If no one is breathing, how are we still alive?

Published 2 months ago • 2 min read

Dear Reader,

I’ve been teaching people how to breathe for a long time, which also means I’ve been watching people breathe for a long time. (Yes, it’s as weird as it sounds.)

And what have I noticed?
No one is actually breathing well.

Most people are basically holding their breath and calling it “coping.” It doesn’t matter who you are — teacher, therapist, CEO, parent, or professional over-thinker — the majority of us breathe short and shallow, like we’re perpetually bracing for impact.

The problem is: your body thinks that means danger.

So it sends up the red flags — heart racing, mind spinning, cortisol party. Then we slap a label on it and call it “anxiety.” But at its core? It’s just your body trying to tell you you’ve been breathing like you’re being chased by a lion… while sitting at your laptop (insert laugh track here).

Here’s the wild part: it doesn’t have to be that way.

Every breath you take could feel like a mini-vacation for your nervous system — if you know how to do it.

I had a woman in my Begin with Breath class last year who told me she’d never been able to relax. Not once. Then she learned how to use the right muscles to slow her breath down and said, “Oh my god… is this what calm feels like?”

She was 50-something. Imagine going half a century without ever feeling true peace in your body. And once she did? She was hooked.

Fast-forward one year later: she breathes consciously every day. Not because she has to, but because she gets to. It’s her mental health ritual, as routine as brushing her teeth — except better for her mood and doesn’t require toothpaste (it’s actually totally FREE).

Begin with Breath is where it all starts.

You’ll learn the science and art of breathing — from a somatic perspective (that means your body’s the teacher). You’ll learn to notice where you store tension, unlearn the stress response, and re-train your system to chill — on command.

It’s simple. It’s powerful. It’s weirdly fun. (Because if you’ve ever been in my classes, you know we laugh — a lot.)