Catch Your Breath: Why Slowing Down Starts with Your Next Inhale

No crystals, no complicated routines. Just simple breathing practices from Breathwork Bruddah that help you reset, recharge, and reconnect wherever you are.

Life in London has a way of keeping people in motion. Between packed commutes, endless to-do lists, and the constant buzz of the city, slowing down can feel easier said than done. That's exactly why Breathwork Bruddah's approach resonates.

Forget the crystals and complicated wellness jargon. His classes are built around something we all do every day: breathe. Ahead of his upcoming series at The Nest at Treehouse London, we caught up with him to talk about making breathwork accessible, finding calm in a fast-moving world, and the simple techniques that can help you feel more present, whether you're exploring a new city or simply navigating everyday life.

Breathe Better with Danny Cunningham, Breathwork Practitioner 

You often say breathwork isn’t just for the wellness crowd. What made you want to create a space that feels welcoming to people who might never have considered it before?

I was one of those people. I wasn’t a "wellness person," and I would never have considered, or even really heard of, breathwork without my ex-girlfriend suggesting a class. Even when she did, my first reaction was to scrunch up my face and think, "Looks a bit naff. Why would I pay for something I do every day for free?" (I didn’t go to the class.)

Often, people don’t understand the benefits straight away, which means the class, the instructor, or the overall vibe has to carry the appeal. Once you’ve been, you feel and understand the hype, and most people come back.

I also think all the trauma-driven content and "you need this to heal" marketing detracts from both the phenomenal everyday benefits of weaving simple breathwork into your life and the awe-inspiring experiences you can have through upregulating practices like conscious connected breathwork, through which you can enter altered states of consciousness that form the nexus of my master’s dissertation.

I also feel the cost and lack of diversity can both price people out and further discourage engagement. If you don’t have a fancy gym or private members' club membership, you may never even come across these classes. There are also very few people of colour teaching in the breathwork space. I want my classes to feel approachable to everyone. People engage with spaces where they see themselves reflected, so for me it's important to create an environment that feels welcoming to those who haven't yet explored the practice, whatever their reason.

You describe your classes as "no tarot cards, no feathers, no crystals." Why was it important to strip breathwork back to its simplest form, and what do you hope people discover when they do?

The crystals, tarot cards, and family constellation stuff put off people who aren't hippies or particularly spiritual, and that's a real shame. Breathwork is a fantastic tool that every single person who's breathing can use to better manage stress and anxiety, shift their internal state, calm themselves down when they're panicking, spiraling, or losing control.

By improving your respiratory system, you open the door to living longer, reducing the incidence of illness and disease, becoming fitter, and so much more. All from a free tool we take for granted every day.

My aim is to remove barriers to entry, and I see many of the props associated with the more spiritual side of breathwork as one of those barriers. If you want to experience the spiritual side, I'd rather take you there with your breathing.

I also think the terminology used in the space can be confusing. Even some of the more "mainstream" practitioners use words and phrases that I have to look up. I was a trader for years. Trading is complicated, but it's made twice as complicated because it has its own language. Every concept you explain requires another explanation of the terminology you've just used.

For example:
"I trade derivatives."
"What's a derivative?"
"It's a financial contract, like an interest rate swap."
"What's that?"
"It's used to hedge risk."
"What's a hedge? What's risk?"

And so on.

Breathwork can feel a bit like that. Everything is "transcendental," "numinous," or "constellation aligned." Every word requires its own wellness dictionary, and for people already on the fence, it doesn't exactly invite them in.

I really want to cut through the noise. Real people can experience real benefits from incorporating breathing practices into their lives, but so many people, just like I once did, look at the space and decide it's not for them. If I can remove the same friction points that made me hesitate, I can introduce more people to practices that genuinely have the power to change their lives.

In a city like London, where life rarely slows down, what role do you think breathwork can play in helping people reconnect with themselves?

Whenever you're feeling stressed, hot and flustered on your commute, or like life's on fast forward and you're running on autopilot, breathwork can help. Most of these situations happen because our minds aren't aligned with where our bodies are. We're usually thinking ahead about everything we need to do, imagining scenarios that haven't happened yet, or replaying conversations and moments we've already experienced. Our minds are either living in the future or the past, while our bodies are simply carrying out the tasks right in front of us.

Breathwork brings your mind back to your body. It forces you to slow down and focus on something that's happening right now, which settles your nervous system and creates a real sense of calm. You can't worry about tomorrow's presentation while you're fully focused on your breathing. That shift allows your nervous system to move from fight or flight into rest and digest. You become more present, which also helps you think more clearly.

Life appears to slow down, but really it's because you're no longer trying to fast-forward or rewind your body to catch up with where your mind is. Think of it like watching a film. Everything moves too quickly in fast-forward or rewind, and you miss the story. Breathwork simply lets you watch the film you're already living.

I actually have a tattoo on my arm that says, "The journey is the film." Every time I look at it, it's like a switch flips. I start looking through my own eyes as though I'm watching a film, and it pulls me back into the life I'm actually living. I begin noticing the world around me.

There are lots of ways to become more present, and "be present" has become a bit of a buzz phrase lately. But I genuinely think breathwork is one of the best tools we have for achieving it. And it's a little less permanent than getting a tattoo.

Travel has a way of pulling us out of our routines. Is there a breathing practice you'd recommend for travelers, whether they're stepping off a long haul flight, settling into a new city, or simply looking to feel more present during their stay?

My all-time favorite breathing hack is called coherence breathing. It's incredibly simple. Put on a specific song on Spotify called 2 Bells – Coherence, set a five-minute timer, and breathe slowly for five minutes.

Breathe in through your nose on the higher chime and out through your nose on the lower chime. The practice helps lower cortisol, improves heart rate variability, which is a great indicator of overall health, and most importantly, it simply feels amazing. I teach it in every class, and I'll be sharing it throughout the series I'm running at The Nest.

I also like to take three intentional breaths whenever I'm standing in a queue while traveling, whether that's passport control, boarding a plane, or waiting for a bus. Then I do the same again as soon as I sit down.

Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth, making your exhale longer than your inhale. As you exhale, consciously relax your body. You'll notice your shoulders drop, your jaw unclench, and your hands stop gripping things for no reason.
Super easy. Super effective.

You were once sceptical of breathwork yourself. If someone reading this is thinking, "This isn't for me," what would you say to them?

You breathe roughly 23,000 times a day. Imagine if you could improve something you do that many times every single day by just a fraction of a percent. The compound benefits would be enormous, and the thing you're improving is essential to your survival.

It's simple, accessible, you can do it anywhere, and you don't need fancy equipment or special clothes. I'd ask anyone who's skeptical to write down exactly why they're skeptical.

For me, it was all the spiritual stuff. I didn't resonate with the people teaching it, and I didn't see myself reflected in the space. I flat-out refused to go to the class my ex-girlfriend suggested, and I was even reluctant to attend teacher training in South Africa. My options were either travel alone for a month while she trained or go and learn something I thought was a bit naff. In my defence, I think we all naturally gravitate towards places where we see people like ourselves.

Whatever your reason, there will be a teacher out there you connect with. Find them and give a class a try. I genuinely believe everyone should experience both sides of breathwork: the calming, grounding practices that help you navigate everyday life, and the more up-regulating practices that can lead to truly extraordinary altered states of consciousness.

Your Invitation to Pause

Whether you're looking to reset after a busy week, reconnect with yourself, or simply try something new, Breathwork Bruddah's sessions at The Nest offer an approachable introduction to the practice. Alongside breathwork, Treehouse London hosts a rotating lineup of wellness experiences designed to help you move, unwind, and feel your best, whatever brings you to the city. Discover what's coming up and find the experience that's right for you.