Podcasts With Patrick McKeown

In this episode, James Nestor (author of the bestseller *Breath*) and Patrick McKeown meet face-to-face for the first time to discuss the science of breathing, debunk myths, and explore how nasal breathing transforms sleep, health, and well-being.

After years of correspondence—Zoom calls, Instagram Lives, emails, voice notes—they finally sit down together. What was meant to be one episode ran long. They kept talking well into dinner.

Dr. Tim Hughes calms his patients before surgery using nothing but his voice and their breath.

In this episode, Patrick McKeown sits down with Tim: anaesthetist, advanced breathwork instructor, and co-founder of The Breath Doctors.

After training directly under Patrick, Tim began applying breathwork not just to his own life, but to the operating theatre itself — bringing calm and clarity to some of the most vulnerable moments in a patient's life.

In this episode, Patrick McKeown sits down with Dr. Bill Hang: orthodontist, airway pioneer, and marathon runner approaching his 80th birthday. After hearing Patrick speak 15 years ago, Bill made two decisions that changed his life — taping his mouth at night and running with his lips sealed. He's since run the Boston Marathon multiple times breathing entirely through his nose, including once with his mouth taped the whole way.

But this conversation goes far beyond running. Dr. Hang shares why he walked away from traditional extraction orthodontics, how forward jaw development can transform a child's airway, and what every parent should know before agreeing to have their child's teeth removed.

Patrick McKeown sits down with Tom Myers for a wide-ranging conversation on how modern life is changing the way we breathe, move and inhabit the body. Together they explore nasal breathing, mouth breathing, jaw and airway development, posture, the diaphragm, fascia, sleep, stress and the emotional patterns held in the breath.

Tom brings his whole-body view of anatomy and tensegrity, while Patrick connects it with functional breathing, carbon dioxide tolerance, airway health and the Oxygen Advantage approach. The result is a rich discussion on why breathing is never just about the lungs — it is shaped by the nose, mouth, ribs, pelvis, nervous system and the world we live in.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired—even when your sleep study says you’re “fine”?
This episode will completely change how you think about breathing, sleep, and fatigue.

Patrick McKeown sits down with Ronda Holman, dental assistant of 27 years, airway health advocate, and self-described “recovering mouth breather” and “former floppy tongue owner.” Ronda shares how she reached age 37 without ever being told she was a dysfunctional breather—and how changing her breathing transformed her sleep, energy, and life.

Struggling with sleep apnea, poor sleep, or CPAP that doesn’t seem to fix everything? In this powerful conversation, Dr. David McCarty, author of Empowered Sleep Apnea, joins Patrick to unpack a new way of understanding and treating sleep apnea.

Instead of treating sleep apnea as a simple “CPAP problem,” Dr. McCarty explains why it’s really a complex constellation of moving parts.

Patrick McKeown speaks with Professor Dave Singh (Stanford, craniofacial sleep medicine) about why the upper airway is a living system—not just a pipe—and how this controls sleep, breathing, and long term health. 

Good sleep is about more than simply spending eight hours in bed. It also depends on how well the upper airway functions as a dynamic, self-regulating system throughout the night. Sleep apnea can have multiple contributing factors, including craniofacial structure, obesity, neurological influences and muscle tone. Tongue posture and nasal breathing also play an important role, with waking up with the tongue resting naturally on the palate being one useful indicator of healthy oral and airway function.

In this talk for IMMH, Patrick McKeown, founder of the Buteyko Clinic, explains why up to 75% of people with anxiety and panic disorders experience dysfunctional breathing patterns.

Patrick explores how chronic stress leads to over-breathing, mouth breathing, and irregular breathing habits that can trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response. He explains the role of the brain’s pre-Bötzinger complex in regulating breathing and how fast, shallow breathing can negatively impact the nervous system, sleep quality, focus, and emotional regulation.

Dr. Seb, a biological dentist, discusses his holistic approach to dental health, emphasizing the connection between oral health and overall well-being. He highlights the importance of airway and breathing mechanics, noting that issues like sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) often go undiagnosed. 

He also stresses the significance of nasal breathing for oral health and overall health, as it helps maintain saliva and balance good and bad bacteria, while advocating for a comprehensive approach that includes myofunctional therapy, tongue positioning, and inflammation management to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Mark Burhenne reveals groundbreaking insights into how breathing, oral health, and facial development are interconnected. 

Learn about the critical role of nasal breathing, the oral microbiome, and why conventional dental care might be missing key health factors. Discover how mouth breathing affects sleep, mental health, and overall wellness in this eye-opening discussion.

Join Patrick McKeown and Dr. Nathan Bryan in a groundbreaking conversation about nitric oxide - the critical yet overlooked gas that could be the key to preventing cardiovascular disease, improving respiratory health, and optimizing human performance. 

Dr. Bryan, a leading expert in nitric oxide research, reveals how simple practices like nasal breathing can revolutionize your health, and shares insights from his decades of scientific research. Learn about the powerful role of nitric oxide in everything from sleep apnea to viral immunity, and discover practical strategies to boost your body's nitric oxide production.

Join Patrick McKeown and Dr. Toshi Hart as they dive deep into the critical connections between oral health, breathing, and sleep. Discover:

• How mouth breathing impacts dental health from childhood to adulthood
  
• The surprising link between jaw development and sleep disorders
  
• Why women's sleep issues are often misdiagnosed
  
• The importance of nasal breathing and proper tongue posture
  
• Innovative approaches to treating sleep apnea and breathing challenges

Does breathing intersect with medicine? Dr. Louise Oliver explain to Patrick McKeown why. A GP based between Leeds and Manchester, Dr. Oliver brings a wealth of experience to this conversation, which explores the role of breathing, particularly in female health.

Dr. Oliver’s expertise and insights make her a valuable voice on this topic. To begin, she reflects on her journey into this field—an area not commonly explored by GPs—and what first sparked her interest in the power of breath.

Join Patrick McKeown as he speaks with Dr. Karina Patel, a leading expert in craniofacial pain and sleep disorder breathing. With over 10 years of experience and having treated more than 5,000 patients, Dr. Patel shares her insights on sleep disorders and their impact on health. 

Learn about her multidisciplinary approach to sleep therapy and the importance of proper breathing in improving sleep quality. Perfect for anyone looking to better understand sleep apnea, chronic pain, and breathing-related sleep issues.

Discover the vital connection between orthodontics and breathing in this insightful conversation with Dr. Decker and breathing expert Patrick McKeown.

Explore how breathing patterns, palate shape, and tongue tie affect orthodontic health, sleep apnea, and even ADHD. Gain valuable insights into the role of myofunctional therapy in improving both dental and overall health.

Don’t miss this enlightening discussion for anyone interested in the link between orthodontics and optimal breathing.

Join breathing expert Patrick McKeown as he explains the power of nasal breathing to boost focus, improve sleep, and enhance overall health.

Discover simple breathing exercises that can transform your well-being and help you feel your best every day.

Struggling with sleep, anxiety, or focus? Join Patrick McKeown as he shares how functional breathing can transform your sleep and overall well-being. Learn simple breathing techniques to reduce snoring, stimulate the vagus nerve, and decrease the risk of sleep disorders.

Discover the science behind nose breathing and how it can improve your health, sleep, and reduce anxiety.

Join Buteyko expert Patrick McKeown as he explores the critical role of nasal breathing for optimal health.

Learn how to determine if you're breathing properly, why mouth breathing can be harmful, and how nose breathing can improve sleep and athletic performance. Patrick also shares fascinating insights on mouth taping at night and his success stories with professional athletes.

Join world-renowned breathing expert Patrick McKeown as he shares insights from his talk at the Health Optimisation Summit in London.

Learn how breathing impacts sleep, concentration, focus, and performance, and discover simple techniques to enhance your overall health. Patrick discusses the science behind breathing and how it can optimize both mental and physical well-being.

Discover the insights of Patrick McKeown, the world’s leading expert on the Buteyko Method and author of The Oxygen Advantage.

In this episode, Patrick shares powerful breathing techniques that boost athletic performance, improve sleep, and enhance overall well-being.

Learn how proper breathing can transform your health.