How to Breathe in Perimenopause: Is This the Missing Link?

We talk a lot about what to eat. We lift heavy weights, feast on protein and fibre and honour our sleep by dining two hours before bed. We let natural fasting happen, without forcing it. We stretch, move, meditate and rest. We add hormones if we feel the call. We walk barefoot on the earth, stare at the sky, and drink in the sun.

And yet...There was something I could not name. Something missing.A whisper beneath all the wisdom.

Could it be breath? Could the simple act of breathing — so obvious it is almost invisible — be the piece I was longing for?

What Happens to Our Body in Perimenopause?

During perimenopause, our body becomes a wild, living tide. Hormones fluctuate. Sleep is lighter. Blood sugar swings more easily. Resting heart rate (RHR) often climbs, heart rate variability (HRV) often drops — telling us the nervous system is under pressure.

Even with all the right foods, mindful movement, and sacred stillness, I felt my internal seas churning. My Oura ring confirmed it: my HRV was low when it should have been blooming, my RHR too fast when I wanted to be still.

I realised: Maybe it wasn’t about doing more. Maybe it was about breathing differently.

Breathing: The Bridge Between Worlds

Breath is a bridge between the voluntary and the involuntary, between the conscious and the subconscious. You don't need to think about it to stay alive — yet you can change it with a single act of will.

James Nestor, in his extraordinary book Breath, reminds us that how we breathe shapes how we live. The shape of our mouths, the strength of our lungs, the rhythm of our inhale and exhale — all whisper to our cells, our heart, our mind.

And according to the Huberman Lab podcast, breathing is a direct portal to our nervous system — a way to dial down stress hormones, soften the heart's relentless beat, raise our HRV, and lower our RHR — all things that, during perimenopause, are pure gold.

So when we ask How to breathe in Perimenopause, we are really asking: How do we come back home to ourselves?

How to Breathe in Perimenopause for Better Health

Learning to breathe well is like re-learning how to trust our own life force. Here’s how to begin:

1. Establish a Healthy Breathing Pattern

• Focus on nose-breathing whenever possible.

• Practice diaphragmatic breathing (deep into your belly and ribs).

• Slow your breathing down to 10–14 breaths per minute.

• Include a small, gentle pause after each exhale.

• Make your breath quiet and rhythmic.

These are the foundations of a resilient, responsive nervous system.

2. Practice Breath Awareness

Throughout the day, gently pay attention to your breath — without trying to control it. Simply notice your inhales and exhales. Watch. Witness. Feel. This simple awareness begins to rewire your somatic intelligence — your body’s innate knowing.

3. Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing

Place your hands on either side of your lower ribs. As you inhale, feel your belly and lower ribs expand softly outward. As you exhale, feel them fall and relax. This anchors you deeply into your body, especially when life feels stormy.

4. Practice Coherence Breathing

Let your inhales and exhales be the same length — start with 3 or 4 seconds in, 3 or 4 seconds out. The goal is eventually 5–6 seconds. Hover on the edge of a slight, tolerable air hunger (not gasping) to build your CO₂ tolerance and strengthen your respiratory system.

5. Master the Art of Showing Up Daily

This is a practice, not a performance. Commit to 5 minutes a day. Then build from there. Think of breathwork as a daily training session for your nervous system — one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself during perimenopause.

The Magic of Nose Breathing (And When Mouth Breathing Helps)

James Nestor’s research shows that nose breathing isn't just better — it is essential. It filters, humidifies, and slows the air, strengthens the lungs, balances the nervous system, and even helps regulate hormones.

However, mouth breathing has its place too — when done intentionally. For example, during core exercises (to activate the transverse abdominals) or to consciously shift a stress pattern (such as in the Physiological Sigh described below).

It’s about conscious choice, not automatic habit.

A Simple, Powerful Breath to Shift Your State Instantly

Whenever you feel overwhelmed or unsettled, try the Physiological Sigh (from Huberman Lab):

• Inhale deeply through the nose.

• Without exhaling, take another quick, smaller inhale through the nose.

• Then exhale slowly and fully through the mouth.

This double inhale + long exhale pattern can rapidly lower your heart rate, increase HRV, and calm your entire system — a game-changer during perimenopause.

Why Breath Matters So Much in Perimenopause

HRV — the beautiful, complex variability between each heartbeat — is like a secret language of the body. When HRV is high, we are resilient, adaptable and strong. When HRV falls (as it often does in perimenopause), we are more vulnerable to stress, inflammation, and fatigue.

Similarly, a lower RHR is a hallmark of a healthy, rested nervous system.

Breath gives us a direct line to change both of these. Not by force, but by finesse.Not through striving, but through surrender.

Breathing less times per minute, breathing quieter, slower, deeper — this is the pathway not only to life but to quality of life.

Breath is freedom. Breath is power. Breath is presence.

In this sacred passage of perimenopause, breath is more than survival.

It is the rhythm of a life fully lived.

Join Me

If this resonates with you and you want to dive deeper, I invite you to join me:

• In person at one of my magical retreats in September, November or January.

• Online, by signing up for the waiting list (here) for my upcoming live breathwork and movement classes — and receive something very special when you do.

Together, we will breathe new life into every cell of your being.

Let’s rise, one breath at a time.

With love,

Shaini