had it quite badly his whole life. Seeing his struggle made me see that breathing is a gift and it’s something that we take for granted.

I was on and off inhalers and nebulisers depending on the season, but I eventually grew out of asthma when I was about 12. As a child, I never really put it together that breathing exercises or practices could help with my asthma. I had no idea about the correlation between the two. It wasn’t until university that I learnt about the connection between the breath and self-regulating the body.

I studied psychology and human resource management. That was the first time I came across the concept that we had this thing called a nervous system and we could regulate it through breathing. We didn’t go into depth at uni, but I was intrigued and started investigating further. I realised that breathing was this amazing tool that we can use for our wellbeing.

Within Te Ao Māori, we have a lot of tikanga practices that use the breath. Like karanga for example, which triggers the vagus nerve and helps us to regulate our mental and emotional systems. We also do things like haka and chants which also trigger the vagus nerve.

I started using breathing techniques in my own life. When I felt anxiety come on, I would do a long exhale just to help me get through moments. I also do breathing exercises with my son every morning and evening, which helps us remember to use the breath throughout the day. I also practise a technique called transformational breathwork, which I find really powerful and intuitive. Now if I find myself stuck with something, I have a breathwork session and that helps me to think more clearly.

I was teaching a hauora course in schools to help kids learn how to deal with stress and big emotions and breathing was a big part of that. I think we need to give it more focus in our education system and normalise using it as a tool to help with wellness. It can help with every area of life.

In January, I launched my business which sells a breathing necklace. It’s a tool that can help you connect with your breathing, which is something that many people don’t do. They’ve unlearnt that habit. For some people using the tool might feel uncomfortable to start with, but it’s about doing it gently and not pushing yourself.

You hear people say: “Just take a breath” or “Just breathe”. So, we do know that using the breath consciously is good for us, but there can be resistance to that idea. It’s almost because it’s such a simple thing to do that people doubt it can really help.“

Please note: the “Ha tool” is not a medical device. If you have a respiratory condition, please consult a medical professional before trying new breathing practices or protocols.