Breathe Leiden
Where calm, culture, and community meet.
What is Breathe Leiden?
Breathe Leiden transforms the city’s most inspiring cultural spaces into moments of calm, connection, and belonging.
Not just yoga. Not just mindfulness.
It is an initiative that brings people together in museums, churches, libraries, historical sites, and other meaningful locations to pause, breathe, and feel at home in their city.
Through gentle movement and shared presence, Breathe Leiden creates “urban blue zones” where people from different backgrounds can meet, slow down, move and rediscover the beauty of Leiden’s heritage.
Why it Matters
Belonging
Feeling part of something larger than yourself. Feeling at home in your own city.
Community
Connecting with others in meaningful spaces that hold Leiden’s collective memory.
Well-being
Gentle movement, breathwork, and quiet reflection to reduce stress and boost mood.
Experiencing Leiden’s iconic places not just as landmarks, but as shared oases of calm.
Cultural Appreciation
Community-building in cultural spaces
Bringing people together in places that naturally invite curiosity and connection.
Accessible and inclusive
Sessions are designed for beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Rooted in Leiden’s identity
Every location becomes part of the story: Pieterskerk, the Burcht, Museum Volkenkunde, De Lakenhal, and more.
Evidence-based approach to well-being
Grounded in research on movement, mindfulness, social bonding, and the power of place.
Strengths of Breathe Leiden
* Example image, actual events coming soon
* Example image, actual events coming soon
What Science Says
Breathe Leiden is built on strong scientific foundations and brings these principles to life in our own city.
Movement and mood
Light-to-moderate physical activity significantly reduces stress and improves emotional well-being (Fluetsch et al., 2019; Marquez et al., 2020; White et al., 2024).
Mindfulness and connection
Mindfulness practices increase emotional regulation, lower anxiety, and strengthen social bonding (Donald et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2021).
The power of place
Spending time in meaningful or aesthetically rich environments enhances well-being, belonging, and cognitive restoration (Scannell and Gifford, 2016; Ganga et al., 2024, Ríos-Rodríguez et al., 2024).
Blue Zone principles
Communities with strong social ties, regular movement, and shared purpose consistently show longer, healthier life expectancy (Buettner and Skemp, 2016; Najafi and Mohammadi 2024).
What’s Next?
The project is ongoing, with new sessions being currently developed in collaboration with local institutions.
New dates and locations will be soon published here
Get involved
Get involved
Do you manage a cultural space, historical building, gallery, or community venue in Leiden?
Do you have an idea for a special place that deserves to host a moment of calm and connection?
I would love to hear from you. Please get in touch here
Come move, breathe, and connect
Breathe Leiden is more than a project.
It is a growing movement to make Leiden a place where everyone can feel grounded, inspired, and at home.