What the Breathwork Gurus Dont Want You to Know

In this episode

Join us as Dylan McKay shares insights from his unique background in military bomb disposal to challenge myths around breathing techniques. This episode explores how individualised breathing behaviours influence performance, safety, and recovery in high-stakes environments.

Key topics

• The influence of breathing behaviour under pressure and in high-stakes decision-making
• The importance of understanding individual differences in breathing responses to stress
• The myth versus reality of common breathing techniques like box breathing, physiological sighs, and nasal breathing
• The physiological complexity behind breath-hold skills like in freediving, and their relevance to performance
• The critical role of psychological beliefs and behavioural lenses in breathing interventions
• Risks and limitations of popular tools like capnography, Bolt score, and wearable sleep devices in performance contexts
• The need for self-awareness and personalised training over generic techniques
• How to approach breathing as a self-exploration process for better resilience and performance

Guest

Dylan McKay is a human performance specialist and faculty member of the Professional School of Behavioural Health Sciences. He is the founder of the Performance Breathing System®, an evidence-based approach to optimising health and operational performance through applied breathing science. 

Dylan previously served as an EOD Commander in the New Zealand Special Forces and led the unit’s Human Performance Programme, with a focus on helping people operate effectively under pressure and recover from the operational demands. Today, he specialises in breathing science (not trend-led “breathwork”), using assessment-led education and breathing behavioural analysis to support practical, individualised change, particularly for people working in high-stress, high-reliability roles.

Useful Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-mckay1/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/rendersafe/about/ 

https://www.rendersafe.co.uk/ 

Chapters

01:14 Stress Breathing Is Individual

03:15 Dylan’s EOD Background

05:49 Why Box Breathing Took Off

08:58 Looking at Breathing Through Behavioral Lens 

10:38 Defining Dysfunctional Breathing

12:47 Physiological Sigh Mythbusting

15:07 Capnography and CO2 Reality

19:49 Nasal Breathing and Mouth Taping

21:53 Airway Structure vs Behavior

25:57 Mouth Taping Risks at Night

27:29 Belief Versus Hype

28:38 Tummo Breathing

32:35 States Versus Traits

34:21 Capnography Vs Bolt Scores

37:44 Free Diving And Evidence

40:01 Breathing Bumper Stickers

41:14 Self Awareness Practice

45:33 Wearables And HRV

49:59 Box Breathing Reality

52:22 Closing Thanks And Wrap

Final thoughts

This episode emphasises the complexity, individuality, and psychological dimensions of breathing in high-performance settings. Dylan McKay advocates for a scientific, personalised approach grounded in self-awareness rather than relying on popular myths or quick fixes. Tune in to rethink how breathing fits into your performance puzzle.

For more expert-led conversations delivering evidence-based strategies to help you perform, recover, and adapt in high-pressure environments, check out our website https://www.ophp.co.uk/

If you found this podcast valuable, please take a moment to rate, share & review.  If you have feedback, guest suggestions or topics that you'd love us to cover, then do email us at info@ophp.co.uk or connect with us on LinkedIn. 

Production

Edited and produced by Bess Manley

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