From Skeptical to Believer: The Impact of Functional Breathing, CCB & Reiki on Me
Four years ago, I would’ve turned away from all of this. I was stuck in traditional Western ideas of performance and recovery, and anything “alternative” was unrealistic or unproven. I needed evidence. And that’s exactly what I got.
Functional breathing and Conscious Connected Breathwork has completely changed how I feel day to day; I feel younger, lighter, and far less achy than I did at 28. My body moves and functions smoothly. My stress response is more fluid and I return to calm much quicker. I feel in tune with my body, not fighting against myself.
Reiki was one I resisted A LOT… until I walked out of a session with no knee pain. That moment made me curious, and that led me into learning about the nervous system, fascia, metaphysics, and the energetics of the body that Western ideaology often overlook or dismiss. The more I explored and learnt, the more evidence I experienced and witnessed, in my own healing and in others I have worked with and around.
I share these modalities because they create real change, they aren’t just putting a band aid on the problem. They help you feel better in your body, your mind, and your emotional wellbeing. This is where breath, energy, and science link up, and where change becomes something you can actually feel and experience.
Breathing is much more complex than just taking in oxygen and exhaling CO2. The way we breathe can affect our stress levels, our emotional state, our posture, digestion, detoxification, flexibility and our sporting performance, especially when we are under pressure. Functional breathing is something that is not only beneficial for athletes, but anyone in high performing roles.
We breathe without thinking, the process is unconscious but learning the correct breathing techniques can change so much in your sporting performance and in life in general. Overbreathing and shallow breathing can cause faster fatiguing, make your body produce lactic acid faster, and trigger stress responses. In pressure moments, it can mean the difference between reacting in stress or responding with control. Learning to breathe functionally is a way to improve your energy and focus, stay calm under pressure, and reach levels of performance that once felt out of reach.
Functional breathing techniques help you:
Keep composed under pressure
Optimise oxygen delivery & recovery
Support blood biochemistry
Improve mental focus
Regulate your nervous system
Functional breathing helps you to improve endurance, focus, and calm under pressure and fatigue, achieve physical goals that once felt unachievable, and remain in control; responding rather than reacting to the pressures of a game.
Functional Breathing for Performance
“This year I was privileged to work with Ellie learning about breath work and powerful techniques to help calm me when I’m on the netball court. Previously I struggled a lot with being tensed and nervous, especially when it came to fitness tests. Ellie taught me breathing techniques & exercises to practice at home and to do in moments where I felt tight in the chest and mind. I worked on it for months and saw a massive improvement on my performance. It played a big part in me hitting a PB in my yo-yo and playing netball at an international level. I learnt how to control my nerves on the court by putting my focus purely on my breathing. I am so grateful for Ellie’s work, which has improved my lifestyle and I will continue to use all the tools she has given me for the rest of my career”
Conscious Connected Breathwork
Your breath tells the truth about how safe you feel in your body. And we create our life from how we feel in our body.
It’s one of the simplest and most powerful tools we have to release stress and tension, creating more clarity, calm and confidence. Which is a much nicer place to be living from.
Conscious Connected Breathwork sessions are opportunities to uncover and release patterns, emotions, and stories that have been stored in the body for too long.
You may feel unsure about trying breathwork, but your body (being as intelligent as what it is) won’t let you move past the point of where you feel safe. You may feel release of stress or tension, or maybe a little bit of emotion. All is perfectly welcome and its really and amazing experience in a safe and supported environment. Ask your intuition whether Breathwork is right for you.
After breathwork you will feel:
Calmer, lower stress and more regulated nervous system
Clearer focus and more energy
Better emotional balance and calmer mind
A deeper connection to your body and intuition
The ability to hold yourself through life with more ease, confidence and presence
Breathwork brings you back into relationship with your body. Which is a hugely important relationship because it is what carries us through life. Having a more flexible nervous systemm, if you’ve previously been in stress mode (physical/mental/emotional stress) then this is a great way to teach your nervous system how to switch off “GO” mode, so it can actually do its job in healing and repairing your body.
Reiki Energy Healing
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice that works on the principle that life force energy flows through all living things. When this energy is balanced and flowing freely, the body, mind, and spirit are able to heal naturally. But when it becomes blocked or depleted (through stress, emotional pain, or physical trauma) we can experience physical tension, fatigue, or emotional & mental imbalance.
Reiki gently supports the body in returning to harmony. It’s a hands-on (or hands-off) healing technique that helps clear energetic stagnation, soothe the nervous system, and activate the body’s innate healing intelligence.
My Reiki Energy Healing sessions are about energy clearing and balancing. Reiki energy flows where it’s needed most, helping my move and release emotional density, regulate the nervous system, and reconnect with a sense of calm and lightness.