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Breathwork Therapy

Breathwork therapy is a powerful, highly effective approach to healing and self-discovery that uses intentional breathing techniques. Rooted in practices found in traditional cultures and refined by modern psychology, it can deeply impact emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

A patient settling into a focused, restorative breathwork session.

What Breathwork Therapy Is

Breathwork therapy acknowledges the connection between our breath and our subconscious mind. By altering our breathing patterns, we can influence our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. That heightened awareness opens a door to releasing held emotions, trauma, and stress — and to genuine self-awareness and personal transformation.

The practice draws on Pranayama in yoga, eastern meditation, and Jewish mysticism, as well as the work of psychology pioneers like Wilhelm Reich and Stanislav Grof who studied the relationship between breath, body, and the unconscious mind.

It is common for patients to have strong emotional experiences during sessions — releasing pain through tears, intense joy, clarity about the past, or a new vision for the future. Most leave a session feeling relaxed and energized.

Principles and Elements of Breathwork

Conscious Breathing

Becoming aware of your breath and purposefully modifying its pattern — including focused breathing, circular breathing, and connected breathing.

Releasing and Integrating

Through breathing, individuals let go of suppressed emotions, past traumas, and negative thought patterns. This process facilitates healing and integration of those experiences.

Mind-Body Connection

Breathwork uses the deep link between body and mind. Physical tension often intertwines with mental stress; breathwork helps release both at once.

Flow of Energy

Practitioners hold that breathwork helps balance and enhance the flow of life energy — chi — within the body, resulting in increased vitality and a sense of peace.

Holistic Healing

Breathwork therapy addresses the whole person — physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It goes beyond treating symptoms and supports broader health optimization and personal growth.

Benefits of Breathwork

Patients often feel immediate relief and a sense of recharging after a session. The most common benefits we see in practice include:

Stress and Anxiety Relief

Breathwork techniques help relax the nervous system, reduce stress, and effectively manage anxiety by triggering the body's “rest and digest” response.

Emotional Healing

Breathwork mobilizes the processing and release of suppressed emotions like grief, anger, and trauma. It provides a safe space for catharsis and integration.

Physical Well-Being

Improving breathing patterns can enhance lung function, increase oxygen intake, and ease symptoms in conditions like asthma. It can also support pain management and overall vitality — and is helpful for any condition driven by trauma, stress, and emotional imbalance.

Mental Clarity

By calming the mind and reducing internal “chatter,” breathwork sharpens focus and promotes clarity of thought — increasing productivity and effectiveness.

Personal Growth

For many, breathwork is a tool for exploration and transcendence, fostering a deeper connection with self and the larger world. Sessions often pair guided breathing with meditation to support that processing.

Breathwork therapy combines ancient wisdom with modern psychological insight to address every aspect of a person's health. Whether used alongside other therapies or as a standalone practice, it has the power to facilitate holistic healing and a greater understanding of ourselves — a meaningful pathway toward improved wellness and self-exploration.

Our approach

Why Whole Gut Health is different

At Whole Gut Health, we go beyond conventional symptom management and traditional functional medicine protocols. We trust your body's innate ability to heal itself when given the right support.

In Dr. Shustina's many years of practice, she has seen that many digestive diseases have their root cause in emotional traumas and unhealed wounds. When these underlying causes are healed, the body can heal from the inside out in a lasting way.

We focus on the mind-gut connection, incorporating energy healing techniques, personalized nutrition that evolves as you heal, and integrative approaches addressing mind, body, and spirit. If this resonates with you, contact our office to schedule your consultation and take the first step on your healing journey.

Reviews

The body remembers when it's finally heard

Dr. Shustina is an incredibly knowledgeable doctor who truly takes time to find root cause.

RG
Rochel Gordon

Dr. Shustina goes to the root level of the issue, not only superficial, so there's healing.

LG
Leah Glickman

She has significantly improved my health. I was suffering from Ulcerative Colitis and now live normally.

ML
Monica LaBadia

Dr. Shustina has helped me change my lifestyle and heal my gut in a way I thought impossible.

DL
Dalit Lonstein

She listens to patients and treats conditions, not symptoms.

GS
Gabriela Salazar

Dr. Shustina is the best doctor I have ever been to. She assesses the root of the problem.

MS
M. S.

She is an outstanding doctor who understands the body's ability to heal itself and holistic remedies.

SS
Sibel Sebi Sharabi

Dr. Shustina has a wealth of knowledge and is helping me heal years of gastrointestinal issues.

DC
Daniela Chaparro

Dr. Shustina is an amazing doctor. She diagnosed my cancer early and saved my life.

MW
Mordechai Weinstein

After one session with Dr. Shustina, my digestive pain went away.

TP
Taryn Parascand

Doctor Shustina is the absolute best. She has helped me resolve numerous issues other doctors dismissed.

RS
Rachel S.

Dr. Shustina is a fantastic doctor who truly cares. Her holistic approach attacks the root cause.

CS
Clay Simonsen
Begin

Your first consultation begins with a conversation

Ninety minutes. Your full history, a review of your medical records, and the plan forward. New patients are being accepted in person and via telehealth.

Schedule your consultation
New York
635 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10022
Mon–Fri · 9am–5pm
(212) 634-4233Directions
Miami
407 Lincoln Rd, Suite 10B
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Mon–Fri · 9am–5pm
(786) 686-1434Directions
Telehealth
Virtual visits available for patients located in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.