Using Your Breath to Heal From Long Covid or ME/CFS with Jackie Baxter

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Jackie Baxter, the creator of the Long COVID Podcast, to talk about her journey with long COVID and how her podcast became a lifeline—not just for her, but for so many others navigating the same challenges.

Jackie started the podcast from a deep need for connection. Long COVID can feel incredibly isolating, and when you’re stuck in that place of uncertainty and struggle, it’s easy to feel like no one truly understands what you’re going through. But through the power of storytelling and community, Jackie found hope—and she’s been sharing that hope with others ever since.

One of the biggest themes in our conversation was the importance of acceptance and surrender in healing. It’s something I see all the time in my work with ADHD entrepreneurs, too. When we’re constantly fighting against our reality, we burn out. But when we learn to listen to our bodies, honour what we need, and shift into a place of trust, everything changes.

For Jackie, breathwork became a game-changer. She discovered how powerful functional breathing can be, especially for regulating the nervous system—something that’s crucial for anyone dealing with long COVID, ME-CFS, or any kind of chronic stress.

We talked about the need for breath awareness and understanding different breathing patterns. So many of us go through life in a state of shallow, dysfunctional breathing without even realizing it. And yet, something as simple as shifting to nasal breathing or practicing slow, intentional breathwork can have a profound impact on our health, our resilience, and our overall sense of well-being.

Healing isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about small, consistent practices that build over time. It’s about focusing on what you can do, even when so much feels out of your control. And it’s about surrounding yourself with stories of possibility—because hearing that recovery is possible can change everything.

Key Takeaways from Our Conversation:

• How acceptance and surrender are essential parts of healing.

• The role that breathwork played in Jackie’s recovery journey.

• How functional breathing helps regulate the nervous system and build resilience.

• How breath awareness is key to understanding our body’s needs.

• How balancing stress and recovery is crucial for overall health.

• How to use Breathwork as a tool for a dysregulated nervous system.

Jackie’s story is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t linear, but it is possible. And sometimes, the smallest shifts—like paying attention to your breath—can have the biggest impact.

Skip ahead to what you need…

00:00 The Birth of the Long COVID Podcast

06:04 The Journey from Isolation to Community

12:01 The Importance of Sharing Recovery Stories

18:02 The Role of Breath in Recovery

26:10 The Journey to Functional Breathing

33:56 Understanding Breath Patterns

40:08 The Power of Breath in Recovery

46:04 Balancing Stress and Recovery

50:57 Breath Work for All: Accessibility and Community

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DISCLAIMER: Everything mentioned in this podcast is only my/my guests’ opinion and should not be a substitute for seeing a medical professional. Please seek advice from your doctor and confirm with them that they are happy for you to implement something you heard on the podcast.