Dan Brulé says breathwork helped him move through grief after his son’s death

Breathwork pioneer Dan Brulé says conscious breathing helped him process the sudden death of his 42-year-old son and stay present during the aftermath. His comments come as grief-focused breathwork gains attention, alongside research showing prolonged grief affects a significant share of bereaved U.S. adults.

Why it matters: - Brulé’s experience puts a high-profile lens on grief, trauma and the growing use of breathwork as a coping tool. - The message may resonate with people looking for practical ways to stay grounded during acute emotional shock. - A 2024 study in JAMA Network Open found that 20.4% of bereaved U.S. adults surveyed met criteria for a presumptive diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder.

What happened: - Dan Brulé, author and founder of Breath Mastery, says he used conscious breathing after unexpectedly losing his 42-year-old son. - Brulé describes the loss as the worst emotional shock of his life. - Brulé says he moved through waves of crying and breathing while traveling through four airports over the next 24 hours. - Brulé says he was able to remain present, clear and supportive of his son’s mother and brother.

The details: - Brulé says grief can feel debilitating and that people often resist fully feeling sadness, fear and anger. - He teaches that conscious breathing can help people channel those emotions instead of becoming trapped, pushed, pulled or frozen by them. - Brulé says that when people allow themselves to fully feel deep sadness, it can pass quickly. - Brulé describes the feeling that follows as a kind of sweetness in sadness, which he calls “sweet sorrow.” - Brulé now remembers his son with sadness at times, especially when he thinks about the time they could have shared. - Brulé says gratitude and warmth are the dominant feelings, and he remembers his son as funny and someone who embraced life fully. - Brulé says of his son: “Like a star, he burned bright for a short time.” - Brulé shares breathwork methods in his best-selling book, Just Breathe: Mastering Breathwork. - Brulé also offers courses and is on an international breathwork tour. - Dan Brulé has 50 years of experience teaching conscious breathing. - He is also the author of The Power of the Breath.

Between the lines: - Brulé’s story blends personal loss with a larger pitch for breathwork as a discipline for emotional regulation. - The timing matters because interest in nonpharmacological mental health and stress tools remains strong. - The research cited in the release does not prove breathwork treats prolonged grief disorder, but it does show grief is common and often persistent.

What's next: - Brulé says he will continue sharing breathwork techniques with practitioners around the world. - He is available for interviews. - More information is available at Breath Mastery.

The bottom line: - Brulé is framing breathwork as a practical skill for surviving grief, not just a wellness exercise.