How I learned to calm my nerves (and what it taught me about myself)
I’ll share my three practical tips on how you can get started right now (even if you only have 5 minutes)
My Journey with Breathwork
More Than 25 Years of Yoga
I’ve been a yoga practitioner for more than 25 years. Yup, I actually started as a teenager in the late 1990s—wayyyy before yoga was mainstream or cool.
I was fascinated by the movement, the ability to calm and control the mind, and the strength of the yogis I knew. (There weren’t many in my mid-sized Southern German city. Instagram didn’t exist—believe it or not.)
My First Experience with Pranayama
Later, I began to understand that yoga wasn’t just about headstands, triangles, and warriors. During a three-month internship in India, I learned that breathing exercises (or Pranayama in Sanskrit) are a core part of the practice.
It’s a bit embarrassing to admit I hadn’t known that before. But honestly, most people in the Western world don’t either—because yoga has been reduced to physical movement (Asana).
And I hated Pranayama. I really did.
Every time a class started with breathwork, I felt intense resistance.
My body felt like it was dying during the breath holds.
My heart pounded, panic crept in, and I felt like I would suffocate.
The rigid counting and endless rounds bored me to death.
I only did it because I didn’t want to get kicked out of class. But I never built my own practice.
And Then This Happened…
Everything changed when a friend gifted me a 6-week breathwork program called The Breathwork Journey. She had won it in a giveaway on Instagram.
It made big promises—release your fears and doubts through guided sessions. It wasn’t classic yogic breathing. But I gave it a try.
It was free, so why not?
What I Liked:
I could lie down instead of sitting.
No counting.
There was music.
At first, the usual resistance showed up. I got dizzy. I breathed too fast, thinking that’s how it “works.” (Spoiler: it doesn’t.)
Then I heard the instructor, Samantha Skelly (who later became my coach trainer), say:
“All you need to do is lie here and breathe.”
And I thought: Yeah. That’s literally all I have to do.
All You Need to Do Is Breathe
Turns out… it’s not that easy. 😅
But that moment changed everything.
I started to understand why I had always resisted. Why I couldn’t be consistent. Not just with breathwork—with anything.
I had mastered what I now call pseudo-consistency:
Kinda doing something, while avoiding the actual thing.
Now I was on the ground with one simple task: breathe.
And my default reaction was still resistance.
But for the first time, I gave that up.
I trusted the process.
And I felt what it means to come out different on the other side.
To stay with the discomfort.
To feel all the feels.
To breathe through them.
And then… something happens:
You feel free.
Grounded.
Energized.
For real.
It wasn’t some rainbow-unicorn moment.
It was 20 minutes of breathing.
No trance. No massive epiphanies.
Just a subtle, simple reminder of what I was avoiding.
And that one sentence—“all you need to do is lie here and breathe”—stripped away all the excuses I’d ever made.
That’s why I believe in the magic of breathwork.
And why I love sharing it.
First: Safety ⚠️
Breathwork is generally safe—except in certain situations.
Do NOT do intense breathwork if you are:
Pregnant
In water
Driving
Standing
Suffering from unregulated high blood pressure
Be smart. Be safe. If none of the above applies: you're good to go. 🙌
Getting Started with Breathwork
Tip #1: Just Start
Yes, really.
All you need is yourself, a quiet place, and maybe some music.
It takes less than five minutes.
Tip #2: Keep It Simple
Try this gentle breathing technique:
Inhale through the nose, filling your belly and then your chest.
Exhale through the mouth.
No pause between inhale and exhale—just keep a smooth, steady rhythm.
Go a little deeper than your natural breath. Speed is less important than depth.
No counting. No perfection. Just flow.
Set-up:
Sit or lie down comfortably.
Close your eyes (after reading this 😉).
And breathe.
Tip #3: Add Music 🎶
I personally love using music to support my breathwork practice.
It helps:
Soothe the nervous system
Shift your emotional state
My go-to track for calming down is:
“Higher Love” 🎧
One-Minute Practice ⏱
Set a timer for one minute.
Breathe using the circular breath:
In through the nose
Out through the mouth
No pause in between
After the minute is over, stay where you are.
Let your breath return to normal.
If you feel a little dizzy—that’s okay. It will pass quickly.
🎵 Enjoy listening to the rest of your song.
Then, gently open your eyes.
Take a moment to check in with yourself:
Do you feel any different?
More grounded?
A little calmer?
Don’t get up too quickly—give your body a moment to adjust.
These long, deep breaths give your brain and entire body a nice oxygen bath, helping to flush out excess CO₂.
This shift triggers your relaxation response.
Even just one minute of breathwork can have a real impact.
Don’t underestimate the power of your breath.
That’s It — The Simplest Way to Practice Breathwork
Even a few minutes can make a big difference.
There’s no need to overcomplicate anything.
It will make you a better person —
and a better investor.But that’s a topic for another day. 🌀
