When Personal Practice Comes First
When we first started exploring breathwork, I wasn’t ready to facilitate for others. At that time, with young children at home, my priority was my own practice and my own health… both physically and mentally.
Shane and I practiced two to four times a week, anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour each session. We kept this rhythm for more than a year, exploring everything from Wim Hof to rebirthing breathwork, not just learning the techniques but experiencing the full range of what those sessions brought up.
I had countless cathartic and emotional releases. Then one day, after finishing a session, I sat there and thought, I feel good. I’m ready to help other people.
When we began facilitating, I still doubted my ability to guide others through their own releases. But it was far easier because I had already navigated so much in my own practice. I understood the terrain. I knew what it felt like to move through intensity and come out the other side.
That is the magic of facilitating breathwork — taking responsibility for your own practice and energy so you can be grounded for others. The more you clear for yourself, the more present you can be for them.
Because how you show up matters.
In Gratitude,
Angie (and Shane) Saunders
Featured Insight of the Week...
Micro-Interventions in the Moment
In a live breathwork session, you can sometimes see when someone is struggling… their breathing has gone erratic, their body tenses, or their expression changes.
For many facilitators, the first instinct is a flash of worry.
Wondering if they can help. Not knowing the ‘right’ thing to do in that moment.
This is where micro-interventions come in.
They’re small, intentional adjustments that help someone self-regulate without interrupting their process. It might be moving closer to offer grounding support, or cueing a subtle change in one of the core functions of breathing… the very skills we teach in the Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training.
The key is setting the stage before you begin, so participants know these options are available to them.
That way, when an intense moment comes, you can guide them without pulling them out of their own experience. This creates a space where each person can have their own journey, together, in a safe and supportive environment.
Over time, these micro-adjustments become second nature. You’ll learn to read breathing patterns, body language, and emotional cues so you can respond with precision… helping someone move through a release while the rest of the group stays engaged in their own experience.
Want to learn how to make small adjustments that create big changes in someone’s ability to self-regulate, both in a breathwork session and in everyday life?
Join the waitlist for the next Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training
Facilitator Recap of the Week...
How We Run a Breathwork Session
This week, our facilitators experienced a full live breathwork session from start to finish… the same structure we have refined from more than a decade of group work.
We began with a clear orientation so participants understood the session’s flow, their choices, and the importance of pacing themselves. This is not about pushing people into intensity. It is about creating conditions for individual experiences to happen within a shared, supportive space.
We talked about why group a group experience depends on more than just good intentions. It is about knowing how to set the container, reading the room, and respond in real time. Sometimes this means offering micro-interventions to help someone self-regulate. Other times, it is about knowing when to let someone stay with their process without stepping in too soon.
We demonstrated how the facilitator’s energy influences the room. Your presence, tone, and pace can either heighten intensity or bring balance. This is why we use clear verbal cues, grounded body language, and a deliberate rhythm to guide the group forward.
The run sheet we use is more than a checklist. It is a tested map that covers everything from pre-session setup and agreements, to guided breathing phases, to post-session integration. It is designed to help you hold the group as a whole, while still making space for each individual.
By the end of the session, our facilitators had not just observed the structure… they experienced it. And when you have both the framework and the skills to adapt it in the moment, you can run a session that is powerful, safe, and deeply impactful.
If you want to learn how to create breathwork experiences that balance intensity with safety…
Join the waitlist for the next Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training
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.
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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...
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