Breathe Like You Mean It and Unlock the Energy You Never Knew You Had

Written by Phil Hartley & Lulu Chumpitasi Bartra, Founder

Meet Lulu & Phil, co-founders of Balance Holistic Retreat Peru. Rewire your Mind, Body & Soul in the Heart of Peru's Sacred Valley. Transform your Life.

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Sounds simple, right? After all, if you’re reading this, you’re already doing it. In the chaos of daily life, it’s easy to overlook the one thing that keeps us grounded, our breath. We rush from task to task, rarely pausing to notice how shallow or strained our breathing has become. But by simply reconnecting with our breath, we unlock a powerful tool for clarity, calm, and presence.

The wake-up call

But here’s the truth: Most of us are doing it wrong. We slump over screens, grip the steering wheel, or operate heavy machinery for hours on end, barely breathing at all. At best, we breathe shallowly – just enough to survive. Not enough to thrive.

Even when we hit the gym, play football, or go for a run, we rarely breathe the way nature intended. And because of that, we’re operating at a fraction of our potential. We’re not fully alive.

What’s worse, poor breathing can sabotage your health. Chronic mouth breathing & shallow inhales can lead to allergies, asthma, tonsil problems, ear infections, dental issues, and sleep disorders like snoring or sleep apnoea. Sleep disorders reduce the supply of oxygen, which affects the body’s ability to recuperate, which it would normally do while you sleep.

Slouching compresses the lungs. Sluggish breath means sluggish blood flow, and the toxins we should exhale stay locked in. That means trouble for your lungs, liver, skin, digestion, heart, and brain. Your whole system takes a hit. You don’t just feel tired. You are tired.

“The good news is: proper breathing can be learned. And deep breathing is fantastic stress relief.” – Dr. E. Jung, Shut Your Mouth & Open Wide, pg. 52

“If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe better.” – Dr. Andrew Weil, Breathing: The Master Key to Self-Healing, Sounds True, 1999

Ancient knowledge

The wisdom of ancient traditions has been telling us this for thousands of years. Shaolin monks, Hindu yogis, and martial arts masters knew that breath is life force. Today, modern pioneers like Wim Hof, “The Iceman,” are reigniting those old fires. Hof submerged himself in ice for nearly two hours with no signs of hypothermia. He ran a marathon across the Namibian desert without water. He showed us that control of our breathing can allow us to control our body temperature, even in extreme conditions. Specifically, using the ancient Tummo method.

(If you want to learn it, check out James Nestor’s Breath, pg. 156.)

There is an ancient tantric text called the Shiva Swarodaya that describes how one nostril will open & the other will close during cycles of the full and new moon. It allows the body to stay grounded & balanced with the cosmos. Our body operates best in a state of balance. Richard Kayser spoke about these nasal cycles in “Die exacte Messung der Luftdurchgangigkeit der Nase” (Archives of Laryngology 3), 1895.

Chi, prana, and the power within

Practices like Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi teach that Chi or Prana isn’t just energy. It’s the life-force, the power from within which gives us balance, health, longevity, and strength. It’s essential for performance. Essential for healing. It flows through mind, body, and spirit.

How do we develop Chi? Shaolin tradition suggests stance training, as holding a stance concentrates the Chi. Along with Qigong meditation, the deep breathing exercises and practice of flowing movements, along with mental control drills. Kung Fu forms & continuous movement promote the concentration & tranquillity necessary for the development of Chi power.

“It is the drawing of energy from the Universe through the subconscious.” – David Carradine, The Spirit of Shaolin, pg. 118

Breathing well doesn’t just make you feel better. It makes you stronger. It helps your body eliminate waste, absorb nutrients, and repair itself. It boosts your energy, sharpens your mind, and gives your immune system a fighting chance. Not only that, correct breathing can reduce anxiety, increase blood flow, reduce blood pressure, increase energy levels & improve posture. Oxygen doesn’t just keep us alive, it purifies the blood, soothes the nerves, stimulates the digestive system & induces better sleep, allowing cell regeneration. In fact, oxygen is essential for breaking down our food and carrying vitamins & minerals in our bloodstream to where they are needed in our internal organs.

Pretty impressive for something we do 20,000 times a day.

The mechanics of mastery

Your blood completes a full-body circuit every minute, with your heart pumping roughly 2,000 gallons daily. The diaphragm, an umbrella-shaped muscle under your lungs, powers that movement. But most of us use only 10% of it when we breathe.

“By learning to extend our breathing to between 50–70% of the diaphragm’s capacity we can ease cardiovascular stress & allow the body to work more efficiently.” – James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, pg. 62

“Without Chi, life itself is impossible.”

Breath: The ultimate balancer

The respiratory system consists of the upper airways (nose, nasal cavities & pharynx) and the lower airways (trachea, bronchi & lungs). Respiration is the perfect example of duality, of balance. If we only inhale, we die. If we just exhale, we die. One without the other is impossible. Inhaling is a contraction, and exhaling is an expansion. (During the process of inhalation, the lung volume expands as a result of the contraction of the diaphragm)

“The act of breathing, through its duality, connects us with the supernatural, the universe, the fountain of creation, and the metaphysical. Breathing allows us the union with life.” – Luis Martins Simões, Does Your Body Lie?, pg. 83

Breathing is more than just a physical act, more than just moving the diaphragm & the lungs.

Breathing is the gateway to the autonomic nervous system, the switch between rest and reaction. Again, this manifests in a duality of purpose, two parts that serve opposite functions, both essential to our physical and mental well-being.

• Parasympathetic system: Rest, digest, restore

• Sympathetic system: Fight, flight, survive

Slow nasal breathing activates the calming system, while uncontrolled stress can trap us in survival mode. The result? Cortisol overload. Fatigue. Brain fog. Even disease.

“The slow, easy breathing from the belly works upon the consciousness like bellows, and gives it a still, bright clarity “ Alan Watts, – “The Way of Zen” Pantheon Books, 1957

“The deeper & more softly we breathe in, and the longer we exhale, the more slowly the heart beats and the calmer we become.” – Nestor, pg. 144

As the Zen saying goes: “When you drink, just drink. When you walk, just walk.”Let’s add one more: When you breathe, just breathe.

So, how do we breathe right?

The nose knows

Through the nose. Nasal breathing filters, warms, and moistens the air. But more than that, it triggers Nitric Oxide release, a miracle molecule that boosts circulation, oxygen delivery, digestion, and even sexual health. That’s how Sildenafil (Viagra) works by opening the capillaries & releasing Nitric Oxide into the bloodstream.

Nasal breathing increases nitric oxide sixfold and helps the body absorb up to 18% more oxygen.

(J. Lundberg, Nasal & Oral Contribution to Inhaled & Exhaled Nitric Oxide: A Study in Tracheotomised Patients, European Respiratory Journal, Vol 19, No. 5, 2002)

Balance begins in the nose

One of yoga’s oldest breathwork techniques – nadi shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing holds a secret that modern science is only just catching up to: the body’s built-in switch between calm and focus, heat and cool, action and ease.

Here’s how it works:

• The right nostril is your internal accelerator. Breathing through it speeds up the system. Heart rate rises. Blood pressure climbs. Cortisol kicks in. It activates the sympathetic nervous system, your body’s “go mode.” Blood rushes to the left brain, the seat of logic, structure, and decision-making.

• The left nostril is your natural brake. Breathe through it, and the body cools. Blood pressure drops. Anxiety softens. You engage the parasympathetic nervous system – the domain of rest and recovery. Blood flows to the right brain, where creativity, intuition, and emotion take the lead.

It’s yin and yang, fire and water. Balance.

Real world, real results

In May 2025, I delivered a talk on breathing as a tool for stress relief during Mental Health Week at a construction site Safety Breakfast. 130 tough, hardworking blokes joined me in learning abdominal, chest, and clavicular breathing. Then we combined them into the Shaolin method of “Right Breathing.” Over the following five mornings, we spent 30 minutes practicing “Box Breathing” before starting work.

• Inhale through the nose to a slow count of 4,

• Hold your breath for 4,

• Exhale slowly through the nose for 4,

• Hold for 4 and repeat.

Day 1? Laughter, eye rolls, raised eyebrows.

Day 5? Focus, commitment, transformation.

I shared the science, the stories, and my personal journey beating Type 2 Diabetes and depression through diet, exercise, and yes, proper breathing.

I shared evidence-based outcomes that slow breathing can reduce anxiety levels within 5 minutes. That within 1 week, slow breathing can decrease baseline stress levels & improve sleep. Within 5 weeks, there is a 15% reduction in the risk of heart disease. That within 3-12 months, there is a 0.5%-2.0% reduction in HbA1c levels. Who wouldn’t want any of that?

I also shared a paraphrased reminder from the Buddha:

“Do not believe what I tell you, nor believe what you hear, see, or read. Believe what you experience, and if it aligns with your own common sense.”

In other words, if you don’t give it a try, how will you know?

The final word

Whether you call it Chi, Prana, energy, or breath, it’s the bridge between your body and your mind. Between chaos and clarity. Between exhaustion and exhilaration. Conscious Breathing plays a key role in meditation & mindfulness & fosters inner peace, clarity & balance. Breathing exercises can promote inner calm, reduce stress, improve concentration and sleep.

When you work, breathe.

When you rest, breathe.

When you play, really breathe.

So take a deep breath right now.

Not just to survive. But to thrive.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

Read more from Phil Hartley & Lulu Chumpitasi Bartra

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Phil Hartley & Lulu Chumpitasi Bartra, Founder

Meet the founders of Balance Holistic Retreat Peru. Lulu, a healer & Spiritual Guide with roots deep in Peru’s ancient traditions & Phil, an adventurer whose journey led him from the battlefields to the Sacred Valley, are the visionaries behind this wonderful project. Together they are creating a space to de-tox, de-stress & decompress from the pressures of modern life. A space where uniting the natural organic produce of the region with holistic practices & lifestyle changes creates optimal conditions for the body to restore & heal itself.

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