The Physiology of Breathwork: Rewiring Fear, Building Resilience and Thriving with Martin McPhilimey
The Wave Breathwork PodcastShow Notes
The Physiology of Breathwork - Rewiring Fear, Building Resilience and Thriving with Martin McPhilimey What if the way you breathe is shaping your resilience, your sleep, and even the way your brain processes fear? In this episode of The Wave Breathwork Podcast, I’m joined by respiratory physiologist and sleep scientist Martin McPhilimey, founder of the School of Breath Science, to explore the physiology behind breathwork and why understanding the science of breathing is essential for both wellbeing and performance. Martin shares his journey from studying lung pathology and sleep disorders as a clinical scientist to developing a framework for breath training that bridges respiratory physiology, behavioural science, and human performance. Together we explore how breathing influences the nervous system, the language around carbon dioxide tolerance & how learning to safely work with air hunger can help update the brain’s perception of threat. We also dive into the powerful links between breathing, sleep quality, fear memory, and emotional regulation and why physiology always needs context when it comes to metrics like HRV. This episode is a deep dive into how breath can become a tool for rewiring fear, improving sleep, building resilience, and creating a more regulated nervous system. In this episode we explore: • Martin’s story - from clinical science and lung pathology to founding the School of Breath Science• Why physiology always requires context • Breath mechanics, nasal breathing and optimising sleep• Carbon dioxide and the physiology of air hunger• The relationship between CO₂, fear memory and anxiety loops• How breathwork can help update the brain’s perception of threat• Conscious connected breathwork and altered states• Breath training for performance, endurance and recovery• The future of breathwork in healthcare and practitioner safety If you're interested in breathwork, nervous system regulation, sleep optimisation, or the science behind resilience this conversation is for you. Connect with Martin: Websitehttps://martinmcphilimey.com Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/martinmcphilimey School of Breath Sciencehttps://schoolofbreathscience.com
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