Written by Fern Williams
In our latest Scarlet Moment, we spoke with Jamie Clements, breathwork coach, founder of The Breath Space, and advocate for mental well-being. Jamie shares his journey from battling anxiety to discovering the transformative power of breathwork, offering insights into how conscious breathing can enhance our daily lives.
It was wonderful to have you stay with us recently at the Scarlet. What led you to become a breathwork coach?
"I discovered breathwork in my early 20s, at a point in my life where I desperately needed it. I'd been struggling with my mental health for a number of years, in particular with anxiety and panic attacks and I found breathwork when I was at a particularly dark point.
Over the course of the next two years, it would be fair to say breathwork changed my life and led me into a much better place. From there, I felt called to share this work with others and feel incredibly grateful to get to do so."
For those not familiar, could you briefly describe the power of breathwork and its benefits for the body?
"The breath, in my opinion, is the most accessible and powerful tool we have to improve our wellbeing.
In my work I like to break breathwork down into three core areas. Functional breathing, nervous system regulation and conscious connected breathing - they all serve different purposes and can be incredibly impactful in their own right.
Functional breathing can support us day to day in supporting ourselves in breathing in a more optimal way for physical and mental health. The same can be said for breathwork for nervous system regulation in providing simple tools and techniques to manage stress, energy, sleep and much more. At the deep end of the spectrum, conscious connected breathing can give us access to altered states of consciousness for healing, introspection and ultimately helps us move towards wholeness and reconnect to our authentic selves."
Can you share any other top tips for prioritising your well-being?
"I'm a big advocate of a less is more approach to wellbeing.
Basics before bio hacks and focusing on making sure that my wellbeing practices enable me to live fully, rather than being restrictive and getting in the way of my life.
Nailing the basics, like sleep, nutrition and exercise, alongside a regular meditation and breathwork practice is what I would advocate for."
Can you please share three words to describe how you felt before & after your stay at Scarlet?
"Before: London-y, uptight, tired
After: Tranquil, creative, clear"
Lastly, what did you enjoy most about your stay at Scarlet?
"I'll never get tired of waking up to that view, ever."
