Breathwork
Breathwork involves controlled breathing techniques to improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This practice helps increase oxygen flow, reduce stress, and enhance overall health by leveraging the power of the breath to influence the body’s physiological state.
Danny Benz is a certified SOMA Breath® instructor dedicated to helping individuals find calm, clarity, and deeper connection through the power of intentional breathing. With a grounding presence and a gentle, welcoming approach, Danny guides students through rhythmical breathwork, meditation, and music-led journeys designed to reduce stress, balance the nervous system, and support emotional well-being. His classes create a safe, supportive space for all experience levels to unwind, reconnect, and experience meaningful transformation from within.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University and spent six years working in orthopedics. While grounded in science and the physical body, Michelle felt called into her own healing journey, one that led her through a wide range of holistic modalities and ultimately to the profound, integrative power of breathwork.
Through years of personal practice and professional training, a deep devotion to this work emerged. Michelle creates safe, intentional spaces where individuals can reconnect with their innate wisdom, gently release stored emotion, and restore coherence within the body and nervous system.
Her work is rooted in the belief that healing is not about fixing what’s broken, but about remembering what’s already whole.
Benefits of Breathwork
- Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Controlled breathing techniques can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety levels (Jerath et al., 2006).
- Increases Energy Levels and Mental Clarity: Breathwork can enhance oxygen delivery to the brain and body, boosting energy and mental clarity (Saoji et al., 2019).
- Improves Emotional Resilience and Balance: Regular breathwork practice helps individuals manage emotions more effectively, leading to greater emotional resilience and balance (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005).
- Enhances Lung Capacity and Respiratory Function: Breathwork exercises can improve lung capacity and overall respiratory function, benefiting physical performance and endurance (Kuppusamy et al., 2017).
- Promotes Relaxation and Better Sleep: By reducing stress and anxiety, breathwork can help individuals relax and improve their sleep quality (Donesky et al., 2014).
Research References
- Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566-571.
- Saoji, A. A., Raghavendra, B. R., & Manjunath, N. K. (2019). Effects of yogic breath regulation: A narrative review of scientific evidence. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 10(1), 50-58.
- Brown, R. P., & Gerbarg, P. L. (2005). Sudarshan Kriya Yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression: Part I—neurophysiologic model. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11(1), 189-201.
- Kuppusamy, M., Kamaldeen, D., Pitani, R., Amaldas, J., & Shanmugam, V. P. (2017). Effects of Bhramari pranayama on health–a systematic review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 8(1), 11-16.
- Donesky, D., Selman, L., McDermott, K., & Citron, T. (2014). A breathing intervention for patients with advanced COPD: A case series. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 16(6), 400-405.