Danielle Smith

In a conversation with Danielle, a breathwork and human performance facilitator who left a high-stress corporate environment after burnout to rebuild her nervous system through yin yoga, diaphragmatic breathing, and later Wim Hof breathing and cold exposure. She explains how daily breathing patterns (chest vs diaphragm) affect stress, the vagus nerve, and nervous system regulation, and argues for a “toolbox” of techniques matched to context, including box breathing for driving and balancing upregulation and downregulation to build resilience. The discussion covers chronic stress versus hormetic stress and finding a window of tolerance, breathwork for sleep via cadence breathing (4-second inhale, longer exhale), and coached breath-awareness exercises with cues like saliva as a relaxation indicator. They also address overstimulation from technology, presence and listening practices, reframing fear as excitement and information, prioritising stillness and nature, and Danielle cites The Four Agreements as influential.