Oxygen Advantage – home to Patrick McKeown’s breathwork approach, utilising scientific breathwork to optimize health, mental clarity and performance. This site has a wealth of information on the science of breathing, as well as access to blogs, podcasts and training courses.

James Nestor – after several years of research, with himself as the guinea pig for many of the breathwork exercises he reviewed, journalist James Nestor published his book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. This fascinating book takes you through his research and his findings, introducing the reader to many breathwork techniques along the way. He is now involved in running breathwork retreats in locations world-wide, details of which are listed on his site.

Travis Eliot – I am a big fan of Travis Eliot’s subscription yoga programme Inner Dimensions TV, in which he also takes you through pranayama exercises. You can sample his breathwork practices for free on his YouTube Channel. I like these two in particular.

Transformational Breath Foundation UK – the home of the UK’s branch of Judith Kravitz’ breathwork approach, Transformational Breath® (her version of conscious connection breath originated by Stanislaf Grof). Here you will find practitioners you can work with as well as training programmes to delve deeper in your own practice.

IFS Institute – home to Richard Schwartz’ Inner Family Systems model, described as “a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self”. This site has articles, videos and podcasts to deepen your knowledge of how to use IFS to heal.

Alistair Appleton – an expert on mindfulness for anxiety, Alistair has one of my favourite voices to go deeper with through his guided meditations, as well as offering rich insights on all things mindfulness in his blog. He also runs in person and online sessions and perennial retreats within the UK.

Dan Siegel – creator of the mindsight and interpersonal neurobiology models, Dan Siegel combines his knowledge of the human mind and body to provide tools for using a mindful approach to healing. In particular, check out his illuminating hand model of the brain.

Jack Kornfield – author Alice Walker describes Jack Kornfield as “one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time.” Judge for yourself as you explore his teachings, meditations, books and perhaps attend his events. Personally, I am a big fan of his meditations, which you’ll also find on his YouTube platform.

Justin Michael Williams – describes his work as dancing in the joy and growing from our shadows. Though his transformational speaking, books, music and social media profile, he aims to make sure everyone, regardless of their age, ethnicity, background or circumstances, has the tools to transform both their lives and society.

Light Watkins – a mindfulness expert who writes books, gives talks and takes a minimalist approach to personal belongings and spiritual practices (check out his book Travel Light). My encounter with Light’s teachings was on an online course to develop a vedic meditation practice. Check out his work on his website and YouTube channel. If you like his style, you could also dip into his practice with Commune (see below).

Maitreyabandhu: Life with Full Attention – I was introduced to this book as part of a 6 weeks mindfulness course I completed at the London Buddhist Centre in Mile End, in the east of London, where he is part of their community.  It’s a straight forward introduction to mindfulness concepts and practices, described through a Buddhist lens. In January 24, the LBC launched a new Life with Full Attention app to accompany the book and course which you can download for free on Google Play and App Store. The LBC also has lots of mindfulness practices on their YouTube site.

Tara Brach – Tara Brach uses her extensive knowledge and skills with Eastern approaches to inner transformation to provide a wealth of meditation practices, including RAIN, which she describes as a ‘practice of radical compassion’. Watch Tara teaching RAIN here and maybe try it out.

Williams & Penman: Mindfulness, a Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World – in what could be regarded as a primer in mindfulness practice, Oxford professor Mark Williams and journalist Dr. Danny Penman reveal the secrets to living a happier and less anxious life. Based on the techniques of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, their book offers simple and straightforward forms of mindfulness meditation that can be done by anyone. For a more in-depth exploration, have a look here.

Kirsten Neff – a pioneer in the study of self-compassion, Kirsten Neff offers information about self-compassion and ideas for practising and developing this skill.

There are many versions of somatic work and lots of different practitioners. Below are a few of my favourites, from advanced systems of somatic work to some simple exercises you can practice along with.

Arielle Schwartz – a licenced clinical psychologist who works with several trauma-informed approaches, including somatic therapy, EMDR and trauma-informed yoga.

Jon Kabat Zinn – best known for being one of the foremost practitioners who brought mindfulness to the west, Kabat Zinn’s mindfulness approach includes somatic exercises such as this body scan video.

Pat Ogden – a site dedicated to Pat Ogden’s approach, sensorimotor psychotherapy

Peter Levine – a site dedicated to Peter Levine’s approach, somatic experiencing

Positive Psychology – offers this article on different embodiment practices.

Scott Schwenk – steeped in a core body of Tantric traditions, Scott offers programs and practices for those wishing to explore mediation and / or breathwork. My favourite is his 6 points of relaxation exercise

Therapy in a Nutshell – check out these videos for a body scan and progressive muscle relaxation

Very Well Mind – a site that provide a wealth of information on all things mental health, this blog explains different forms of somatic therapy.

Bessel van der Kolk – one of the earliest researchers and champions of understanding trauma as a physical and neurobiological response, van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score has been influential in expanding knowledge and understanding of trauma around the world. His Trauma Research Foundation website also has some useful resources.

Carolyn Spring – as a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Carolyn Spring’s knowledge is deep, well researched and her approach sensitive yet practical. Explore her blog, plus find details of her two books based on her own experiences.

Dan Siegel – in addition to his work on mindfulness (see above), Dan also developed the ‘window of tolerance’ model that has become an important part of trauma work. Here’s a great explanation of the window of tolerance, which illuminates the range of intensities of emotional experience which our bodies can comfortably experience, process and integrate.

Deb Dana – Deb Dana has taken Stephen Porges’ polyvagal model (see below) and created resources for understanding and using this model. On her site, she includes resources for clinicians to use in practice and for people curious to befriend their nervous systems.

Resmaa Menakem – here Resmaa Menakem explores his approach, Somatic Abolitionism, a living, embodied anti-racist practice and cultural building. He describes it as “a return to the age-old wisdom of human bodies respecting, honoring, and resonating with other human bodies.” You can find his influential book, My Grandmother’s Hands, as well as other publications and resources.

Stephen Porges – this site explains how, in 1994, Stephen Porges proposed the Polyvagal Theory, which links the evolution of our autonomic nervous system to our social behaviour and explores how physiological states are expressed in our behaviours. This model has become fundamental for many people working with trauma. To find out more about how you can put PV theory into practice, check out the Polyvagal Institute’s site.

Andrew Huberman – if your interest in healing expands into learning more about how your brain and nervous system are involved in trauma and healing, tune in to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s work. You can listen to his podcast and / or subscribe to his newsletter for great information and tools on neuroscience, health and science-related subjects.

Commune – set up by Jeff Krasno, Commune offers a plethora of video courses and online workshops in personal development, mindful movement, spirituality and health amongst other interests. To test their wares, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial or dip into Commune’s podcast. I’ve been introduced to many practitioners through this platform, including some I have included on this page.

Nedra Tawwab – therapist and boundaries expert, Nedra Tawwab covers various topics on creating healthy relationships and mental health through a variety of resources – her regular email newsletter (Nedra Nuggets), her YouTube channel and podcast ‘You Need to Hear This’, her books and various worksheets and quizzes available on her website

Positive Psychology – this website offers a range of useful information and tools on a variety of psychology and therapy-related topics, such as different therapeutic modalities, self-love, workplace wellness, trauma, resilience, motivation and emotional intelligence. Although aimed at professionals in the sector, it has a wealth of information everyone can learn with.

Sounds True – founder Tami Simon uses Sounds True’s pages to introduce her audience to a wide variety of experts in the field of personal growth and spiritual awakening; through books, audios, podcasts, online courses, certification programs, music, and more.

The following organisations offer emergency support to people in crisis. Most are UK-based, unless otherwise stated.

Crisis offers emergency help to those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

MIND is a major UK charity that focuses on all things mental health, including this page about how to manage a crisis. And here, MIND list a range of helplines.

The NHS website lists a number of services that can offer emergency help for people having suicidal thoughts.

The NAPAC has a helpline that supports people recovering from childhood sexual abuse.
Helpline number: 0808 801 0331

Rethink Mental Illness gives advice for those whose loved ones are feeling suicidal.

The Samaritans runs a 24/7 helpline all year round for people in crisis who need to talk and someone empathetic to listen.
Helpline number: 116 123

Often it is helpful for someone experiencing suicidal and / or self-harm thoughts and behaviours to make a safety plan – a plan of how to respond when the urge to take action is triggered.  Staying Safe has great tips about how to do this.

Suicide Prevent UK’s helpline offers a compassionate and understanding lifeline for those grappling with their mental well-being or thoughts of suicide.
Helpline number: 0800 689 5652

The Survivors’ Trust run a helpline for survivors of rape, sexual abuse and violence.
Helpline number: 0808 801 0818

Women’s Aid a Live Chat service for women experiencing domestic abuse.

Your Life Counts has an international focus, providing information on emergency contacts within a diverse range of countries and an online support service.