Using Breathwork to Reconnect, Release and Reset

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We breathe thousands of times each day, usually without giving it much thought.

But what happens when we stop treating breathing as something that simply happens—and begin paying attention to it?

During the 2025 Metabolic Health Day Conference, Sachin Patel guided participants through an Elemental Rhythm breathwork experience designed to bring awareness to the breath, body and present moment.

His invitation at the beginning was simple: set an intention and surrender to the process.

The Breath as a Window

One of the central ideas Patel shared was that our breathing patterns can offer clues about what is happening within us.

A short, shallow breath feels very different from a slow, relaxed belly breath. Our breathing also changes naturally when we laugh, cry, sigh, exercise, become frightened or finally relax after a stressful day.

“The breath is a window into the nervous system,” Patel told participants.

Breathwork begins by noticing those patterns rather than allowing every breath to happen on autopilot.

That awareness can start with a surprisingly simple question:

How am I breathing right now?

Moving From Doing to Being

For many of us, stillness doesn't come naturally.

We are answering messages, caring for other people, working, planning, solving problems and thinking about whatever comes next. Even when our bodies stop moving, our minds often don't.

Patel offered an important distinction during the session: we are human beings, yet much of our lives can be spent doing or going.

Breath gives us a way back to the present.

It is always with us. We don't need special equipment to notice it. We simply have to pay attention.

That might mean taking a slower breath before responding during a difficult conversation. It might mean noticing that you're holding your breath when you're anxious. Or it could mean allowing yourself a few quiet minutes to breathe without accomplishing anything else.

Shake the Tree

Early in the experience, Patel offered participants an image: imagine shaking a tree.

Some things that fall are dead branches—things that have served their purpose and no longer need to be carried. Others are ripe fruit—the result of the work, growth and experiences that brought us to where we are today.

Breathwork became a way to explore both.

Participants moved and shook their bodies before progressing through several breathing patterns, breath holds and periods of slower breathing. Throughout the experience, Patel repeatedly brought them back to the intention they had established at the beginning.

When the mind wandered, the invitation wasn't to judge it.

It was simply to return.

Return to the breath.

Return to the intention.

Return to the present moment.

Try a Simple Breath Practice at Home

The Metabolic Health Day experience included several increasingly intense breathing patterns and breath holds under Patel's guidance. You don't need to recreate the entire session to begin becoming more intentional about your breath.

Instead, start with the slower breathing Patel introduced during the session:

1. Get comfortable.
Sit or lie down somewhere you can relax without being interrupted. Allow your shoulders, jaw and abdomen to soften.

2. Set an intention.
Before changing your breathing, ask yourself why you've stopped for these few minutes. Maybe you want to feel more present, create some space after a stressful day or simply notice what's happening in your body.

3. Notice your natural breath.
Don't immediately try to change anything. Notice where you feel your breath. Is it mostly in your chest? Your abdomen? Is it quick, slow, shallow or deep?

4. Slow the breath.
Patel suggested a comfortable rhythm of approximately four to six seconds breathing in and four to six seconds breathing out. Don't force yourself to fill your lungs as deeply as possible. Keep the breath comfortable and relaxed.

5. Let the belly move.
As you inhale, allow your abdomen to gently expand. As you exhale, allow it to soften again.

6. Return when your mind wanders.
It will. When you notice yourself thinking about dinner, tomorrow's schedule or something that happened earlier in the day, simply bring your attention back to your breath and your intention.

7. Finish slowly.
After several minutes, return to your normal breathing. Before getting up, notice what you observe—your breathing, thoughts, muscle tension or simply your awareness of the present moment.

Even a few minutes can become an opportunity to stop doing and simply be.

If you feel dizzy, uncomfortable or unwell, stop and return to normal breathing. More intensive breathwork involving rapid breathing or prolonged breath holds is best learned with appropriate guidance, particularly for people with medical conditions or during pregnancy.

Looking Back With Compassion

The breathwork eventually transitioned into a guided meditation.

From the imagined top of a mountain, participants were invited to look into a valley containing the experiences of their past—the successes, struggles, uncertainty, fear and everything in between.

Then they were asked to visit a younger version of themselves during a difficult moment.

The exercise centered on four messages:

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

I forgive you.

I love you.

It was an invitation to look at the person we once were not through the lens of what we know today, but with compassion for someone who was doing the best they could with what they knew at the time.

Then Look Forward

Participants were also asked to turn toward another valley—this one representing the future.

What would it look like to meet the version of yourself who has already reached the goal you're working toward?

Patel encouraged participants to picture that future self as healthy, happy, whole, purposeful and in service to others.

The point wasn't simply to visualize an accomplishment.

It was to consider who you might become along the way.

What would that version of you value?

How would that person show up for others?

What might you need to begin—or release—to move in that direction?

The Practice Continues After the Session

Perhaps the most practical message came after the formal exercise ended.

A facilitated breathwork experience may last an hour, but breathing continues long after we leave the room.

Patel encouraged participants—and the practitioners and advocates in the room—to pay attention to breathing outside a formal breathwork practice.

How are you breathing when you're stressed?

What happens to your breath during a difficult conversation?

Does it change when you feel safe? Angry? Overwhelmed? Joyful?

Can you deliberately slow down for a moment and reconnect with your body?

Those small moments of awareness can become opportunities to interrupt autopilot and return to the present.

Because wherever we go, whatever we're facing and whatever comes next, one thing comes with us.

Our breath.

And sometimes, the simplest place to begin is by noticing it.

About Sachin Patel

Sachin Patel is a father, husband, philanthropist, functional medicine practice success coach, speaker, author and breathwork facilitator. His philosophy is that “the doctor of the future is the patient,” and he has committed his work to helping people take a more active role in their health through lifestyle, self-awareness and breathwork.

Patel founded The Living Proof Institute, where he pioneered an approach to patient-centered healthcare. He also coaches practitioners around the world, helping them develop practices designed to deliver accessible and inspired care within their communities.

Through his work with patients and practitioners, Patel advocates for a healthcare paradigm that empowers individuals with the knowledge and tools to become more active participants in their own health.