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She’d never had a panic attack… until the breathwork started.

by Angie & Shane Saunders
Aug 08, 2025
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When "Good" Breathing Makes Things Worse

At the end of one of our group sessions, a participant came up to us visibly shaken. 

During the breathwork session, she’d experienced what felt like a panic attack... tight chest, racing thoughts, overwhelm. She told us afterward that she doesn’t typically experience anxiety, and had never had a panic attack before.

She was confused.
Not just by what happened… but by what it meant.

There was a subtle undertone in the way she spoke. It was almost like,

“This breathwork made me feel that way… and I don’t want to feel that way again.”

And I get it.

It left me wondering how many others have had similar experiences with breathwork…

Intense physical and emotional responses they weren’t prepared for, with no tools to make sense of what came up.

That question is part of what led us to dive so deeply into behavioral science and breathing as a learned behavior.

Not to avoid these moments…
But to help people understand them.

Now, it’s one of the most important things we teach:

How to recognize when something challenging is happening,
and how to navigate it with choice, agency, and compassion.

That skill doesn’t just help during the session…
It carries over into everyday life.

As behavioral breathwork facilitators,
Our job is to set the stage for a safe and meaningful experience…
One that helps people explore intensity without getting lost in it.

We give them a clear path back to themselves, and the tools to regulate from within.

In Gratitude,
Angie (and Shane) Saunders

 
 

Featured Insight of the Week...

Breathwork vs. Breathing Work What’s the Difference... and Why It Matters

In the breathwork world, most people jump straight to the techniques... without ever considering how someone is actually breathing to begin with.

This week, we unpacked the difference between “breathwork” and what we call “breathing work”—and why that distinction matters more than most realize.

Most breathwork sessions focus on interventions like...
Wim Hof Method, Conscious Connected Breathwork, Rebirthing, Pranayama, and more.

But if we don’t understand the breathing behaviors underneath, those same interventions can backfire.

Here’s how we break it down:

  • Breathing Work is about observing patterns, understanding respiratory chemistry, and working with behaviors. It’s about how someone breathes... not just what they’re told to do.

  • Breathwork (as it's commonly practiced) is about doing something with the breath... usually in a group, often intense, and not always aligned with the body’s actual needs.

The big takeaway?
Techniques are tools...
Not starting points.

And if we want to create real, lasting change, we have to start with awareness before intervention.

If this is the kind of depth you want to bring to your breathwork practice or facilitation…

Join the waitlist for the next Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training and we’ll show you how to do it well... every time, for every client.

Join The Waitlist 

Facilitator Recap of the Week...

Group Sessions! Creating Transformational (Not Traumatic) Experiences

This week, we walked through exactly how to run a powerful group breathing session without accidentally overwhelming the room.

This is where it all comes together…
Here’s a little bit of what we covered:

Set and setting matter.
Just like in a facilitated psychedelic experience, how you open a session determines the experience someone has. We don’t throw people into intensity. We guide them there... slowly, clearly, and with full consent and context. 

Not everyone is ready for transformational breathing.
Some people come for intensity. Others are seeking education, regulation, or simply connection. As facilitators, it’s not our job to assume. It’s our job to inform, offer options, and support autonomy. That’s what prevents overwhelm and builds trust.

You can lead a strong session without pushing anyone.
We walked through how to use techniques and verbal cueing to support deep experiences without pressure. A powerful session isn’t forceful. It’s intentional, clear, and responsive.

Our run sheet is a proven map.
From the waiver to the post-session debrief, we gave our facilitators the exact group session structure we’ve refined over a decade. This framework helped us build a six-figure business while keeping safety and depth at the core. They can use it as-is, or adapt it to fit their style.

Either way, it’s a proven blueprint to running group breathwork sessions.

A powerful session is not defined by how intense it gets.
It is defined by how well someone is able to return, process, and ready to take the next step in their evolution.

If you want to learn how to facilitate breathwork like this join the waitlist for the next Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training. 

Join the Waitlist

When you're ready...

Here are 3 ways we can support your growth with Behavioral Breathwork.

Begin your personal journey
🔗 Try Reflexive Breathing (FREE)

Experience the foundational practice we teach in all our programs.
It’s short, science-based, and surprisingly effective.

Go deeper with the science
🔗 Start the Breathing Science Course

The Breathing Science Course is our self-paced training for coaches, clinicians, and curious breathers ready to start working with clients through the lense of Behavioral Science.
Currently Save 50%!

Join the professional path
🔗 Waitlist: Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training

If you’re ready to bring this work into your community and want to guide breathwork in a way that’s grounded, adaptable, and science-based...
The doors to our next training opens soon!

 

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