February 15, 2026

Can Breathing Help Prevent Alzheimer's? New Brain Research Explained

Breathing is something we do all day without thinking about it, but what if changing how you breathe could support your brain, your mood, and even your long-term risk for dementia? In this episode of Healing Step 2 Wellness, Dr. J and Mei sit down with Dr. Paul Min, a Mayo Clinic neuroscientist who spends his days scanning brains and studying aging, memory loss, and early signs of dementia. What makes this conversation unique is that Dr. Min doesn't just look at the brain from the outside; he also shares how a simple lower belly breathing practice has changed his own life from the inside out. Right after college, working long hours and buried in study, Dr. Min felt constantly tired, unfocused, and drained. A friend invited him to try a structured breathing program, and to his surprise, he noticed his fatigue lift and his ability to focus improve within just a few days. That experience set him on a path of practicing and eventually teaching a style of deep, slow, lower abdominal breathing built around gentle postures, relaxation, and a stepwise curriculum with 15 levels. In this episode, he explains what that looks like for complete beginners, why it's designed to be easy and accessible, and how it differs from other practices like yoga or more rigid breathing routines that can actually make some people more anxious when they try to “do it right.”