Most of us breathe without thinking. Inhale, exhale, move on. We do it while crossing the street, scrolling our phones, talking over people at dinner. Breath sits in the background—necessary, constant, ignored.
But over the past years, something strange has started to happen. More people are lying down on mats in quiet rooms, or in city parks wearing headphones and eye masks, doing absolutely nothing but breathing. Not meditating. Not stretching. Just breathing, with intention, for a long time, often until something shifts.
This is breath work. It’s not new. But it’s having a moment; not because it’s trendy, but because it meets people where they actually are. Stressed. Flat. Fractured. Exhausted from the constant performance of being okay.
The idea is simple. Use structured breathing, different rhythms, tempos, depths, to regulate the nervous system, process emotion, and create space. It’s physical. It’s emotional. And it’s private. You don’t need to talk about your feelings. You don’t need to understand what’s happening. You just breathe and see what comes up.
In Barcelona, a group called Breaze has been drawing people in quietly. No big social media campaigns. No flashy branding. Just word of mouth. The founder, Björn Stubner, is a former ultra-runner who now guides people through breathwork in places that feel unpretentious and slightly raw.
Björn works with a wide range of international companies and luxury hotels, and is regularly booked by well-known personalities who trust him to help them breathe better, deeper, and more consciously. He offers several forms of breathwork, including Transformative Breathwork, Meditative Breathwork, Functional Breathing, and his method, Transformative Flow. He also leads retreats across Europe and provides a comprehensive Breathwork Facilitator Training for those looking to turn this practice into a professional path.
Björn distinguishes between two core approaches: functional breathing and transformative breathwork. As he explains: “Functional breathing is about improving the way we breathe in everyday life. It’s the foundation for physical and mental health, suitable for everyone. Most people breathe too fast, too shallow, or through the mouth. Functional breathwork trains us to breathe light, slow, and deep, mainly through the nose.”
“It helps increase CO₂ tolerance, regulate the nervous system, and build resilience. A small shift in breath can lead to a big shift in how we feel, think, and perform. Transformative breathwork, by contrast, is a guided inner journey. It goes beyond optimisation, into exploration. Using specific breathing patterns and immersive settings, participants access non-ordinary states of consciousness. This technique allows for emotional release, mental clarity, and reconnection with a deeper sense of self. People often describe it as reconnecting to a deeper truth within themselves, releasing what no longer serves them, and returning to a more authentic, embodied version of who they are.”
His sessions are different from most things you’ll find in the wellness world. There’s no pressure to achieve anything. You’re not being told to manifest or “clear your chakras”. It’s stripped right back: lie down, put on your eye mask and headphones, and follow the breath.
“Over time”, Björn says, “breathwork doesn’t just change how people breathe, it changes how they live. I see people developing a growing sense of inner clarity and calm. They start to feel more connected to themselves, physically, emotionally, and intuitively. There’s more self-awareness and a deeper trust in their direction. They begin to let go of things that don’t serve them anymore, habits, beliefs, emotional baggage, and become more present, more conscious. Above all, breathwork helps people access a part of themselves that feels grounded, clear, and deeply alive.”
What follows is often unexpected. For some, it’s physical, tingling, shaking, and releasing tension you didn’t know you were holding. For others, it’s emotional. Long-forgotten memories surface. Grief, anger, sadness, love. Some people cry. Some just breathe and leave quietly. And that’s fine. You don’t owe anyone a story.
It’s not therapy. It’s not a workout. And it’s not something you post about after. It’s something you sit with, something you carry, one regular told me after a session.
“For anyone dealing with the residue of loss, endings, or just the fatigue of being too many things to too many people, breathwork offers a rare pause. A space where you don’t have to be strong, performative, or even articulate. You just have to breathe.”
And that might be the most radical part. You don’t need to be in crisis. You don’t need to be spiritual. You just need a bit of quiet. And the willingness to stop.
Björn’s work with Breaze isn’t about selling transformation. It’s about helping people come back into themselves. Even the way the sessions are designed, music chosen with care, nothing overly stylised—feels like an antidote to how curated everything else has become. It’s not content. It’s not self-optimisation. It just is.
“Breathing for life,” he says, “means using the breath as a tool to live more fully, more consciously, and more meaningfully. It’s not just about surviving, it’s about truly living. The breath helps us slow down, feel more, and connect more deeply, with ourselves, with others, with life itself. And the more regulated and present we are, the more positively we can impact the world around us.”
And you don’t need much. A mat. Some time. Maybe some headphones. It’s the kind of luxury we forget we already have: our own breath, and the space to use it well.
In a culture built around speed and noise, breathwork offers something rare. Not an escape—but a return.
Visit Breaze’s official website.
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Last Updated on July 25, 2025 by Editorial Team