SOMA® Breath
Breathwork, but (maybe) not as you know it
Rhythmic breathing, music and guided meditation
SOMA® Breath in Leeds and online
There are many types of breathwork. Some use prolonged, intense breathing to encourage cathartic release, but SOMA® Breath takes a gentler, more structured approach. Rhythmic breathing, specially created music, ancient pranayama inspired techniques, guided meditation, visualisation and breath retention enrich and soften the experience. So, if the word breathwork makes you picture frantic breathing or unwelcome intensity, SOMA® Breath offers something very different.
SOMA® Breath is gently powerful and can be deeply transformative. You don’t have to force an emotional release, relive painful experiences or push beyond what feels right. You breathe, you listen, you feel, and you see where the journey takes you.
The experience sits somewhere between breathwork, meditation and an immersive inner journey. Emotional release can happen, but it isn’t the goal. Sometimes transformation feels like clarity, joy, or simply discovering what it’s like when your mind quietens.
What actually happens?
You’ll be guided throughout, so no experience is needed. Each round of SOMA® Breath usually has three stages.
Rhythmic breathing
You breathe in a smooth, connected rhythm with the music. This helps bring your heart, breath and nervous system into coherence, harmonising your body’s systems and encouraging the release of feel good hormones like endorphins, oxytocin and serotonin.
The exhale hold
After a few minutes of rhythmic breathing, you exhale and pause comfortably. The breath naturally stills, and the world slows with it. You notice the body’s first signals asking you to breathe, and instead of reacting straight away, you simply observe. This is where you learn that you can meet a strong sensation without immediately responding. Over time, that steadiness starts to flow into everyday life.
The inhale hold
You’ll then take a blissful full breath in. Physical sensations, emotion and awareness can feel heightened.
The science behind the breath retentions
During the exhale hold, oxygen availability falls for a short time before returning to normal. This is intermittent hypoxia, or IHT: brief, controlled periods of lower oxygen that give the body a stimulus to adapt to. Research links this to increased red blood cell production, better oxygen use, improved mitochondrial efficiency, reduced oxidative stress, and even support for tissue repair and brain health.
At the same time, carbon dioxide rises. CO₂ isn’t just a waste gas; through the Bohr effect, it helps haemoglobin release oxygen into your tissues, so your cells can use it. It’s also what creates the gentle urge to breathe.
Physically, this can mean more energy, better recovery and a stronger, more efficient system. Mentally and emotionally, people often report feeling clearer, calmer and more resilient. Spiritually, the stillness between breaths can become a doorway: a moment where the thinking mind softens and something quieter, more connected, is allowed through.
Can breathing really alter consciousness?
Research involving the University of Cambridge and a structured SOMA® Breath protocol investigated breathwork induced altered states. Researchers looked at participants’ subjective experiences alongside brain activity and found associations between breathwork induced altered states and changes in neural dynamics. Participants reported experiences including bliss, insightfulness and spiritual experiences.
Your own breath can create surprisingly profound shifts in consciousness, without any substances, side effects or come down. You are in control. You can stop and return to normal breathing at any time.
What are the benefits?
Altha Alchemy journeys aren’t just about calming down. Often, the journey evolves from stillness into energy, joy, connection and an extraordinary sense of being fully alive.
Mind
- Quieter thoughts
- Sharper focus
- Clearer presence
Body
- Less inflammation
- Lower blood pressure
- Healthier cholesterol
- Stronger immunity
- Slower cellular aging
- Better metabolic balance
Energy
- More oxygen-efficient cells
- Steadier stamina
- Natural, lasting lift
Emotions
- More balanced
- More resilient
- Able to release without forcing
Spirit
- Deeper connection to yourself
- Deeper connection to others
- A sense of something greater
Consciousness
- Deeper meditation
- Expanded awareness
- Natural euphoria
What might I experience?
There is no correct SOMA® Breath experience. You may feel deeply relaxed, almost as though you’re floating. You might notice tingling, warmth, vibrations or waves of energy. Colours or imagery can appear behind closed eyes. Emotion may surface. You may find unexpected clarity, a changed sense of time, euphoria or a profound sense of presence and connection. Or you might simply become incredibly still.
Words I often hear after after guiding breathwork
“I feel lighter.”
What makes Altha Alchemy different?
SOMA® Breath, Reiki and guided meditation. There is no performance, no competition and no expected outcome. You don’t need to manufacture a breakthrough for something meaningful to happen.
I don’t simply take you through a set of breathing exercises or press play on a meditation track. Every journey weaves together SOMA® Breath, carefully chosen music, my own guided meditations and Reiki.
People who join my sessions often say they feel safe and held. They describe my voice as calming and soothing, the journeys as beautifully curated, and the experience as going deeper than breathwork alone.
The Reiki cocoons you, your breath opens the door, the music carries you through it.
In their words
“Left feeling uber relaxed, energised & positive. Highly recommended.”
“A combined Reiki and SOMA® Breath session with Liv — the music and guidance made all the difference, and the depth of the healing experience stayed with me long after.”
“Another fabulously relaxing yet invigorating class. I came away feeling relaxed and energised at the same time. I don't remember the last time all the tabs in my brain actually switched off.”
“Amazing session again. I didn't want it to end. I experienced visuals from the first breath hold. I find your voice so calming and soothing. I came away feeling relaxed, revitalised and refocused. Can't wait for the next one.”
“I felt so energised after. Really high frequency all day.”
“It was a deeply moving experience where I felt like all my worries had disappeared. Just a pure sense of bliss was left.”
You don't need to be good at meditation
- You don’t need previous breathwork experience
- You don’t need to know what you're supposed to feel
- You don’t need to wear gym gear
Come as you are
Curious?
Explore what is coming up, or arrange a private journey at a time that suits you.