Anchored in Breath
In a world moving faster than our nervous systems can handle, the breath remains one of the simplest, most powerful ways back to balance. And it’s free. Always within reach. As close as the next inhale.
But in East Africa, as in many parts of the world, practices like breathwork, yoga, and nervous system regulation are often seen as the preserve of the middle class—something done in yoga studios or wellness retreats. Yet these tools, ancient and universal, were never meant to be luxuries. They are our birthrights.
Long before we had words like “vagal tone” or “nervous system regulation,” our communities knew how to soothe and restore. Young pastoralists hummed or whistled as they herded cattle. Mothers sang softly as they breastfed. Traditional prayer and ritual involved swaying, chanting, dancing—deep, rhythmic expressions that regulated breath, toned the vagus nerve and brought the body back into harmony. Even the wail of mourning had purpose—releasing grief through sound and movement and the inevitable physiological sigh at the end. .
These practices were never just cultural. They were physiological. Communal. Protective. And they are needed now more than ever.
As the demographic bulge of East Africa surges—millions of young people facing uncertainty, pressure, and rapid change—we must make these tools available to all. Not as imported techniques from the west or east, but as reclaimed wisdom. Breath awareness, stretching, grounding—these should be in classrooms, in youth programmes, in daily life. They are our safety valves. And they cost nothing.
In a programme I designed for Critical Conversations, we start every session—whether with the implementing team or in community spaces—with breath, grounding and gentle movement. It sets the tone. It opens the heart. It reconnects us with ourselves, each other, and the land beneath our feet and it primes the body..
Because this is what the breath does—it reminds us we belong. Our inhale is the trees’ exhale. Our breath is shared across time, space, and species. And when we breathe barefoot, connected to the earth, that healing deepens.
This is earth medicine for a frayed world. And it is time we returned it to every corner of society—rich or poor, rural or urban, young or old. The breath is our minute by minute ceremony - celebration of life - our way home.
Bringing Breath Back to Daily Life
If you work with young people—in schools, in health, in the arts, in faith spaces—or simply care about their wellbeing, consider starting with breath. It costs nothing. It needs no special equipment. And it’s always available.
I begin each encounter with grounding, breath and a releasing movement.. These simple practices help us arrive more fully, listen more deeply, and connect more honestly—with ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
I believe this should not be the preserve of the privileged. These are practices that belong to all of us. Rooted in tradition, backed by science, and urgently needed in these fast-changing times