191. Breathwork Expert Explains How to Regulate Anxiety Without Losing Your Edge

What if the way you're breathing is quietly making it harder to handle pressure, recover from stress, and perform at your best? In this episode, I sit down with breathwork practitioner Kimberly Faith to explore how your breath affects your nervous system—and how learning to intentionally control it can become one of the simplest tools for regulating stress and anxiety without sacrificing your competitive edge. In this episode, you'll learn: The simple test that reveals whether you're breathing from your chest or diaphragm How chronic shallow breathing can keep you in a heightened stress state Why regulating your nervous system doesn't mean losing your competitive edge How to use your breath to both calm yourself down and intentionally increase energy Why breathwork can be useful when you struggle to put emotions into words The beginner technique Kimberly recommends for activating a calmer state Why surrender can be one of the hardest parts of breathwork for high achievers How Kimberly recommends combining deeper journeys with shorter daily practice You already breathe thousands of times every day. The question is whether your breath is working for you—or against you. If you want a practical introduction to using your breath to better navigate pressure, stress, and performance, listen to the full conversation. Time Stamps: 00:25: The 30-second breathing test that reveals how much stress your body is carrying 4:20: What happens inside your body when you continually suppress stress and emotion to perform 7:21: Afraid calming down will cost you your edge? Kimberly explains why the opposite may happen 10:06: Why breathwork can help when you can't find the words for what you're feeling 12:07: The high achiever who tried breathwork—and cried "tears of a thousand years" 14:54: The simplest breathing technique to calm your nervous system in minutes 23:27: What actually happens during a 90-minute breathwork journey—and why high performers are using them I help high performers get unstuck and out of their own way to unlock their potential.  Apply for Private 1:1 Coaching: If you're successful on paper but feel misaligned, overwhelmed, or stuck at your next level, private coaching may be the fastest path forward. Click here to apply to work with me. Follow me on Instagram: @thepaulsalter Watch on YouTube: @thepaulsalter Join me in the M19 Mastermind: Click here to apply. Tell them Paul sent you. More About Kimberly Faith Kimberly Faith helps high performers get out of their heads and back into their bodies. A speaker, author, and TEDx presenter, she has guided more than 1,500 people across 7 countries through breathwork experiences that cut straight to what is actually holding them back. Her work is built on a simple idea: real change happens in the body, not the mind. By using somatic breathwork, she helps driven people release the pressure they carry, reconnect with themselves, and perform from a place of calm rather than force. No overthinking required, just breath, presence, and a way forward. When she is not working with clients, you can find Kimberly out in the Colorado mountains with her dog Peanut, chasing adventures on the trails, on the water, and everywhere in between. Learn more about Kimberly at her website here. Connect with Kimberly on social media below: Instagram (@adventuresofkimberlyfaith) LinkedIn (@kimberlyfaithray)