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Why “Just Breathe” Isn’t Enough

by Angie & Shane Saunders
Aug 08, 2025
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How Performance Anxiety Showed Up Everywhere

Before I understood how breath responds to stress, I thought something was wrong with me.

Nearly two decades ago,
I was on stage auditioning for the Pussycat Dolls show.
I’d rehearsed.
I knew the song.

But when the lights came on and the music hit, my mind went foggy.
My breath locked. My timing slipped.
I was there… but not in control.

At the time, I chalked it up to nerves.

But looking back, my breath was trying to tell me something.

That same freeze response followed me in life...
Not necessarily on stage, but in everyday moments…
Talking to someone at a networking event, giving a business intro, even chatting with a neighbor.

My chest would tighten.
Words would catch.
I’d feel that wave of heat and panic rise.

The pressure to “perform” hadn’t left... it had just gone underground.

It wasn’t about the situation. It was about what I was carrying.

My breath was responding to an internal environment of unconcious fear, self-judgment, and a quiet (deep) need to feel accepted.

Every time I had to present or connect, I braced myself for impact... 

Not because something was going to happen, or because I lacked skill…

But because of a hidden script running in the background:

“Don’t mess up. Don’t say the wrong thing. Don’t be misunderstood.”

And then it clicked:
I wasn’t just afraid of being judged.
I was constantly judging myself.

That was something that I could change!

And that’s what we now see with many of the facilitators we train:

Breath becomes a reflection... not just of stress “out there,” but of what we’re carrying inside.

That’s why this work is more than technique… it’s personal.

The breath reveals where we’re still trying to prove, perfect, or protect ourselves.

And when we meet those places with awareness instead of criticism, the breath (and life) begin to move differently.

So if your breath is tight, shallow, or reactive… it may not be broken.

It may be trying to reveal something to you.

And it might be time to listen.

In Gratitude, 
Angie (& Shane) Saunders

Featured Insight of the Week

“Your Breath Is Always Responding
Breathing is not static... it’s dynamic.”

It shifts constantly in response to what’s happening inside and around you. That’s because respiration is part of a finely tuned adaptive control system designed to keep your body in balance, moment by moment.

Think of your breath like a smart sensor.
It’s always “reading” your body, your thoughts, and your environment—and adjusting how fast, how slow, how deep, or how shallow you breathe.

Here’s why:

1. Your body chemistry is always changing.
Special sensors in your body monitor carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in your blood. If those levels shift—because you’re moving, resting, or even just worrying—your brain responds automatically, changing your breathing to stabilize things.

2. Your emotions and thoughts affect your breath, too.

Have you ever held your breath while stressed? Or noticed it quicken when you’re anxious? That’s your breathing responding to your inner world—whether or not anything is physically happening.

So even when you're sitting still, your breath is constantly picking up on signals: your mood, your tension levels, your thoughts, even the emotional tone of the room.

It’s not broken... it’s actually trying to help you.

It’s responsive. It’s intelligent.
And it’s often showing you something you haven’t yet noticed

The big takeaway?

Your breath doesn’t lie.
It mirrors the truth of the moment... 
Chemically, behaviorally, and emotionally.

 

Want to learn how this applies to working with clients?

Join the waitlist for the Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training and explore how to integrate this science-based approach into your current work.

Whether you’re a coach, practitioner, or educator, this training helps you use breath as a tool for real-time awareness, regulation, and change.

Doors open soon, and early bird pricing will be offered to those on the waitlist.

 Join The Waitlist For The Next Facilitator Training

Training Recap: Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training

Why Behavioral Science Matters in Transformational Breathwork 

When someone practices circular breathwork (breathing in a continuous loop without a pause) it can bring up a wide range of reactions. Some people feel calm. Others feel emotional, anxious, or even panicked.

That doesn’t mean something’s wrong.
It means the body is responding in the way it’s learned to... based on past experiences.

Here’s what that proves:

Breathing isn’t just automatic… It's adaptive. 

The body adjusts how we breathe based on how safe or stressed it thinks we are. So when we change the breath pattern, like with circular breathing, the body takes notice. It senses shifts in oxygen and carbon dioxide and looks for balance. Sometimes, that can trigger responses tied to past moments of fear or uncertainty… even if we don’t consciously remember them.

This isn’t about “stored trauma.”

It’s about the body remembering how it once protected us…
and being ready to doing it again.

That’s why learning the behavioral science behind breathwork is so important for facilitators.

When you understand how the body and breath work together, you can help people have deeper, more supportive experiences.

You can:

  • Change the breath pattern if someone feels overwhelmed.
  • Explain what’s happening in a clear, calm way.
  • Help people feel grounded and in control—even when big feelings come up.

This week we also guided our Facilitators through a full breathwork session... 

Another big takeaway from this week’s training was this: Letting someone else guide you is powerful.

Many of our facilitators shared how different it felt to be the one receiving instead of leading. It helped them tune in more closely, experience a different way of running a session, and learn how small changes in pacing and tone can make a big difference.

Breathwork isn’t just about change in the moment... it’s about recognizing how we respond to pressure and creating space to respond differently.

 

Do you want to become a Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator?

Join the waitlist for our next cohort of the Behavioral Breathwork Facilitator Training.

Doors open soon, and early bird pricing will be offered to those on the waitlist. 

Join The Waitlist For The Next Facilitator Training 

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 where you’d love to join us!

Register Your Interest Here

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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