Recover Your Soul Practices: Breath Practice for Anxiety, Stress, and Overwhelm

Recover Your Soul Practices: Breath Practice for Anxiety, Stress, and Overwhelm

What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This short, practice-focused episode of *Recover Your Soul* zooms in on one deceptively simple tool: breathing. Rev. Rachel Harrison shares how conscious breath can become a go-to support for anxiety, stress and those “I’m about to lose it” moments many people face in sobriety and everyday life.

Speaking from her own recovery journey from alcoholism, codependency and control addiction, she explains that breath is “everything… life… prana”, and reminds listeners that, “You have your breath with you always, no matter where you go, you have your breath.” Instead of offering complex breathwork protocols, she stays practical and down-to-earth, focusing on what you can do in real time when you’re triggered, overwhelmed or stuck in racing thoughts.

You’ll hear her break down the difference between shallow chest breathing and deeper diaphragm breathing, linking it to the solar plexus and nervous system. She mentions simple approaches like rhythmic breathing and box breathing (counting in, holding, out and pausing) as ways to step out of the anxious mind and come back to the present moment.

Rachel shares everyday examples—like staying calm while her partner is frustrated with technology or hunting for lost gear—to show how breath can help you remain grounded without absorbing someone else’s chaos. Over time, she explains, one intentional deep breath can become a trained signal to the body that “all is well”, even when life feels anything but.

This episode is especially suited to people in recovery, those dealing with codependency, or anyone who wants a spiritual yet practical way to handle stress without reaching for old habits. Fancy trying one simple breath instead of spiralling into worry next time things kick off?