Breathwork In Denver: Reset Stress at a Mile-High
- Britt Ritchie
- Jun 9
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
Holistic Therapy Series: Part 2 of 3
In Part 1 of the Holistic Therapy series, we explored how mindfulness helps calm your nervous system through presence and awareness.
In this post, we’re diving into one of the fastest, most accessible ways to reset your stress response— breathwork. Whether you’re running on anxiety, stuck in burnout, or feeling emotionally overwhelmed, your breath is one of the most powerful (and underused) tools for healing—and it’s available 24/7.
Because you’re in Denver (or anywhere at altitude in Colorado), there are unique factors to consider when doing breathwork—from thinner air to oxygen saturation shifts. This guide will help you adapt breathwork to your mile-high environment so you can breathe more effectively, feel more grounded, and reset your nervous system with confidence.
Key Points
Breathwork is a science-backed, practical tool for regulating your nervous system—especially valuable at elevation.
Breathwork in Denver at altitude affects oxygen availability, breathing patterns, and how your body responds to stress.
Techniques like diaphragmatic and box breathing help counter altitude-related respiratory strain and improve HRV.
Regular practice can ease altitude impact, boost sleep, and support adaptation.
Breathwork integrates seamlessly with holistic psychiatry and the other tools I use in my Denver practice.
Why this matters:
If your body feels tense, your mind scattered, or your energy especially low at altitude, breathwork can help you adapt from the inside out. In the rest of this post, we’ll cover how altitude influences breathing, the science behind breathwork, easy techniques you can do in Denver, and how I use breathwork as part of holistic, integrative psychiatry in my practice.
How Denver’s Altitude Shapes Your Breathwork Practice
Living (or practicing breathwork) in Denver’s mile-high environment (~5,280 ft) introduces a few special variables. Thinner air, lower barometric pressure, and reduced oxygen partial pressure can influence how your body breathes—and how your nervous system regulates.
Altitude’s impact on breathing and physiology
At higher altitudes, the concentration of oxygen per breath is lower.
Your body often responds with increased breathing rate or instability in breathing patterns, especially during sleep.
Studies show that slow, deep breathing can help improve oxygenation and reduce blood pressure under low oxygen conditions—even at altitude.
Because of reduced humidity at altitude, the air is drier and more irritating to airways—this can exacerbate respiratory discomfort or sensitivity.
New arrivals to altitude may experience shortness of breath, fatigue, or mild altitude symptoms until they acclimatize.
What this means for your breathwork practice in Denver
Be gentle with yourself when starting—your respiratory system may feel “tighter” or more reactive until your body adapts.
Slower, deeper breathing techniques (like diaphragmatic breathing) may offer more benefit at altitude than fast-paced or breath-hold techniques.
Use breathwork during rest or lower-intensity states, rather than vigorous breathwork in the midst of physical strain—so your body can keep up.
Monitor how you feel: dizziness, lightheadedness, or discomfort are signals to slow or pause.
Stay well hydrated, as drier air increases fluid loss and thickens mucus, which can influence breathing comfort.
Combine altitude-aware breathwork with good acclimatization practices (gradual elevation, rest, sleep, etc.).
Integrating these considerations into your breathwork in Denver gives you a more gentle, sustainable, and effective path to regulating your nervous system at altitude.
When Your Body Feels Like It’s Always Bracing
You might look calm on the outside—but inside, your chest is tight, your jaw is clenched, and your heart is racing over something that hasn’t even happened yet.
That constant readiness is your nervous system stuck in dysregulation. It’s the experience of bracing for impact—even when your day is “normal”—and it’s deeply exhausting.
That’s why I teach my clients one foundational strategy that works immediately and rewires the nervous system over time: breathwork training.
Why Breath Matters So Much
Here’s the beautiful thing about the breath: it’s automatic and controllable.
Breathing is the only autonomic function you can influence directly and instantly, making it the perfect entry point for nervous-system regulation.
When your breath slows, your brain and body receive the message: “I’m safe.”
Scientific evidence shows that controlled breathing:
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest + digest)
Increases heart-rate variability (HRV)
Calms the amygdala (your brain’s alarm center)
Lowers stress hormones like cortisol
Even at altitude, slow, deep breathing can boost oxygen efficiency and improve your blood oxygen levels which supports both your mental and physical resilience.
What Is HRV—and Why Does It Matter?
Heart-rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in time between heartbeats—a key marker of nervous system flexibility and resilience.
Higher HRV = a more adaptable, resilient nervous system
Lower HRV = being stuck in stress or survival mode
At altitude, your body may have to “work harder” to maintain oxygen homeostasis, which can strain autonomic balance. Breathwork training helps buffer that strain by stimulating the vagus nerve and supporting parasympathetic activation. Over time, consistent practice strengthens your ability to shift between stress and rest modes with more ease—even in a higher-altitude environment.
Immediate, Short-Term, and Long-Term Benefits of Breathwork
Immediate (Within Minutes)
Lower heart rate
Reduced muscle tension
Calmer thoughts and fewer panic spikes
Short-Term (2–4 Weeks)
Better sleep and concentration
Fewer anxiety episodes
Greater focus and clarity
Long-Term (Months +)
Higher baseline HRV
Improved mood stability
Faster transitions out of stress states
Easier adaptation to altitude-related stressors
Two Breathwork Techniques to Try Today (Altitude-Friendly)
Here are two techniques I teach most often. They’re gentle, effective, and adaptable for altitude conditions in Denver.
1. Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing
This foundational practice helps shift shallow breathing into deep, calming breaths—even when oxygen is relatively lower.
How to do it:
Sit or lie down. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4, letting your belly rise.
Exhale gently through pursed lips for a count of 6, letting your belly fall.
Repeat for 3–10 minutes (or longer if comfortable).
Pro tips for altitude:
Don’t force it—let the breath deepen gradually.
If you feel lightheaded, shorten your inhale or extend your exhale.
Focus on lengthening exhalation gently, which supports CO₂ balance.
2. Box Breathing (Square Breathing)
This method is great for moments of acute stress, anxiety, or overwhelm—even in thinner air.
How to do it:
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts
Hold your breath for 4 counts
Exhale through your mouth for 4 counts
Hold again for 4 counts
Repeat the cycle for 2–5 minutes (or as comfortable)
Altitude-aware tweaks:
If a 4-count hold feels too intense, try 3-count holds initially.
Pause or slow down if you feel dizzy or very “air hungry.”
Use this technique in calmer moments—not during physical exertion.
When to Use Breathwork
Use breathwork both reactively (in moments of stress) and proactively (as a daily regulation habit). Both are powerful.
In-the-moment examples:
Before a difficult conversation
During an anxiety spike
When overstimulated in public
Between work calls or during transition times
Routine examples:
First thing in the morning to ground your system
Midday to re-calibrate energy
Before bed to promote restorative rest (especially helpful when altitude disrupts sleep)
On rest days or gentle flow days to support acclimatization
Stack breathwork with other small habits—e.g., breathe while your coffee brews—to embed it consistently.
How Breathwork Helps My Clients in Denver
In my holistic, integrative psychiatry practice here in Denver, breathwork is one of the most empowering tools I teach. It helps:
ADHD clients pause before reactivity
Anxious women interrupt spirals early
Burned-out professionals reconnect to their bodies
Perfectionists soften their inner pressure long enough to rest
Because this is a mile-high environment, the breath patterns and stress load are subtly different—but every breath with awareness trains your body to adapt, stay regulated, and feel more yourself.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about practice. With consistent effort, you build a nervous system that can flex more easily even at altitude.
Try This Today
Set aside a few minutes today to practice one of the techniques above. Use this to track your impact:
Up Next in the Summer Reset Series
In Part 3, we’ll explore vagus toning exercises—easy, science-backed practices like cold water, humming, and gargling—to strengthen your parasympathetic response and deepen the effects of breathwork (especially helpful in an altitude environment).
How I Can Help
If you’re tired of managing symptoms and want to truly train your nervous system for sustainable calm—especially in Denver’s unique altitude—breathwork training is a powerful, gentle starting point.
At Mind Alchemy Mental Health in Denver, Colorado, I offer holistic, integrative psychiatry tailored for women who want real answers—not quick fixes.
As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner specializing in female psychiatry and holistic women’s wellness, I take a root-cause, whole-person approach that looks beyond symptoms to uncover why you feel the way you do. If you’re navigating focus issues, fatigue, mood swings, or that heavy, off feeling, we’ll partner to help you feel more balanced, clear, and resilient again.
My goal is to help you reconnect with yourself and rebuild from the inside out—through holistic psychiatric care blending science, empathy, and genuine partnership.
Explore more:
The story behind my holistic approach to mental health
My approach & services for holistic women’s wellness
Visit my media hub for podcasts, YouTube videos & more on holistic mental health treatment
Tried breathwork?
Yes, and I'm obsessed
I think I hyperventilated
Not yet—but I breathe daily, does that count?
Planning to give it a go (when I stop procrastinating)
Tell me: Have you tried breathwork before?
What works for you—or what gets in the way?
Leave a comment or share your experience—I’d love to hear.
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