The Missing Link Between Knowing How to Feel Better… and Actually Feeling Better
About eleven years ago, I hit a strange kind of wall.
I was deep in the world of self-development…
I’d taken the seminars, read the books, done all the “work.”
By all accounts, I should have been in a better place.
I knew exactly what to do to feel better…
Mentally. Emotionally. Physically.
And yet… I didn’t feel better.
There was this quiet but undeniable gap between knowing what to do…
And actually being able to feel better.
For a long time, I thought the problem was me.
Maybe I wasn’t trying hard enough.
Maybe I hadn’t healed enough.
Maybe I just wasn’t “good enough.”
But eventually, I discovered the real missing link.
It wasn’t mindset.
It wasn’t willpower.
It was my unconscious breathing!
My breathing patterns were still wired for stress and self-protection.
Without realizing it, I was subtly controlling my breath…
And that control was keeping me in a loop of subtle constant stress.
It wasn’t until I learned how to work with my breathing reflex that things began to shift.
I stopped overriding my body’s natural rhythm.
I started noticing what my breath was already doing…
Before trying to change it.
That’s when the gap began to close.
Not overnight. But gradually. Sustainably.
I was relearning how not to control.
And that changed everything.
The healing didn’t come from doing more.
It came from allowing… and restoring what was already there.
That’s at the heart of what we teach inside Behavioral Breathwork.
It’s why we don’t start with techniques…
Especially not the ones that add more control to an already over-controlled system.
We start with what’s already happening in the body…
And how to listen to it.
This week, in our facilitator training,
We explored that exact bridge between awareness and regulation.
If you’ve ever felt like you should be feeling better by now…
This might be the missing piece.
If you’d like to explore this work with us, join the waitlist for our next cohort…
In Gratitude,
Angie (and Shane) Saunders
Featured Insight of the Week
I Couldn’t Think My Way Out of a Panic Attack
There was a time I genuinely believed that my mindset could fix everything.
If I thought the right thoughts, I wouldn’t feel anxious.
If I stayed positive, I wouldn’t spiral into overwhelm.
But the body doesn’t work that way.
It doesn’t respond to logic.
It responds to signals.
Signals like CO₂ levels, breathing rate, posture, and muscle tension…
They shape internal states before the mind has time to catch up
The unconscious system is built for survival.
It remembers what the conscious mind forgets.
It steps in automatically, even when the original threat is long gone.
Ancient system… modern mind.
This week inside the Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training,
We explored just how quickly a chemical shift can create a physiological reaction.
Even a small disruption in breathing can trigger a cascade of experiences:
Racing heart.
Tight chest.
Anxious thoughts.
A sense that something’s wrong… even when nothing is.
It’s not dysfunctional…
It's an adaptation.
The breath is responding to what it perceives as urgent.
That’s why anxiety can show up even when “everything is fine.”
Because it’s not just about the story in the mind…
It’s about the signals the body is receiving.
And most of the time, it’s happening outside of awareness.
We don’t have to think about breathing…
The body just does it.
That’s why breathwork isn’t about fixing or forcing.
It begins with awareness.
Because until the body feels safe,
The breath will keep doing what it’s been conditioned to do to survive.
When those patterns are observed…
Without judgment…
And gently supported rather than overridden…
That’s when something shifts.
This is the foundation of Behavioral Breathwork.
Not mind over matter.
But awareness over reaction.
A quiet, powerful shift that starts from the inside…
And changes everything.
This is why we are so passionate about teaching this!
Imagine living in a world where we are all well regulated. 
Facilitator Recap of the Week...
Week 1: Core Functions & Habit Mapping
This week, we laid the foundation for Behavioral Breathwork by mapping the six core mechanical functions of breathing and exploring how those patterns shape not just the physiology, but psychology, chemistry, and daily behavior.
Here’s what we covered:
- Why CO₂ (not oxygen) is the primary driver behind breathing related symptoms
- The 6 Core Breathing Functions that reveal more than any technique ever could
- What regulation actually means (spoiler: it’s not “calm,” it’s adaptability)
- How to start mapping breathing habits and patterns without labeling them as wrong
One standout insight from the group…
Which is something that we see quite often when people start this work:
“I panic when I’m not controlling my breath.”
These are the moments that matter.
Because as facilitators, our job isn’t to fix someone’s breathing.
It’s to help them understand what it’s doing… and why.
Next week, we’ll take this further with simple, practical interventions and movement-based exercises to use to support self-regulation in real time.
If you're ready to learn this work, our next cohort begins this October.
Want to Breathe With Us In Person?
We’re planning two powerful in-person experiences and we’d love to know if you’re interested.
You’ll have the chance to join us for:
Both events blend the in person breathwork experience, practical science, and real-time transformation… for your nervous system, your facilitation practice, and life.
Let us know where you’d love to join us!
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