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](mailto:info@ophp.co.uk) or connect with us on LinkedIn.  # Production Edited and produced by Bess Manley Thanks for listening to **Optimising Human Performance**. This podcast is for people who can’t afford to fail. Each episode gives you practical, evidence‑based tools you can apply in the real world. For more about the podcast, speaking, coaching, and mentoring, visit: www.ophp.co.uk Connect with us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ophp/ Instagram: **@ophumanperformance** If you found this episode useful, please **share it with one colleague**, subscribe, and leave a review – it helps us reach more people who operate in high‑stakes environments. * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.