The Covid-19 pandemic may have put breathlessness in the spotlight, but it has been the subject of a major Durham University research project for the past five years. Life of Breath, a collaboration with the University of Bristol, has used a medical humanities approach to explore breathing and breathlessness and their relationship to both illness and wellbeing. The current pandemic underlines how important it is to understand the experience of breathlessness, but also sheds light on why the breath remains invisible and taken for granted until it is snatched from us - breath is essential to life and any threat to it is too frightening to comprehend, let alone express.

This interactive talk will share insights from the Life of Breath research, exploring findings on the experience of breathlessness and the cultural significance of the breath, as well as sharing practical and creative tools which can be helpful and empowering for anyone experiencing breathlessness – whether it’s caused by coronavirus or COPD.