Decoding The Breath’s Language
Written by our founder Remington Steele, Expert Breath Coach & Intuitive Holistic Wellness Coach
Remington Steele is a holistic breathwork and mindfulness coach, doula, and speaker dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with themselves through the power of breath, emotional literacy, and community healing. For the Full article read; Decoding The Breath’s Language in Brainz Magazine
Did you know that our breath has its own language?
Did you know that our breath has a direct line of communication with the brain—one that quite literally shapes how we feel, think, and respond to life? When we inhale, sensory receptors in our nose and lungs send signals through the vagus nerve and brainstem to areas of the brain like the amygdala (which processes emotion), the hippocampus (linked to memory), and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and self-regulation). This intricate feedback loop means every breath we take is not just a physical act—it’s a neurological event that influences our mental and emotional state.
Studies in neuroscience similar to Pennsylvania State University show that slow, intentional breathing—especially prolonged exhales—can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and activate the body’s natural "rest-and-digest" mode. Conversely, rapid or shallow breathing can signal danger to the brain, activating the sympathetic nervous system and triggering a fight-or-flight response, even when no real threat exists. This means our breath doesn’t just reflect how we feel—it actually helps determine how we feel and how we react.
Did You Know That Our Breath Has Its Own Language? And It Communicates To Our Bodies How To React.
Our breath has a distinct language when inhaled, that sends a message to our brains communicating to our bodies what to think, how to feel, and how to react. Learning to interpret and consciously guide this internal language can lead to profound improvements in stress management, emotional balance, and overall well-being.
How unconscious breathing could be harming you and those you love
Most people breathe without ever thinking about it—but unconscious, dysfunctional breathing patterns like chronic mouth breathing, shallow chest breathing, and erratic breath-holding can have serious long-term consequences on our health and relationships. Medically, habitual mouth breathing has been linked to poor oxygen exchange, disrupted sleep, and facial development.Warnings there may be issues in children and infants—include increased risk of snoring, airway obstruction, and even behavioral concerns like ADHD. In adults, poor breathing mechanics contribute to high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, and immune dysfunction. When our breath is unregulated, so is our nervous system—and this imbalance can quietly take a toll on nearly every organ in the body.
However, the effects aren’t just physical—they ripple into our emotional and relational lives. Unconscious breathing often mirrors inner chaos: rapid, shallow breaths during anxiety or held breath in anger or fear. These invisible cues affect not just us, but the people around us. When we’re dysregulated, we’re more reactive, less empathetic, and prone to misreading others’ emotions or intentions. As explained in studies such as Understanding respiratory-brain coupling, which explains how emotional duress creates communication that becomes strained. We may lash out, withdraw, or misinterpret tone and body language—all because the body is stuck in a state of survival, driven by unconscious breathing patterns we’ve never learned to rewire.
Learning to breathe consciously isn’t just about improving your health—it’s about learning how to listen, connect, and exist in relationships with more presence and understanding. The language of breath is universal, and when we bring awareness to it, we gain more control over our body, our emotions, and how we show up for others.
How to correct unconscious breathing?
Correcting unconscious breathing begins with building awareness—learning to notice how you breathe throughout the day, especially in moments of stress, distraction, or emotional tension. The first step is shifting from shallow chest breathing to slow, deep, diaphragmatic breathing, which helps regulate the nervous system, increase oxygen flow, and bring the body out of fight-or-flight mode. Techniques like nasal breathing, posture correction, and rhythmic breath patterns can retrain your body to default to a more natural and healing breath state. One of the most effective ways to support this shift is through meditation. When practiced consistently, meditation offers a space to observe the breath without judgment, gently guiding it into a slower, more intentional rhythm that aligns the body and mind in real time.
Using meditation to strengthen your breath
Using meditation to strengthen your breath is a powerful practice that combines mindfulness with intentional breathing to enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being. When we meditate with a focus on the breath, we begin to train our bodies to return to a natural rhythm—steady, deep, and nourishing. This allows the diaphragm to engage more fully, strengthens the lungs, improves oxygen intake, and helps regulate the nervous system. Over time, meditation increases breath awareness, allowing you to recognize and shift unconscious breathing patterns that contribute to anxiety, fatigue, or shallow respiration.
Tools that support breath strengthening through meditation include breath-counting (such as inhaling for 4 counts, exhaling for 6), visualization (imagining breath moving through the body), and body scans to bring awareness to where tension may be limiting breath. Practices like box breathing or alternate nostril breathing also help create balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. By meditating with your breath, you not only improve your respiratory health—you cultivate a sense of control and presence that positively influences every area of your life.
Not only does anchoring to the breath in meditation strengthen your breathing, it also strengthens your mental and physical health. Over the years research has continued to prove that the Effects of breathwork on stress and mental health are overwhelmingly related and physical health is ultimately a ripple effect of mental health overtime.
The difference between most breathwork classes and “breath coaching”
Most breathwork classes focus on guiding participants through specific breathing patterns to release stress, boost energy, or induce altered states of consciousness. While these sessions can be powerful, they are often one-size-fits-all experiences. In contrast, breath coaching is highly personalized and therapeutic—designed to assess and guide the individual based on their unique breath patterns, emotional history, and physical holding patterns. Breath coaching goes beyond simply practicing breath techniques; it’s about understanding the why behind your breathing habits and gently correcting them through education, awareness, and tailored support.
As a breath coach, I use this practice to help people heal deep-rooted generational wounds and trauma held in the body. By observing how someone breathes—whether it’s shallow, held, uneven, or collapsed—I can pinpoint emotional and physical restrictions that may be rooted in past experiences. I then guide clients through a blend of intuitive yoga, meditation, sound healing, yoga Nidra, stretching, and intentional stillness. This combination not only expands lung capacity and brings the nervous system into balance—it also unlocks stored emotions, rewires unconscious habits, and helps people reconnect with themselves at a foundational level. Breath coaching is not just a technique—it’s a journey back to wholeness.
Understanding breath’s language
Understanding the language of breath begins with recognizing that every emotion we experience is paired with a distinct breathing pattern. Whether we're aware of it or not, our breath shifts to mirror our internal state—becoming shallow in fear, tight in grief, or rapid in anxiety. These automatic responses aren’t random; they are built-in biological cues that prepare the body to react, protect, or adapt. Once we become conscious of these patterns, we can begin to interrupt automatic responses and choose how we breathe—therefore choosing how we respond to life. To explore just a few of the different breaths we breathe regularly read the full article at https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/decoding-the-breath-s-language.
