WELCOME!!! If you are like me, and don't take the time to read everything 😂... here are a few simple instructions to start: First, download the SKOOL app, it's much easier to access on the go. Second, introduce yourself: this will gain you access to our Classroom where you'll find free materials. Third, you'll find our accredited Trauma-Informed Functional Breathwork Certification in the Classroom tab. And last, check out our pinned posts for more detailed info 🎉

Hopefully this is the right space for these questions regarding the functional course Q1: when holding a class, if someone gets panicked when the teacher says " focus on your breath or focus on x" how can you settle them or direct them back to a safe practice. I have a friend who really wants to get back into yoga and interested in breathwork, but every time the teacher directs them to focus on x she gets panicked and has to leave? Q2: While doing these breathwork practices (in the course) are we expanding the belly (big inhales)/ wave like to the chest or is it simple light inhales and exhales? Thank you!

This is a great topic that @Charlotte Nash brought up...let's explore: From a Nervous System Lens: Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It increases adrenaline and cortisol, raises heart rate, and shifts your body toward sympathetic activation (the “go” state). That means if you come into breathwork (especially down-regulating or nervous system repair practices) after a strong coffee, your baseline arousal is already elevated. So instead of dropping into calm, your system may: - Struggle to slow the breath or settle the mind - Feel jittery, anxious, or “stuck in the chest” - Interpret stillness as threat, not safety For gentle, restorative sessions (like extended exhales, functional nose breathing, or integrative practices), caffeine can make it harder for the body to enter ventral vagal states, the physiology of rest, safety, and connection. In Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB): During a CCB journey, we’re intentionally working with activation and release: opening energy and emotion through the body. Caffeine can amplify this activation, making sensations stronger and sometimes more erratic. It may: - Increase tingling, shaking, or dizziness - Shorten the breath cycle - Make it harder to stay connected to your body or surrender to the process For trauma-informed facilitation, this matters. Caffeine can push the system into hyperarousal instead of healthy expansion, increasing the likelihood of overwhelm or emotional flooding. That’s why in ReWild we often recommend arriving caffeine-free (or with only a small, early-in-the-day dose). We want your system available, not overstimulated. What Supports Regulation Instead: Before breathwork, try... - Warm water with lemon or herbal tea (chamomile, tulsi, or cacao husk) - Light movement or time outdoors to gently raise energy naturally - Slow nasal breathing for 3–5 minutes to ground before the session You’ll likely notice you drop in faster, feel safer in your body, and experience more clarity afterward.

I recently had the chance to be a guest on a new podcast, where I dove deep into some of the topics we'll talk about here in the group: the nervous system, functional breathwork, and how simple practices can create profound shifts in daily life. In this episode, I share: Why your physiology shapes your state of mind and emotions How breathwork can repair and regulate the nervous system Practical ways to bring these tools into everyday moments The deeper vision behind ReWild Breathwork If you’re curious about how to weave breath into your own life more intentionally (and how this connects to the bigger picture of healing and transformation), I think you’ll get a lot of value from this conversation. 🔗 Check it out here Would love to hear your reflections if you give it a listen, and especially what resonates most for you right now!