Born from necessity.

On January 7th, 2025, I sneezed while lying in bed and severely herniated a disc in my lower back.

Prior to this incident, I had been experiencing back pain for years and, about a month before the herniation, found myself unable to focus at work due to the pain and stress. A co-worker suggested taking a deep breath to calm down, and I noticed a wave of relief that allowed me to refocus.

After undergoing MRI and CT scans confirming the severe disc herniation, I kept recalling the relief I felt from deep breathing. However, I struggled to remember to breathe deeply consistently.

I searched for a device that could detect shallow or infrequent breathing patterns and send reminders, and could find no such product. That gap inspired the concept of Breathawear, a wearable that monitors breathing patterns and promote better breathing habits.