By Mae Losasso

We all do it – every day, every second of every day, in and out, like clockwork. It’s one of the few things that unites us all across the globe, regardless of race, gender, age and ability. Most of the time we do it without even thinking about it – other times it can be harder. Sometimes we lose it, sometimes we hold it, sometimes we run out of it – but usually we catch it again, fall back into the old rhythm, and forget we’re even doing it.

I’m talking, of course, about breathing.

Perhaps it seems obvious to point out that humans breathe: but the last two years have thrown our universal right to breathe into question. The Covid-19 crisis, pollution, the climate emergency, and Black Lives Matter have all forced us to think about breathing – and to notice the times when respiration can be difficult or even dangerous.