Breathing to Enhance Performance in All Areas of Your Life

We were recently invited to join Sarah Huntley for an insightful chat Live on her Instagram all about breathing to enhance performance in all areas of your life.

Sarah is a Performance Psychologist, certified Wim Hof Method Instructor, mountain leader based in Brighton. Over the past decade, she has supported Olympic and Paralympic athletes, corporate leaders, and entrepreneurs in mastering high-performance under pressure.

Combining breathwork, cold exposure, nature therapy, and adventure, Sarah leads immersive retreats across the UK, which I have been lucky to be a part of -  helping people build resilience, mental clarity, and sustainable performance - all grounded in science and mindset training.

She is also a dear friend of ours! Grab your favourite beverage and let’s dive in to the chat…

"In the middle of the English Channel, surrounded by jellyfish and spiralling into panic, I discovered the power of my breath. Slowing it down cleared my mind, steadied my body, and changed how I approached performance forever.”

Breathing to Enhance Performance

Dan: What first drew you to breathwork as a performance tool - was there a moment it clicked for you personally?

Sarah: “My first real experience with breathwork came during a 2018 English Channel relay swim, when I swam into a massive swarm of jellyfish at night. Stung all over and spiralling into panic, I instinctively focused on slowing my breath through my nose. Within minutes, my mind cleared, I could think straight, and I finished my swim. That moment showed me the true power of breathwork — not just for survival, but for performance in sport, life, and helping others”

Dan: You're currently working with Olympians and high performers - how have you woven the  expertise you have in performance psychology and breathwork/cold immersion into helping those athletes and high performers stay sharp under pressure?

Sarah: “I work with the British Equestrian Team through the UK Sports Institute, focusing on performance lifestyle - everything beneath the surface that supports an athlete’s ability to perform when it matters most. That includes mental health, well-being, and stress management, because if an athlete isn’t in a good place personally, they can’t perform at their best. Increasingly, we’re introducing tools like breathwork and cold immersion, not just for performance gains but for overall well-being. Elite athletes are embracing these practices, and in the new year, I’ll be leading a workshop where you Dan will be introducing breathwork for performance to help them stay sharp under pressure.”

Sarah: I'm interested, Dan, because I know you do the oxygen advantage breathwork as well. Do you find that people, are you able to kind of deliver, or is that how you kind of frame things in a really holistic way, looking at other areas of their life too? Or do you stick just to kind of delivering the breathwork stuff?

Dan: “I take a holistic approach, starting with how people breathe during moments of low demand - sitting at a desk, watching TV, or lying in bed. If you can’t breathe well when you’re relaxed, you’ll struggle to do so under stress or during exercise, which can lead to anxiety and inefficient breathing. My coaching focuses on functional breathwork, building that foundation so you can maintain optimal breathing 24/7. I’ve applied this myself, now running entirely on nasal breaths with improved endurance, faster recovery, and a more balanced system overall.”

Want to understand the difference between Functional Breathing and Breathwork? Check out our Blog here: Functional Breathing vs Breathwork.

“I don't actually drink any caffeinated drinks anymore because I use breathwork instead.”

Dan: When it comes to performance psychology, how do you weave the breathwork and a bit of cold exposure into that?

Sarah: “Many people are initially wary of cold exposure, seeing it as something to avoid - but once they try it, they’re often surprised by how energised and resilient it makes them feel. I pair this with breathwork in performance psychology, particularly during guided visualisation sessions. We start with calming breathwork to help athletes enter a relaxed, focused state, then mentally rehearse competitions or training scenarios in vivid detail. Breathwork becomes a practical tool they can use to either rev up their energy or calm themselves when under pressure. These simple, accessible practices give athletes valuable “marginal gains” - improving focus, performance, and recovery.”

Dan: Working in the environment that you work in with not only athletes and Olympic teams, but also, high-performing people must be quite stressful for you as well. How do you bring yourself down? What do you do to relax and enjoy?

Sarah: “As a coach, I work very closely with people and build real bonds with them. It's a privilege to hear about their lives, thoughts, and challenges. However, I've found that I can sometimes take on too much of that emotional weight myself. That's why it's so important for me to have strict boundaries around my work time and availability. If I don't look after my own well-being, I won't be as effective as a coach, whether I'm working with athletes, business leaders, or people looking to change careers.

I've learned that practicing what I preach is key. By being an example of self-care and balance, I believe it positively influences the people I work with as well. It's a bit of a balancing act, but setting those clear boundaries and prioritizing my own needs allows me to show up as the best version of myself for my clients. At the end of the day, that's what matters most.”

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Key takeaways to implement into your life

• Introduce very light nasal breathing at home when you are sat still or lying in bed. Aim to breathe about 30% less than you feel you need to. It’s relaxing but its also changing your blood physiology & switching your nervous system into a more balanced state

• Take time out for yourself - and - b r e a t h e

• Take a moment to understand that “although the mind controls the body, its the breath that controls the mind".

If you’d like to watch the full interview, set aside 30 minutes to dive into this conversation - I promise, you’ll be hooked till the end!