Bianca Harris is a breathwork educator, speaker, and facilitator, and the founder of Holistic Breath Academy. Rooted in breathwork, meditation, and sound therapy, her practice centers on making wellness feel accessible — balanced, practical, and true to everyday life. Her approach has resonated widely, leading to collaborations with Nike, Sephora, Tatcha, Samsung, Adidas, Casper, and Saje, among others. For this month's Main Meal, we sat down with Bianca to talk breath, presence, and the rituals that ground her.

Let’s start off with a basic one. How did you get into breathwork?

I got into breathwork many years ago in my early 20s through a regular vinyasa yoga classes. I was working through some heavy depression and anxiety and all the outside things weren't working anymore: the partying, the relationships, the shopping. I had basically exhausted every coping mechanism I had and I was running out of places to look. In other words I had to look inward as they say. 

So I started yoga, and what was weird is that I kept leaving class feelingirritated. Like every single time. And instead of quitting I got curious about it….why is this the one thing that's actually moving something in me, even if it's frustration? That sent me down a rabbit hole and what I found was that the way we're taught yoga in the West leaves out this really important piece: the breath. And even if not left out its rarely emphasized in the way it should be in my perspective. It's almost an afterthought in most classes when really it's the entire foundation of the practice. We're out here doing all these poses and completely bypassing the most powerful tool.

That research led me to some much more intense breath-focused classes and honestly, it stopped me in my tracks. Something shifted that nothing else had been able to touch. Not therapy, not substances, not staying busy. The breath was working directly with my nervous system in a way I had never experienced before and I couldn't explain it, I just knew I needed more of it. I haven’t stopped since!

Nervous system regulation is something we’re all trying to achieve these days. Can you explain a bit about how we can do that via breathwork?

Nervous system regulation is one of those terms that's become really trendy and honestly I think that can actually take away from how simple it is. Like take a deep breath right now and exhale fully….. That's it. That's how simple this can be.

Train yourself to take a breath where you may have reacted before. Take a breath when you feel joy so you can actually be present in it. Take a breath when you feel angry. Take a breath when you're in full reactive mode. Just watch how your life changes. That's regulation. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

And here's what's actually happening under the hood when you do that.Your breath is the only function in your autonomic nervous system that you can consciously control.Your heart rate, your digestion, your hormones you can't just decide to change those. But your breath is this direct line in. Every time you take a slow, conscious breath you're activating your parasympathetic nervous system ( what people call rest and digest) and literally signaling to your brain that you're safe. You're pulling yourself out of fight or flight in real time.

There's a reason the vagus nerve, which is the command center for calm, is directly stimulated by deep diaphragmatic breathing. Science has shown that slow breathing around five to six breaths per minute actually synchronizes your heart rate variability, which is one of the strongest markers we have for stress resilience and overall health.

But you don't need to know any of that to benefit from it. You just need to breathe. The body already knows what to do you're just giving it the chance to do it.

Aside from breathwork, what practices / things do you prioritize to make sure you feel good in your body?  

I love this question. Aside from breathwork I use a lot of affirmations and repetition. I actually record my own audio, put some music behind it, and listen while I'm sleeping.

When you're asleep your conscious mind is out of the way. All those limiting beliefs, the self-doubt, the "yeah but"  none of that is running interference. You're dropping straight into the subconscious, which is where your actual programming lives. The stuff that's been running in the background your whole life shaping how you see yourself and what you think is possible for you. That's the layer you actually need to get to if you want real change.

The science backs this up too. Your brain cycles through different wave states while you sleep and the periods just before you fall asleep and right as you're waking up  theta state are when you're most receptive to suggestion. It's basically the same brain state that hypnotherapy tries to induce deliberately. You're naturally there twice a day and most people have no idea they could be using that window intentionally.

There's also decades of research on affirmations and repetition going back to neuroplasticity studies showing that repeated thought patterns literally rewire neural pathways. You're not just saying nice things to yourself  you're physically reshaping the structure of how your brain operates over time. The repetition is the whole point. One listen doesn't do it. Consistent exposure does.

So yeah I made my own audio because I wanted it in my own voice, with intention behind it. And the Music element shifts your emotional state and when you pair an elevated emotion with a belief you're trying to install, it lands so much deeper.

We have to talk about our favorite topic here at west~bourne: food. What are you eating to nourish your body on a daily basis?

Oh I love this question. For me it's less about a strict protocol and more about what actually makes me feel good and connected.

My mornings start with coffee. It's a ritual more than anything. Me, my dogs, slow morning energy, no rush I love the taste and smell (again I’m half italian so i love my coffee ritual). 

And then there's pasta. Homemade Italian pasta. I'm half Italian and this one is non-negotiable for my soul. Making it from scratch, the whole process of it, the smell it takes me straight back to my childhood in the best way. There's a comfort that lives in that bowl that I genuinely believe nourishes me just as much as any superfood could. Maybe more.

Comfort is nourishing. Memory and connection and pleasure  those are nourishing. Food that makes you feel held and happy and at home in yourself is doing something for your body that a perfectly macro-balanced meal might not be

What’s your go-to, throw-it-together dinner meal on a busy weeknight? (a photo / recipe would be amazing!)

Oh this one is easy. Chips, guac, and tacos. Moving to LA basically sealed my fate on this one and I have zero regrets.

There's something about living here where that meal just makes complete sense  it's fresh, it's fast, it's satisfying and honestly the ingredients are so good out here that you don't need to do much to make it feel like a real meal. Avocados in California hit different, that's just a fact.

My version is pretty throw-it-together. Good tortillas, whatever protein I have on hand, I'll throw some things in a pan, slice an avocado, squeeze some lime, grab the chips. 

It's the kind of meal that doesn't require me to think too hard after a long day, which is really what a weeknight dinner is supposed to be. Nourishing doesn't always mean elaborate. Sometimes it's chips and guac on the couch with your dogs and that's a perfect night.

What’s your favorite way to use west~bourne avocado oil?

As a big snacker Popcorn. Always popcorn.

I drizzle it over warm popcorn with sea salt and whatever seasoning I’m in the mood for. It’s such an easy upgrade and makes it feel a little more satisfying without being heavy.

A close second is rice cakes. I’ll do avocado oil, sea salt, and sometimes everything bagel seasoning when I want something crunchy but simple.

Honestly, I’m a snack person, so anything that makes a snack feel a little more elevated without a lot of effort is a win for me.    

What’s something you wish more people understood about breathwork?

Oh this is my favorite question. Okay so first thing… breathwork is not one thing. I think there's this assumption that breathwork means you're going to be on the floor sobbing and having some kind of cathartic breakdown and while that exists, that's a very specific and very modern modality. I'm talking about holotropic breathwork, rebirthing these are techniques that were largely developed in the 20th century and they're designed to push you into an intense emotional release. And look, that has its place. But it can also pushing your nervous system well past its capacity and that's not something to take lightly.

I am much more drawn to the ancient practices. The ones that have been around for thousands of years because they actually work and because they workwith your nervous system instead of forcing it into overdrive. These are the techniques I teach in my trainings at Holistic Breath Academy and there's a reason I've built my curriculum around them.

So what does that actually look like? Things like pranayama the yogic breath practices that date back thousands of years in the Vedic tradition. Techniques like Nadi Shodhana, which is alternate nostril breathing, that literally balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain and regulates the nervous system in a way that is gentle, precise and incredibly powerful. Or Bhramari, the humming bee breath, which stimulates the vagus nerve and drops you into a parasympathetic state almost immediately. Or simple diaphragmatic breathing practices that retrain the way you breathe every single day because most of us are chronic chest breathers and that alone is keeping us in a low grade stress response around the clock.

And the Vedic tradition is just one lineage. The Japanese have Kokyu Ho a breathwork practice rooted in Aikido that uses the breath to cultivate ki, life force energy, and develop a deep mind body unity. It's subtle, it's disciplined and it teaches you that the breath is not just a biological function but a vehicle for presence and power. Then there's the Sufi tradition, where breath is considered one of the most sacred tools for spiritual awakening. Practices that use rhythmic breathing combined with chanting and movement to dissolve the ego and open the heart it's been practiced for centuries as a path to divine connection. The Taoist tradition in China gave us practices like embryonic breathing and various Qigong breathwork techniques that work with the breath to cultivate and circulate chi through the body's energy channels. 

What I wish more people understood is that the most profound transformation doesn't always come from the most intense experience. Sometimes it comes from the quiet, consistent, ancient stuff that's been right there waiting for you all along. That's what I'm here to teach. That's what we go deep on at Holistic Breath Academy not just the what and the how but the why, the history, the lineage behind it. Because when you understand where something comes from you practice it completely differently. 

Can you tell us a bit about the difference between 1:1 sessions, classes, and solo breathwork experiences?

Great question because they really do serve different purposes and I think it's important to understand what you're actually signing up for.

A 1:1 session is the most intimate container. It's where we go deep onyou specifically your nervous system, your patterns, what you're moving through in your life right now. I can track your breath in real time, adjust the practice based on what I'm seeing and feeling in the room, and hold space for whatever comes up. It's personalized in a way that a class just can't be. If you're brand new to breathwork or going through something heavy, this is honestly where I'd point you first.

Classes are a completely different energy and in the best way. And here's the thing that most people don't know is happening when they're in a group breathwork setting it's called co-regulation. Your nervous system is literally not designed to regulate in isolation. We are wired as humans to regulatethrough each other. When you're in a room full of people who are all consciously breathing together, your nervous systems are actually communicating and synchronizing. You start to entrain to each other. The collective breath creates a shared field and that field holds everyone in it in a way that is genuinely bigger than what any one person could create alone. People have breakthroughs in group settings that surprise them and this is why the group isn't just witnessing you, it's actively supporting your nervous system without either of you even realizing it. That's co-regulation and it's one of the most beautiful and undertalked aspects of group breathwork.

And then solo breathwork this is where the real transformation can occur. This is what I'm ultimately trying to give people. The tools, the awareness, the relationship with their own breath so that they don't need me in the room. You can regulate yourself on a Tuesday morning before a hard meeting. You can drop in before bed. You can use it in the middle of a panic attack. That autonomy is the whole point. That's the goal. I'm not trying to create dependency… I'm trying to create sovereignty.

Where does breathwork (aside from it being your job) fit into your daily routines?

Oh this one makes me laugh a little because the honest answer is all day, every day. It's just woven into everything at this point.

I have a personal practice that I do before I leave the house. That's my anchor. And I'll also breathe in bed either in the morning before I even get up or at night as I'm winding down. So it bookends my day in this really natural way that doesn't feel like a chore or a checkbox, it just feels like natural.

But here's what I really want people to hear… I am not rigid about it. Not even a little. I need flow. I need my practice to feel like something I'm choosing not something I'm obligated to and the second it starts feeling like an obligation it loses its magic. So some days it's a full intentional sit with a specific technique and real structure. 

I think there's this idea in wellness that if it's not a 45 minute morning routine with a specific sequence it doesn't count and I really want to push back on that.The goal is to build a relationship with your breath that is so ingrained, so second nature, that it shows up automatically in the moments you need it most. You don't think about it… you just do it. Like when something stressful happens and instead of reacting your body just knows to breathe first. That's years of practice living in your nervous system. That's what I'm after. Not perfection. Integration. 

Oh I love this and here's the thing that blows my mind every time I sit with it. You are not breathing. Breath is happening to you.

Think about that for a second. You fall asleep tonight and your breath just... continues. You're not thinking about it, you're not managing it, you're not in control of it. So who's breathing? There's this quote that stops me every time. 

"You don't possess life; life expresses itself through you. Your body is a flower that life let bloom." That's it. That's the whole thing.And this isn't some new age concept this is ancient. 

Thich Nhat Hanh said it so simply and so perfectly breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.Thebreathingdiabetic

So when I say I do breathwork all day every day I'm not being extra about it. I'm just in relationship with the thing that is literally animating my existence. You already are the breath. The practice is just remembering that.

As we wind down here, would you be able to leave us with a few resources for getting ourselves into rest + digest mode for us breathwork beginners?

Absolutely and I want to make this as easy as possible because I really mean it when I say this doesn't have to be complicated.

First, I have a whole library of audio resources you can drop into anytime guided breathwork sessions you can do at home, in bed, wherever you are. You can find them here on my Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6sQYsqVIxoRjF9ggKRqk4u

But honestly? You don't even need that to start. The most powerful thing you can do right now like literally right now as you're reading this  is this:

10 Full Belly Breaths with a Sigh

Here's how:

• Place one hand on your belly

• Inhale slowly through your nose and let your belly expand first  not your chest, your belly. Think of it like filling a balloon from the bottom up

• At the top of your inhale, open your mouth and let out a full audible sigh. Don't be polite about it. Really let it go

• Repeat 10 times

That's it. That's the whole thing. What's happening underneath is that each slow inhale is activating your parasympathetic nervous system and each sigh is literally releasing stored tension from your body. The audible exhale is key  it signals safety to your nervous system in a way a quiet breath just doesn't.

Do this before a hard conversation. Do it in your car before you walk into work. Do it in bed before you fall asleep. Ten breaths. That's your entry point.

You already have everything you need. It's been with you your whole life.