How breathwork can transform emotional health with Lynsey Chan

Behind every breath lies the potential to heal, ground, and transform. In this interview, we chat with Rhythm of Breath founder Lynsey Chan about the power of intentional breathing to release stored emotions, reduce anxiety, and build emotional resilience. Whether you’re new to breathwork or looking to deepen your practice, Lynsey offers simple, practical tools to reconnect with the rhythm within.

Lynsey Chan

What is breathwork?

“First of all, it’s important to recognise that there are many different styles of breathwork, each of which supports the body in unique ways, whether for balancing the nervous system, calming the mind, enhancing peak performance, or even facilitating deep healing experiences. Our bodies often store unprocessed experiences as tension or emotional blockages. Transformational breathwork serves as a bridge to access the body and unlock these stored emotions, allowing the body to process them in a safe way. When we release these held energies, it feels expansive and freeing. It is important that we do practices like these so we can remain clear of our past and be able to move forward in life without carrying an accumulation of stress.”

What are common emotional blocks and how can breathwork help?

“Many people carry emotional blocks, such as the shock of past events, painful relationships, being shut down, or not having access to feeling safe in the world. These unprocessed emotions become trapped when we don’t have the opportunity to fully feel or process them at the time, maybe due to overwhelm, shock, or simply needing to carry on. Common symptoms include anxiety, flashbacks, or feeling stuck. Through Rhythm of Breath, we help clients to release these blockages so that their bodies and minds can feel free, and their life experiences can shift.”

Which techniques are best for beginners?

“If you are just starting out with breathwork, to help with emotional regulation it is always a good idea to check in and correct your functional breathing. Functional breathing is how we breathe on a daily basis and we want to make sure that we are breathing correctly throughout the day. We breathe 23,000 breaths a day and how we breathe directly impacts the balance of our nervous system, aka our physical and emotional regulation.”

How does regular breathwork support long-term emotional resilience?

“Breathwork is such an empowering tool that everyone has the ability to tap into in any moment. There are so many ways to support emotional and mental health, and we recommend doing a combination of functional breathing, daily techniques and supported (guided) transformational breathwork. If you are beginning at home, try some pranayama style breathing such as a 4x4 box breathing or 5:5 coherence breath to get started and experience the benefits in minutes!”

Connect with Lynsey

Explore Lynsey’s work and access free breathwork resources available on her website.

Website: www.rhythmofbreath.com.au

Instagram: @rhythm_of_breath