News + Reviews
Monday, June 15, 2026
Posted in Blog
How to choose a breathwork practitioner
By Alan Dolan, Founder of Breathguru® • 23 years of breathwork experience
Breathwork has entered the mainstream. What was once a niche practice known only to a small community of dedicated explorers is now widely discussed — in newspapers, on podcasts, in gyms and wellness studios across the country. That is genuinely wonderful. The more people who discover the power of the Breath, the better.
But the growth of breathwork has also brought a proliferation of practitioners — and not all of them are equal. A quick search will reveal hundreds of people offering breathwork sessions, from experienced facilitators with decades of practice to weekend-trained coaches who have completed a short online course. For someone new to breathwork, navigating this landscape can feel overwhelming.
So how do you choose? Having spent 23 years in this field, I want to offer you an honest guide — not to promote myself, but because I believe the quality of your practitioner genuinely determines the quality of your experience. And your experience matters.
1. Look for genuine experience — years, not certificates
Breathwork is a practice that deepens with time. A practitioner who has been working with the Breath for fifteen or twenty years has sat with thousands of people across an enormous range of life situations, emotional states, and challenges. They have learned, through direct experience, how to hold space for someone who is in deep emotional release. How to recognise when to step forward and when to step back. How to work with what arises rather than simply following a script.
This cannot be learned on a weekend course. It cannot be learned in a year. Certificates matter — but they are the beginning of a practitioner’s education, not the end of it. When choosing a breathwork practitioner, ask how long they have been practising, how many people they have worked with, and what their own journey with the Breath has been. The answers will tell you a great deal.
2. Check their qualifications and professional memberships
While experience is the most important factor, formal qualifications and professional memberships provide an important baseline assurance. Look for practitioners who are:
- Trained in Conscious Connected Breathwork specifically — not simply in functional breathing techniques
- Members of a recognised professional body such as the International Breathwork Foundation (IBF) or the Breathwork Alliance
- Committed to ongoing professional development and supervision
A practitioner who is accountable to a professional body is one who has agreed to uphold ethical standards and best practice. This matters, particularly for a practice that can reach deep emotional and psychological material.
3. Read their testimonials — and look beyond the star ratings
Testimonials are one of the most reliable guides to a practitioner’s quality. But not all testimonials are equal. Look for testimonials that are specific — that describe what the person was struggling with before they came, what happened during the session or retreat, and what changed for them afterwards. Vague testimonials that simply say “great session, highly recommend” tell you relatively little.
Also pay attention to who is leaving the testimonials. A testimonial from someone well-known — a public figure, a professional in a relevant field — carries more weight than an anonymous review, not because ordinary people’s experiences matter less, but because well-known people are unlikely to put their name to something they do not genuinely believe in.
4. Look for press coverage and independent validation
Has the practitioner been featured in reputable press? Have journalists — who are paid to be sceptical — written about their work approvingly? Has their practice been cited in the context of broader conversations about health, wellbeing, and mental health?
Independent validation of this kind is meaningful. It suggests that the practitioner’s work has been scrutinised by people with no commercial interest in promoting it, and found to be genuinely valuable.
Look for coverage in publications with editorial standards — national newspapers, established magazines, reputable health and wellbeing titles. A practitioner who has been written about in The Guardian, Forbes, The Times, and The Telegraph has had their work tested against a standard of scrutiny that self-promotion cannot replicate.
5. Assess the quality of the relationship before you commit
A good breathwork practitioner will want to have a conversation with you before your first session. They will want to understand your history, your current situation, what brings you to breathwork, and whether there are any contraindications that need to be considered. They will answer your questions openly and honestly. They will not pressure you into booking.
Pay attention to how you feel in this initial contact. Do you feel heard? Do you feel safe? Does this person seem genuinely interested in you, or are they simply processing you as a booking? The breathwork space requires trust. That trust begins before the session starts.
6. Consider the setting
Where and how a practitioner works matters. A one-to-one session in a calm, private, well-prepared space is a very different experience from a group session in a busy studio. Neither is inherently better — but for someone new to breathwork, or for someone working with significant emotional material, the intimacy and containment of a one-to-one setting is usually preferable.
For those seeking a deeper and more transformative experience, a residential retreat — where you remove yourself entirely from your ordinary environment and dedicate several days exclusively to the Breath — produces results that a single session, however powerful, cannot replicate. The setting itself becomes part of the healing.
7. Trust your instincts
Finally — and this may be the most important thing I can tell you — trust your instincts. Breathwork is an intimate practice. You will be lying down, eyes closed, in a vulnerable state, with this person holding the space for you. You need to feel safe with them. You need to feel that they are present, skilled, and genuinely committed to your wellbeing.
If something feels off — if a practitioner seems more interested in their own story than yours, if they make promises that sound too absolute, if the initial contact feels rushed or transactional — listen to that feeling. Your instincts in this area are worth honouring.
A note on online sessions
Online breathwork has become increasingly common and, in the hands of an experienced practitioner, can be genuinely effective. A 2026 randomised controlled trial found that online Conscious Connected Breathwork produced large reductions in anxiety symptoms — comparable to in-person results. If geography or schedule makes in-person sessions difficult, online sessions with a skilled practitioner are a genuinely viable option.
In summary: what to look for
- Significant experience — ideally ten years or more, with a large number of clients
- Formal training in Conscious Connected Breathwork specifically
- Membership of a recognised professional body
- Specific, credible testimonials from real people
- Independent press coverage in reputable publications
- A genuine, unhurried initial conversation before you commit
- A setting that feels safe, private, and properly prepared
- And above all — someone you instinctively trust
The right practitioner can make the difference between a pleasant experience and a genuinely life-changing one. Take the time to choose well. The Breath deserves it — and so do you.
About Alan Dolan
Alan Dolan is the founder of Breathguru® and one of the world’s most experienced Conscious Connected Breathing practitioners, with 23 years of practice and thousands of clients across the globe. He has been featured in The Guardian, Forbes, The Times, and The Telegraph, and is a member of the International Breathwork Foundation. He offers one-to-one sessions in London and online, group workshops, a practitioner training programme, and residential retreats at his home in Lanzarote.
Visit breathguru.com to find out more.
Monday, June 15, 2026
Posted in Blog
What to expect on a breathwork retreat in Lanzarote
By Alan Dolan, Founder of Breathguru® • Retreat host, Lanzarote
There is a moment that happens on almost every retreat I run — usually around day two or three — when something visibly shifts in a guest. The tension they arrived with, the tightness around the eyes, the slightly braced quality that so many of us carry without realising it — it begins to dissolve. They breathe differently. They hold themselves differently. They look, quite simply, more like themselves.
This is what a breathwork retreat in Lanzarote does. But if you are considering coming, you probably want to know a little more than that. What actually happens? What will a typical day look like? Will it be uncomfortable? Will it be worth it?
Here is an honest account of what you can expect.
Why Lanzarote?
Lanzarote is not a typical holiday island. It has 352 dormant volcanoes, an extraordinary landscape of black lava fields, white-washed villages, and sweeping Atlantic coastline. The light is different here. The air is clean, warm, and still. The island sits just 60 miles off the coast of Africa, which gives it a mild climate year-round — meaning a retreat here works beautifully in February just as much as it does in July.
I have been based here for years, and I chose this place deliberately. The environment matters enormously to the quality of breathwork. When you remove yourself from the noise and demands of your ordinary life — the commute, the emails, the constant pull of obligations — and place yourself in a setting of genuine beauty and stillness, the breath can go deeper. The results multiply exponentially. I have seen it happen hundreds of times.
My retreat is located in the village of Yaiza, close to the breathtaking Timanfaya Volcanic National Park — a place of extraordinary natural power and stillness that feels a world away from the chaos of modern life. Guests come from across the UK, Europe, and beyond.
What does a typical day look like?
Every retreat is tailored to the individual, but here is a sense of the rhythm that most guests experience:
Morning
The day begins gently. There is time to ease into the morning — to have breakfast, sit in the garden, watch the light change over the volcanic landscape. There is no pressure, no itinerary to race through. The pace of a retreat is intentionally slow, because slowing down is itself part of the process.
Breathwork session
Each day includes at least one one-to-one breathwork session with me. These are the heart of the retreat. You lie down comfortably, close your eyes, and we begin. I guide you through the Conscious Connected Breathing pattern — a circular, continuous breath that gradually builds in depth and intensity. Music plays. I am with you throughout, offering support, guidance, and presence as the experience unfolds.
Sessions typically last between 60 and 90 minutes. No two sessions are the same — because no two days are the same, and the Breath responds to where you are right now. Some sessions are deeply emotional. Some are physical — you may feel tingling, warmth, or energy moving through the body. Some are peaceful and expansive. All of them are valuable.
Integration
After each session, we take time to sit together and talk — to process what came up, to understand what shifted, and to give it meaning in the context of your life. This integration time is as important as the breathwork itself. The Breath surfaces material; integration helps you work with it.
Bodywork with Matthieu
One of the things that makes a Breathguru® retreat truly exceptional is the presence of Matthieu, our gifted massage therapist and bodyworker. Every guest receives one bodywork session with Matthieu as part of their retreat package — included in the price, with no extras to think about.
Breathwork and bodywork are natural partners. The breath releases what is held in the body; bodywork helps to integrate that release at a physical level, softening tissue, restoring flow, and grounding the nervous system. Matthieu’s work is deeply skilled and profoundly restorative, and many guests tell us that their session with him was among the most powerful experiences of the entire retreat.
It will perhaps come as no surprise that the vast majority of guests who experience their complimentary session choose to book additional sessions with Matthieu — many returning daily, or as frequently as their schedule allows. Additional sessions are available to book during the retreat at a supplement. We recommend leaving your options open and seeing how you feel after the first session.
The rest of the day
The remainder of the day is yours. Some guests walk in the volcanic landscape surrounding Yaiza, or explore the dramatic terrain of the nearby Timanfaya Volcanic National Park. Some visit the beach. Some simply rest, read, or sleep. The island has a quality of restorative stillness that guests consistently comment on. For those who want to explore further, Lanzarote’s architecture, food, and natural wonders are extraordinary — the island was deeply shaped by the artist and architect César Manrique and has a visual beauty unlike anywhere else in the Canary Islands.
Many guests tell me they sleep more deeply during a retreat than they have in years. The combination of the breathwork, Matthieu’s bodywork, the stillness of Yaiza, and the extraordinary landscape creates the conditions for a quality of rest that most of us have forgotten is even possible.
What is included?
A Breathguru® retreat is fully inclusive. From a four-night stay, everything is taken care of so that your only job is to breathe and be present. This includes:
- Accommodation at the retreat in Yaiza, near Timanfaya Volcanic National Park
- Airport transfer to and from Lanzarote Airport
- All meals, freshly prepared
- One-to-one breathwork session with Alan each day
- One bodywork session with Matthieu, our massage therapist and bodyworker
- Integration conversations throughout
Additional bodywork sessions with Matthieu are available to book during your stay at a supplement.
Retreats are intentionally small and intimate. This is not a group programme — it is a deeply personal experience, tailored to you.
Who comes on a breathwork retreat?
The guests who come to Lanzarote are as varied as the reasons that bring them. Some are at a crossroads in their lives — facing a major decision, recovering from a difficult period, feeling the need for something to shift. Some are dealing with grief, anxiety, or burnout. Some come simply because they have heard about the retreat and feel drawn to it, even if they cannot quite explain why.
What they have in common is a willingness to be open — to give the Breath the chance to do what it does. You do not need prior experience of breathwork. You do not need to be spiritual or particularly wellness-oriented. You simply need to be ready to show up and breathe.
Is it the right retreat for me?
A Breathguru® retreat is not a yoga holiday or a spa break, though it shares with those experiences a deep commitment to your wellbeing. It is a genuine working retreat — one that asks something of you, and gives back considerably more.
If you are looking for something that will genuinely change how you feel — not just for the duration of the holiday, but afterwards, in your life — then yes, this retreat is likely right for you.
Retreats are available throughout the year, with specific group retreat dates and year-round individual stays. Spaces are limited, and many retreats fill well in advance.
If you would like to find out more or discuss whether this retreat is right for you, please get in touch at info@breathguru.com. I look forward to welcoming you to Lanzarote.
Alan Dolan is the founder of Breathguru® and host of the Breathguru® Retreats in Lanzarote. He has been featured in Forbes, The Guardian, The Times, and The Telegraph. Visit breathguru.com for dates and availability.
Monday, June 15, 2026
Posted in Blog
Breathwork for anxiety: does it really work?
By Alan Dolan, Founder of Breathguru® • 23 years of breathwork experience
Anxiety is one of the most common and debilitating experiences in modern life. According to the World Health Organisation, anxiety disorders affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In the UK alone, anxiety is the most frequently reported mental health condition. And yet, for many people, the treatments on offer — medication, CBT, talk therapy — only go so far.
Over the past few years, breathwork has emerged as one of the most promising complementary approaches to anxiety. But does it actually work? And if so, how?
As someone who has been working with the Breath for 23 years, and who has sat with thousands of anxious clients, I want to give you an honest and grounded answer.
What the science says
The research on breathwork and anxiety has grown substantially in recent years, and the findings are striking.
A 2026 randomised controlled trial — the first of its kind for online Conscious Connected Breathwork — found that a six-week programme produced large reductions in anxiety symptoms, with participants showing significantly lower scores compared to a waitlist control group. A major meta-analysis published in Scientific Reports, drawing on multiple randomised controlled trials, found significant reductions in self-reported anxiety, stress and depression among people who practised breathwork.
A 2026 clinical trial published in the journal Stress and Health found that breathwork significantly reduced anxiety, depression and stress scores, with medium to large effect sizes. A review published in Brain Sciences concluded that a range of breathwork interventions produced significant improvements in anxiety symptoms in people with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders.
The science, in other words, is catching up with what practitioners have known for decades: controlled, conscious breathing has a measurable, meaningful impact on anxiety.
Why does breathwork help anxiety?
To understand why breathwork helps, it helps to understand what anxiety actually is at a physiological level.
Anxiety is, at its core, a stress response. When the brain perceives a threat — real or imagined — it activates the sympathetic nervous system: heart rate increases, breathing becomes shallow and rapid, cortisol floods the body. This is the fight-or-flight response, and it evolved to keep us safe from predators. The problem is that in modern life, it gets triggered constantly — by work pressure, by relationships, by the news — and many people are living in a near-permanent state of low-grade activation.
Breathwork works directly on this system. Conscious, connected breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the rest-and-digest response — and signals to the brain that it is safe. Heart rate slows. Cortisol drops. The body literally shifts out of threat mode.
But Conscious Connected Breathing goes further than this. Because it works at a deeper level than simply calming the nervous system in the moment — it reaches the stored emotional material that often underlies chronic anxiety.
Anxiety lives in the body, not just the mind
This is something that talk therapy often struggles to reach. You can understand, intellectually, that your anxiety is irrational. You can identify its triggers, challenge your thought patterns, develop coping strategies. And all of that has value. But the anxiety is still there — because it is not just a thought. It is a felt sensation in the body. A tightening in the chest. A knot in the stomach. A background hum of dread that no amount of reasoning seems to switch off.
Conscious Connected Breathing works somatically — through the body. It creates the conditions for stored tension, fear, and unprocessed emotion to rise to the surface and be released. Not talked about. Released. Many of my clients describe a moment during a session when they feel something shift — physically, in their body — and afterwards, the anxiety that had been with them for years simply is not there in the same way.
What my clients tell me
Over 23 years, I have worked with people carrying every kind of anxiety imaginable. Social anxiety. Health anxiety. Generalised anxiety disorder. Panic attacks. Post-traumatic stress. Performance anxiety. Many of them have come to me having already tried therapy, medication, meditation, and much else besides.
What they consistently tell me after working with the Breath is not just that they feel calmer. It is that they feel different. That something has shifted at a level they cannot quite explain but can absolutely feel. That the anxiety, while it may not be entirely gone, no longer has the same grip on them. That they feel more like themselves than they have in years.
Some people experience this shift in a single session. For others it comes gradually over a series of sessions. Everyone is different, and I always work with clients as individuals, not as a category.
Is breathwork for anxiety right for you?
Breathwork is not a magic cure, and I would never present it as one. It is a powerful practice that, when approached with the right guidance and the right intention, can produce results that many people find remarkable. But it works best as part of a broader approach to wellbeing, and it is not a replacement for professional mental health support where that is needed.
There are some contraindications — including certain cardiovascular and respiratory conditions — and I always discuss these carefully with new clients before we begin.
What I can say is this: if you are living with anxiety and you feel you have not yet found something that truly reaches it, the Breath may be worth exploring. The worst that can happen is that you leave a session feeling calmer than when you arrived. The best that can happen is that something fundamental shifts.
How to get started
The most effective way to experience the benefits of breathwork for anxiety is through a one-to-one session — either in person in London or online via Zoom. A single session is 60 minutes online or 80 minutes in person, and many people find even one session produces noticeable results.
For those who want to go deeper, my residential retreats in Lanzarote offer daily one-to-one breathwork sessions in one of the world’s most beautiful and restorative environments. Removing yourself from the demands of daily life and dedicating time exclusively to the Breath produces results that are, in my experience, unlike anything else.
The Breath is always with you. The question is whether you are ready to use it.
Alan Dolan is the founder of Breathguru® and one of the world’s leading Conscious Connected Breathing practitioners. He offers 1-1 sessions in London and online, workshops, and residential retreats in Lanzarote. Visit breathguru.com to find out more.
Friday, June 12, 2026
Posted in Blog
What is Conscious Connected Breathing — and what does it do?
By Alan Dolan, Founder of Breathguru® • 23 years of breathwork experience
We breathe around 20,000 times a day. For most of us, almost every single one of those breaths happens without a second thought. Yet the breath is one of the most powerful tools we have for changing how we feel — physically, emotionally, and mentally. The question is: are you using it?
Conscious Connected Breathing is a specific technique that transforms an involuntary act into a deliberate, healing practice. It is the foundation of everything we do at Breathguru®, and after 23 years of working with thousands of people across the world, I can say with certainty: it is one of the most profound experiences available to a human being.
Here is what it is, how it works, and what you can expect from it.
So what exactly is Conscious Connected Breathing?
Conscious Connected Breathing (sometimes called Conscious Connected Breathwork or CCB) is a breathing technique in which you intentionally connect each inhale to each exhale without any pause between them. The breath flows in a continuous, circular rhythm — in, out, in, out — with no gaps, no holds, and no effort to control or manipulate the breath beyond that simple connection.
It sounds simple. And in one sense, it is. But the effects can be extraordinary.
By breathing in this sustained, conscious way — typically for 45 to 90 minutes in a session — you flood the body with oxygen and energy. This shifts your biochemistry, your nervous system, and your state of consciousness in ways that can feel both physical and deeply emotional. Old tension stored in the body begins to release. Suppressed feelings rise to the surface and are processed. Many people describe a profound sense of clarity, peace, or even joy afterwards — as though a weight they had been carrying for years has simply gone.
How is it different from other breathing techniques?
There are many breathing techniques available today — box breathing, the Wim Hof method, pranayama, diaphragmatic breathing. All of them have value. But Conscious Connected Breathing occupies a unique space.
Most breathing techniques work at the level of the nervous system — they calm you down, energise you, or help you focus. Conscious Connected Breathing does all of that, but it also works at a deeper level: the emotional and psychological. It is one of the few practices capable of reaching and releasing trauma, grief, anger, and fear that has been stored in the body, sometimes for decades.
The other key difference is that it is a practitioner-led experience. You do not practise Conscious Connected Breathing alone with an app. You work with a trained facilitator who holds the space for you, guides you through the process, and ensures you are safe throughout. This matters enormously — the depth of the experience requires genuine skill and experience on the part of the person guiding you.
What are the benefits?
People come to Conscious Connected Breathing for many different reasons. Some are dealing with anxiety, stress, or depression. Some are processing grief or trauma. Some simply feel stuck — flat, disconnected, or unable to access the version of themselves they know is in there. Others come out of curiosity, or because a friend recommended it.
Whatever brings someone to the Breath, the benefits tend to cluster around a few key areas:
Emotional release and healing
Many people carry unprocessed emotions in their bodies for years — grief that was never fully felt, anger that was never expressed, fear that became a constant background hum. Conscious Connected Breathing creates the conditions for those emotions to surface safely and be released. People often describe crying deeply, laughing unexpectedly, or feeling waves of emotion move through them — followed by a lightness they have not felt in years.
Anxiety and stress relief
The evidence base for breathwork and anxiety is growing rapidly. A 2026 randomised controlled trial published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that a six-week programme of Conscious Connected Breathwork led to large reductions in anxiety symptoms. A meta-analysis published in Scientific Reports found significant reductions in stress, anxiety and depression across multiple trials. Many of my own clients come to me having tried therapy, medication, and other interventions — and find that the Breath reaches places that nothing else could.
Physical detoxification and energy
The sustained oxygenation of the body during a session has powerful physical effects. Many people report a tingling or vibration in the body during sessions — a sign that energy is moving. Afterwards, people commonly feel lighter, more energised, and more alive in their bodies than they have in years.
Clarity and perspective
One of the most consistent things people tell me after a session is that they can see their lives more clearly. Problems that felt overwhelming suddenly seem manageable. Decisions that felt impossible become obvious. There is a quality of mind that Conscious Connected Breathing produces that is very difficult to access any other way.
Spiritual connection
For many people — not all, but many — Conscious Connected Breathing opens a door to experiences they can only describe as spiritual: a feeling of deep connection, of love, of being part of something larger than themselves. I do not prescribe what someone should or should not experience. The Breath takes each person exactly where they need to go.
What does a session actually look like?
A session with me typically lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. We begin with a conversation — I want to understand where you are, what you are carrying, and what you are hoping for. We then move into the breathwork itself, with you lying down comfortably, eyes closed, music playing.
I guide you through the circular breathing pattern and stay with you throughout, offering support, encouragement, and gentle guidance as the experience unfolds. Afterwards, we take time to integrate — to talk about what came up, what shifted, and what it means for you.
Sessions are available one-to-one in London, online via Zoom, and as part of my residential retreats in Lanzarote, where the combination of the island’s extraordinary landscape and daily breathwork sessions creates results that multiply exponentially.
Is it safe?
Conscious Connected Breathing is a safe practice for the vast majority of people. There are some contraindications — including cardiovascular conditions, epilepsy, and certain respiratory conditions — and I always discuss these before working with a new client.
Working with an experienced, qualified practitioner is essential. The depth of the experience that Conscious Connected Breathing can produce means that the skill and presence of the person guiding you is not a nice-to-have — it is fundamental to the quality and safety of the session.
Where do I start?
The best place to start is a one-to-one session. Whether online or in person in London, a single session is enough to give you a genuine sense of what the Breath can do. Many people describe their first session as one of the most significant experiences of their lives.
I have been working with the Breath for 23 years. I have seen it change lives — including my own. I hope you will give it the chance to change yours.
Alan Dolan is the founder of Breathguru® and one of the world’s leading Conscious Connected Breathing practitioners. He offers 1-1 sessions in London and online, workshops, and residential retreats in Lanzarote. Visit breathguru.com to find out more.