It's 2 a.m. The day is over. Your body hasn't noticed.
The mind replays the meeting. The jaw is tight. The phone is face up on the table.
You've run on adrenaline so long it feels normal.
What would it be like to live and work without anxiety?
Calmness is not an emotional preference. It is a biological advantage.
Imagine someone is chasing you with a gun. In that moment I grab you and ask you for the square root of 64. Could you do it?
No. When there is danger, your body takes energy away from higher thinking and puts it into survival.
When you are in constant stress and trying to work, part of you is in survival mode. That gets in the way of clear thinking, good decisions and seeing the bigger picture. It is held in the body, so telling yourself to relax rarely works. We work with the body.
Breathing, movement and conversation that teach your nervous system new patterns
I use breathing, small movements and conversation to teach your nervous system new patterns: letting go of tension you have held for years, and coming down after a spike, more and more on its own.
A hot bath or a massage relaxes you, and a few days later everything is back, because the pattern was never addressed. Here your nervous system is learning. Each movement is like a language the body is learning, so the change builds week by week.
The method is called Generative Breathwork. You lie down, I guide you out loud the whole way, and I watch how your body responds and change what comes next because of it. A recording or an app can't do that.
What happens in a session
- We talk about how you feel, and how you would like to feel.
- A short warm-up for the face and the shoulders.
- About an hour of breathing, guided by me through small movements and conversation, sometimes with sound.
- Sense and feel: an exercise in relaxation and witnessing.
- 10 to 15 minutes of exercises a day, to keep it going until the next session.
No hyperventilation, no holding your breath, no forcing. Most sessions are pleasant.
Think of a tree in a pot. Each session moves it into a bigger pot, with more room to grow. The daily exercises are the watering.
"After about an hour of gentle guided breathing, I could feel the pain migrate out of my body. (...) Amazed how well just the first session worked!"Taciana, first session, October 2026
Three places to live from
Most approaches aim to bring you to 0. I work with you until you're living at +1.
Contraction
Stuck in stress, running on held breath and held muscles. Most high performers live here and call it normal.
Regulation
A nervous system that knows how to come back to calm.
Expansion
Living from ease, not pressure. Creativity, energy, feeling alive.
What clients say
Over the weeks, clients tell me they let go faster, say more about what is happening inside them, and come down faster after a hard moment.
"He understood what I needed and shaped the session around what I actually wanted to accomplish. It didn't feel generic. (...) I left feeling lighter. Slept better that night. My thinking was clearer."
"I came in a sceptic. I left having had one of the most unexpectedly powerful experiences of my adult life."
How to start
- Book a 15-minute call. What's going on, what you've tried, whether the work fits.
- A first session with me, so you feel the work before deciding anything.
- Then 1:1 or a group, whichever fits: a session a week, plus a few minutes a day on your own.
"I left feeling lighter. Slept better that night. My thinking was clearer."Nisha Adke, Founder, Gamma
Two ways to work together
1:1
A weekly 90-minute private session, built around you. In person in Lisbon or online. Exercises between sessions, and you can reach me on WhatsApp in between. Ten private clients at a time.
See 1:1 workGroups
A weekly 90-minute group, guided live: a small room in Lisbon, or online. The same method, with others doing the same work, at a lower price.
See the groupsNot sure which? That's what the call is for.
Who this is for
For you if
- You lead a company, a team or your own work, and the load shows up in your body.
- You've tried things that almost worked, and you want something that does.
- You're ready to put in the work: a session a week, a few minutes a day.
Not for you if
- You are in a mental-health crisis right now. This is not a replacement for medical or psychological care.
- You want one session that fixes everything.
- You have a health condition on the safety list. Read the safety page and tell me first.
About me, in short
I'm João. I trained in Generative Breathwork with Andrew Bishop, one to one and then in small groups, and since then this is the work I do with people. I've practised Zen, qigong, yoga and meditation for more than ten years.
More about meQuestions
How is this different from therapy?
Therapy works with the story of what happened. This works with the body, through breath and movement. Both can be valuable.
How is it different from other breathwork?
Some breathwork uses fast, hard breathing and long breath-holds. This doesn't. It is gentle, and I guide you the whole way.
Online or in person?
Both. 1:1 is in person in Lisbon or online. The groups run in Lisbon and online.
What do I need for an online session?
A laptop, not a phone. A quiet room with the door closed. Headphones. Somewhere soft to lie flat with your legs straight, a bed or a long couch. Your camera stays on, so I can see how your body responds.
How soon will I notice something?
Every person is different. Some feel a big relief in the first session. For others it builds a little every week.
Do you work with people in crisis?
No. If you are in crisis, please see a doctor or a psychologist first.
Fifteen minutes, then you decide.
Start with a call. If it fits, we start.
"I came in a sceptic. I left having had one of the most unexpectedly powerful experiences of my adult life."Jonathan Coxon, Managing Director, OAKBERRY UK