Gratitude: A Breath Coach’s Perspective
- Nov 18
- 3 min read
By Charlotte Marsh
Breath Coach and Author
Charlotte Marsh reveals how true gratitude begins not in the mind , but in the body.
Gratitude is often described as a state of mind, a way of noticing what’s good in life. But as a breath coach, I’ve come to understand that gratitude isn’t just something we think; it’s something we can feel in our body when our breathing is calm, steady, and slow.
For years, I believed mindfulness began with our thoughts. I’d tell myself to focus on the present moment, to think positive, to find calm. But my body often had other ideas; my breathing was fast and shallow, proof that even when our minds want peace, our bodies can still be stuck in stress and survival mode.
When I trained in the Buteyko Breathing Method, it became clear that to influence our emotional state, we must first influence our physiology. Our breath acts as a remote control for the nervous system. Slow, light breathing tells the body it’s safe; fast, heavy breathing tells it to stay on alert. When our breathing is calm, our brain receives the message that it’s okay to relax, and gratitude can naturally follow.
That’s why I teach clients that breathwork comes before mindfulness. It’s the foundation upon which our sense of calm and gratitude can truly rest. When we only turn to mindfulness or attempt gratitude in moments of crisis, our breath is usually the first thing to go - quick, shallow, and tense. Before our mind can find stillness, our body must first remember how to breathe.
Through gentle breathwork practices such as; extending the exhale, breathing lightly through the nose, and allowing the lower ribs to expand softly, we begin to shift our body into a state of safety. Once the nervous system steadies, the mind follows. From there, gratitude becomes effortless rather than forced.
I’ve seen this transformation in children as well as adults. Early childhood is a period of rapid brain wiring. Healthy habits we teach during these years, how to breathe, how to self-soothe, how to notice the good, become lifelong pathways. That’s why I created a children’s book, ‘Susie Sloth and Her Secret Superpower’. Susie Sloth teaches children how to move their body with playful Pilates, breathe with ease, and discover the superpower that lives within them.
One of the most popular exercises from the book is called ‘The Smiling Breath’. It combines a morning stretch, a slow nasal breath, and a moment of positivity. As children inhale, they raise their arms towards the smiling sun. As they exhale, they smile, opening their hands wide like the sun’s rays before bringing them down to rest. Each time, they’re encouraged to think of something that makes them smile, a simple gratitude moment to brighten their morning. It’s quick, playful, and profoundly effective.
Science helps explain why gratitude and breathwork work so beautifully together. The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a network of neurons in the brainstem and it acts like a filter for information. Every moment, your senses send millions of bits of data to your brain, but your RAS decides what to notice. When we regularly practise gratitude, we’re training our RAS to look for the positive. Pair that with slow, steady breathing, and we create a body and brain that are wired for calm and appreciation.
In a world that’s always rushing, breathwork reminds us to slow down and to be, rather than do. Gratitude, then, is no longer a list we write but a state we embody. It begins, quite literally, with a breath.
Connect With Charlotte
Instagram: @susiesloth_secretsuperpower, @betterbreathing
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