#259 Jamie Clements — How to Breathe Better: Stress Resilience, Altered States & Human Potential

What if the constant pressure to improve yourself is reinforcing the anxiety you are trying to escape?In this episode of the Longevity & Lifestyle Podcast, Claudia welcomes Jamie Clements, breathwork facilitator, speaker, educator, and founder of The Breath Space.Jamie shares how anxiety, depression, and panic attacks led him away from a high-performing career in finance and technology and toward a deeper exploration of breath, nervous system health, consciousness, and human potential.He explains how breathing influences the autonomic nervous system, why dysfunctional breathing can reinforce stress and anxiety, and how simple changes in breathing speed, depth, and rhythm can shift how we feel and perform.They also explore carbon dioxide tolerance, nasal breathing, breath holding, sleep apnea, altered states of consciousness, trauma-aware breathwork, and the risks of practicing deeper techniques without the right preparation or facilitator.This conversation also challenges the modern obsession with optimization. Jamie explains why high performers often find rest uncomfortable, how achievement can become tied to self-worth, and why slowing down may be one of the most powerful ways to improve creativity, energy, and performance.IN THIS EPISODE• How anxiety and panic attacks led Jamie to breathwork• Why the breath directly influences the nervous system• Signs that you may be breathing dysfunctionally• Why carbon dioxide is essential for oxygen delivery• How breath holding may build stress resilience• Nasal breathing, mouth breathing, and cognitive health• Box breathing, extended exhales, and the physiological sigh• How breathwork can create altered states of consciousness• Trauma, emotional release, and breathwork safety• Why high performers struggle to rest• The link between achievement and self-worth• Why you do not need fixing• How slowing down can improve productivityTIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction03:44 Jamie’s experience with anxiety and panic attacks06:15 Losing his job and discovering a different path09:26 Why we underestimate the power of breathing12:15 Ancient breathwork traditions15:43 How breathing controls the nervous system18:06 Using breath to change your internal state19:33 CO2 tolerance and stress resilience24:58 Signs you may be breathing incorrectly27:39 The three levels of breathwork31:13 Trauma release and breathwork safety33:54 What an altered-state breathwork session feels like38:29 Why high performers struggle to slow down41:43 Purpose, ambition, and self-worth43:24 Creating work-life harmony48:57 The Breath Space50:33 Why you do not need fixingABOUT JAMIE CLEMENTSJamie Clements is a breathwork facilitator, speaker, educator, and founder of The Breath Space. His work brings together functional breathing, neuroscience, psychology, trauma-aware practice, ancient wisdom, and nervous system regulation.Through retreats, workshops, courses, and corporate experiences, Jamie helps people move from anxiety, burnout, and disconnection toward greater awareness, resilience, and meaning.Subscribe to the Longevity & Lifestyle Podcast for evidence-informed conversations with leading experts in health, longevity, consciousness, and human performance.Please share this episode with someone who feels overwhelmed, chronically stressed, or unable to slow down.#JamieClements #Breathwork #NervousSystem #Anxiety #StressRelief #MentalHealth #Consciousness #TraumaHealing #Burnout #LongevityPodcast