Every breath you take

Stuart Sandeman, founder of Breathpod, explains how breathwork classes can energise spa guests and help them to live happier and healthier lives

Breathing coach, DJ and host of BBC Radio One’s Decompression Session, Stuart Sandeman has worked with award-winning artists, Olympic athletes, top business executives and global brands. Sandeman’s unique breathwork method helps to support mental and emotional wellbeing, performance, energy, productivity, communication, confidence, and focus. We asked him how this can be useful to spas.

Why is the breath so powerful? Breath is the gateway to the autonomic nervous system (ANS) responsible for the fight-flightfreeze response. This makes it incredibly powerful, because the ANS regulates the heart rate, immune response, digestion and more.

How can breathwork help people? It can help you focus more, think more clearly, alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety, sleep more deeply and have more energy throughout the day. It also has the potential to help deal with trauma, and mental, physical, and emotional blocks that may be rooted in past experience. It’s totally accessible – anyone, anywhere can do it – and breathwork puts power in the hands of the individual but under the guidance of a trained professional, the effects are stronger and longer-lasting, and real transformation is possible. The Breathpod technique works at different

levels of conscious awareness and uses tailored music to help people relax easily into the session which gives our sessions a contemporary vibe.

How can spa operators introduce breathwork sessions into their offering? The first step is to determine your needs and the needs of your guests. Then you can talk to a trained breathwork expert, who can help you design and carry out a tailored breathwork programme that’s right for you. There are different schools of breathwork, and of course, all spa and wellness operators will be slightly different. It’s important to find what works for you. www.breathpod.me “Under the guidance of a trained professional, the effects of breathwork are stronger and real transformation is possible.”

Stuart Sanderman