Evolve Therapy

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Evolve Therapy

Ann-Marie James is a BACP Accredited psychotherapist & a certified breathing instructor.

She specialises in mind-body therapy using her background in functional fitness, training in breathwork and 20 years' experience as a psychotherapist.

23/12/2025

If things feel full right now, this is a gentle place to pause. Give yourself 5 minutes during this busy period.

Nothing to do. Just follow along.

14/12/2025

This time of year often asks more of us -
more deadlines, more decisions, more emotional load -
without giving us any extra time or capacity.

Step-down breathing is a simple way to gently signal safety to your nervous system when stress starts to stack up.

It’s especially helpful when you feel:
– mentally overloaded
– short-tempered or restless
– tired but unable to switch off

Try it once. Then come back to it when your day speeds up again.

🔖 Save this for the moments you don’t have time to feel overwhelmed; but your body already is.

13/12/2025

We’re planning our next workshop and we’d love your input.

After last month’s Breath in Therapy workshop, we’re shaping what comes next.

🗳️ Vote by commenting the emoji below:

🍏 Nutrition for Mental Health
💨 Functional Breathing
🏋️ Breath for Fitness (gym-based)
🧘‍♀️ Stress & Nutrition in Perimenopause
🩺 Breath in Allied Health

We’ll share the winning topic soon 👇

06/12/2025

Your breath knows you're stressed...before you do 😮‍💨

If your breath ever feels “tight” or “stuck” when life gets busy, this explains why.
And yes - you can retrain it.

Explore the practice with us at Breath & Yoga Nidra: 19 December, 6pm.
🔗 Book via link in bio.

04/12/2025

I ran a half-day Breath in Therapy workshop last month where we dug into the art & science of breath - not just “take a deep breath,” but how biomechanics, biochemistry and lived experience are all impacted by our breathing.

In short: Breathing affects all areas of our health.

Biomechanics — Functional breathing includes nasal-only breathing (except in emergencies!) and is low, slow, and deep with expansion in all directions around the lower ribs.

Biochemistry — the balance of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) influences sensations like lightheadedness, calm or panic from moment to moment. Persistent imbalances in CO2 and O2 from irregular breathing can lead to feelings of stress or anxiety.

Real-Life Application — In therapy, we can support our clients to notice their brain-body state, suspend any judgement or criticism of how they feel, and use breath to participate in shifting their state from stressed to embodied calm, or from flooded out to energised.

If you were at the workshop - brilliant to see you there. If you missed it, this poster highlights the essentials we practised.

If you want to feel the benefits first-hand, join The Only Silent Night You'll Get This December: Breath & Yoga Nidra, Friday 19 Dec @ 6pm.

Tickets in link in bio ✨

— Ann-Marie

24/11/2025

Most people don’t realise how much their breathing habits shape their stress levels, focus and emotional regulation. Breath Pattern Disorders are far more common than we think - around 10% of the population experiences irregular breathing, often without knowing it.

Research also shows that people with irregular breathing are around 50% more likely to drop out of psychotherapy. Not because they’re resistant, but because their nervous system is working against them.

When our breathing is irregular, it changes our blood chemistry in a way that creates:
– muscle tension
– a racing or busy mind
– difficulty relaxing
– heightened stress and anxiety

That then creates a feedback loop: stress disrupts the breath, and disrupted breathing feeds more stress.

In the carousel, I’ve shared a short functional breathing self-check you can try right now. These simple questions help reveal whether your breath is supporting you, or keeping your system in a state of overactivation.

If you answered “no” to any of them, you may have unseen potential in your breath as a tool for creating calm in both body and brain. 🌿

If you’re curious to explore breathwork in a supported environment, whether you want to regulate stress, rest deeper or reconnect with your body, I’d love to welcome you to one of our upcoming Breathwork & Yoga Nidra sessions at The Studio.

All upcoming dates are in our bio.

21/11/2025

Breathwork isn’t just about relaxation; it’s a bridge between body and mind, supporting stress reduction through nervous-system regulation and increased communication between brain and body, creating improved self-awareness.

This post explores the research behind how intentional, slow breathing can help restore safety and balance during and after stress, and how you can experience it for yourself.

🌿 Join us at The Studio Reading:
– Breathwork & Yoga Nidra with Ann-Marie James
– Yin Yoga & Sound Baths with Lorena Rodrigo

Each session is designed to calm the body, quiet the mind, and support deep restoration.

🔗 See the full schedule and book via the link in bio.

19/11/2025

Final call for ‘Breath in Therapy’ 🌿

How we breathe shapes how we feel, and new research is revealing just how closely the two are linked.

Join Ann-Marie James, psychotherapist and doctoral researcher at the University of Bath, for a half-day experiential workshop designed for counsellors, psychotherapists, and other mental health professionals.

Together we’ll explore:
- The link between breath and the nervous system
- Evidence-based calming techniques
- Contraindications and clinical application
- Opportunities for case review and discussion
- Closing breath practice and yoga nidra

📅 Sunday 23rd November | 9am–1pm
📍 In person at The Studio, Reading or online
🎓 CPD certificates available
✨ Limited spaces - book your place via the link in bio.

18/11/2025

Yoga Nidra Weds 19 Nov @ The Studio in RG1 or online! Booking link in bio.

17/11/2025

Bee Breath (Bhramari) is one of the simplest ways to help the nervous system settle - and it’s a technique many children respond to naturally. 🐝✨

In this reel, I’m sharing how breathwork can support emotional regulation for people of all ages, and how something as small as vibration and sound can shift the body out of activation and into a more grounded state.

Breathwork is often seen as a wellness trend, but there’s a growing evidence base behind it. Research in the UK continues to explore how paced breathing, vagal stimulation and interoceptive awareness can support clients working with stress, anxiety and trauma.

If you’re a therapist, counsellor or psychological health professional and you want to understand:
– when breathwork is appropriate
– when it isn’t
– important contraindications
– and how to integrate breath-based tools safely
…I’ll be covering all of this in our Breath in Therapy workshop this week.

📅 Sunday 23rd November | 9am–1pm
📍 The Studio, Reading & Online
👤 Facilitated by Ann-Marie James
🎓 CPD certificates provided

Sign ups close on Friday 21st at 5pm! There are still a few spaces left, so don't miss out. Sign up via the link in bio.

11/11/2025

What if a simple breathing technique could worsen trauma symptoms instead of easing them?

Breathwork in therapy can be transformative, but only when it’s used with clinical awareness and care.

👇 Keep reading 👇

In Breath in Therapy: A Workshop for Psychological Health Professionals, Ann-Marie James (psychotherapist and doctoral researcher, University of Bath) will explore how to work with breath safely and effectively in clinical settings.

We’ll look at:
- Contraindications and trauma-sensitive considerations
- How to assess readiness for breath-based interventions
- Practical, evidence-informed methods you can integrate into therapy

📅 Sunday 23rd November | 9am–1pm
📍 The Studio, Reading | Online option available
🎓 CPD certificates provided
🔗 Details and booking via link in bio.

How do you currently bring breath awareness into your clinical work; or is it something you’d like to learn more about?

Join us to deepen your understanding of how breath can regulate, ground, and restore when used with skill and safety.

10/11/2025

Yoga Nidra, often translated as “yogic sleep”, is more than guided relaxation.

It’s a structured, evidence-informed practice that helps the nervous system move from activation to calm stability. 🌿

Research shows that Yoga Nidra and similar deep-rest techniques can:
🧠 Decrease activity in the stress response system
💤 Improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia symptoms
💗 Support emotion regulation and reduce anxiety
🩵 Enhance heart rate variability, a key marker of resilience

For many clients, particularly those experiencing chronic stress, burnout or trauma-related hyperarousal, Yoga Nidra can provide a safe entry point into embodied awareness and regulation.

Join Ann-Marie James for Breathwork & Yoga Nidra sessions — experiential spaces combining evidence-based practice with restorative rest.

📅 Friday 14th November | 12:30pm
📅 Wednesday 19th November | 6:30pm
📍 The Studio, Reading
🔗 Details via link in bio

References:
- Moszeik, E. N., von Oertzen, T., & Renner, K.-H. (2020). Effectiveness of Yoga Nidra Meditation on Stress, Sleep, and Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 522103.
- Markil, N., Whitehurst, M., Jacobs, P. L., & Zoeller, R. F. (2012). Yoga Nidra relaxation increases heart rate variability and is unaffected by a prior bout of exercise. Dynamic Medicine, 11(1), 1–6.
- Khalsa, S. B. S., & Butzer, B. (2016). Yoga in school settings: a research review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 45–55.

Address

56 London Street
Reading
RG14SQ

Telephone

+441189070420

Website

http://www.evolve.me.uk/

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