Explore every episode of the podcast It All Starts With A Breath Podcast

Daydream - Lily Meola

When we were kids in the backyard

Playing astronauts and rockstars

No one told us to stop it

Called us unrealistic

Then suddenly, you're eighteen

Go to college for your plan "B"

What you want is too risky

Live for weekends and whiskey

We all got these big ideas

One day, they're replaced with fears

How did we get here?

Darlin', don't quit your daydream

It's your life that you're making

It ain't big enough if it doesn't scare the hell out of you

If it makes you nervous

It's probably worth it

Why save it for sleep when you could be living your daydream?

Thirty-one, waiting tables

She has a voice of an angel

Out of money and power

She only sings in the shower

All these things we say we'll get to

Shot down by the reasons not to

Darlin', don't quit your daydream

It's your life that you're making

It ain't big enough if it doesn't scare the hell out of you

If it makes you nervous

It's probably worth it

Why save it for sleep when you could be living your daydream?

So scared of failure that we fail to try

Turnin' around before the finish line

Gotta fall for a minute before you can fly

So daydream

It's your life that you're making

It ain't big enough if it doesn't scare the hell out of you

If it makes you nervous

It's probably worth it

Why save it for sleep when you could be living your daydream?

Why save it for sleep when you should be living your daydream?

You're probably wondering why I'm sharing these lyrics - listen to this episode to understand more...

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Sending love and light!

As always a huge thank you to my amazing producer Conor Sweetman for another excellent episode.

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Just my thoughts on friendship, ghosting and the message we hear often, 'be kind'.

Episode produced by Conor Sweetman

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Often when I’ve attended my own training at The Blissful Breath Academy or supported with teaching there, we have talked about how amazing it is to see the ripple effect of this academy taking place. The ripple effect of Niall’s teaching. The ripple effect of breathing.

I still think back to walking into the studio in the Cliffs of Moher back in 2021. I was sinking, struggling, I was paddling so hard to try and stay afloat. I laid down not really sure what would happen and listened to the guidance, I breathed. I can still strongly see that image of when I came back from the session, and feel that moment inside me, when I walked outside and shared my experience with others who were also surprised. I had never felt anything like it. I couldn’t believe that by changing how I breathed, it would have such a large impact on how I feel, that it could change me.

I was hooked and from that moment, breathing has become a huge and integral part of my every day life.

I wanted to share what I had felt, I wanted others to feel what I had felt.

I allowed the breath to change me, which actually meant the more I practised the more I became me. The more calm I felt, the more at ease with myself I felt. Life became more manageable, I had tools I could use now to support myself when things got tough, but even better I had a daily support. I had something that could anchor me. And it had been there all along. I just hadn’t known how to use it.

The more I’ve learned, the more I’ve breathed, the more clarity I find for myself, but also how that ripple can keep travelling, how that moment in time positively impacted me, and how I can help to keep that momentum going.

Listen to hear the rest of the episode and for an exclusive listeners only discount to my next online 6 week Journey to your breath workshop, starting on 24th July.

For full details head to - Workshops — It All Starts With A Breath and to book email itallstartswithabreath@gmail.com

Producer: Conor Sweetman

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I was thinking about how many industries profit off of people’s worry or insecurity around ageing, and it made me question why there is such a worry. 

Is it because we are afraid of what people think of us if we look older? Why does that even matter? 

Is it because as we age we get closer to death?

Death is inevitable.

Ageing is not.

Listen now...

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

Produced by Conor Sweetman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How easy is it to change?

What do we need to elicit change?

Would you be willing to change your breath? Seems easy, but sometimes, it isn't as simple as we think. Sometimes we have to find patience, compassion, kindness to allow change to take place, our bodies, our nervous systems can fight it. That's ok. Less judgement, more love and compassion and we can end up with something quite special.

Anyway, perhaps its worth a listen, a thought and reflection yourself.

Perhaps its worth investing the time to yourself and joining me on one of my future workshops and seeing if you can bring some change to your breath, to your life.

Maybe.

Maybe.

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

Produced by Conor Sweetman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What story are you telling, or maybe listening to?

What is causing you to lack belief, or to believe you are an imposter in the room.

Perhaps it's time to consider the measures you believe add up for success, what that truly looks like for you, or feels like for you.

The option of continuing to doubt, continuing to think you aren't successful or good enough as you are basing it on measures that aren't fit for you is surely an opportunity to re-write your story.

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

Producer: Conor Sweetman IG @conorsweetman.stories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I hope by sharing this experience it will remind people of the importance of being present with people when you are with them, it will remind you of the gift that is now, the present moment.

When my producer listened and got the episode ready, he wrote to me to say it caused him to go and visit his parents - this fills me with love.

Adversity and challenge can bring sadness, worry and fear - but we can also use moments like this to bring more love and more learnings to our life.

I will certainly focus on being more present, even more of the time. I will remember to tell those I love that I love them. I will remember to be grateful for all the moments I get to experience this beautiful gift that is life.

Sending all the love and light to you and all those you love.

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

Produced by Conor Sweetman - IG @conorsweetman.stories

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I've spent some time reflecting on the lessons and learnings I've had from my 40 years of life - I'd love to share them with you.

Maybe make a cuppa and gift yourself 10 minutes to truly sit and listen, to absorb yourself into the podcast.

Perhaps even take the time to reflect yourself on the lessons and learnings from your own life - reflection can be an amazing opportunity for positive change and growth.

Sending you love and light.

Remember - It all starts with a breath.

Produced by Conor Sweetman IG: @conorsweetman.stories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently I have faced a number of challenges and struggles and I started to think deeply about my recent trip to Poland - I looked to the mountain for it's teachings.

They took me to another moment where I intentionally put myself under a large amount of pressure - and again I placed myself back there and thought about the difficulty and what it taught me.

By bringing myself back to these moments, I was able to harness something to help me to see the way through now.

It's certainly not an easy route, but like most things in life, there will be an end to the struggle, there will a way through.

I will harness my breath, bring myself to the now, focus on the step in front of me and lean into my inner trust to support me.

Listen now.

Producer: Conor Sweetman

Instagram: @conorsweetman.stories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday I was giving someone some positive feedback about a movement in the gym and their response was to tell me about a movement they still can’t do.

There wasn’t any recognition by themself of the improvement, just an instant reminder of what they are still struggling with.

It really got me thinking, I’m definitely someone that does this, in the past I couldn’t receive any positive feedback at all, but I’ve been learning over the last few years to hear it, acknowledge it, believe it and learn from it.

Often we are thinking about our goals, things we strive for, self development - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, we are moving towards those things, focussed on those things.

We reach the goal, and all of a sudden the bar is moved, almost heightened.

Now there’s a new goal.

In almost a split second of achievement, we are thinking what next, rather than, wow, I did it.

There have been so many occasions, especially as someone who enjoys a challenge, where as soon as I’ve completed it, or the next day, I’m asked ‘what’s next?’

What’s next?

It’s incredible, as individuals and society how we can just disregard what was probably a major achievement, a major struggle for possibly, days, months or even years, so much hard work, and just - what’s next.

Sit for a moment and just think of your last achievement - however big or small.

Bring it to your mind and see if you can even take yourself to that moment and feel being there.

Did you celebrate yourself? Did you recognise the achievement? Did you acknowledge the work it took to get you there?

I don’t say this, because we need to sit around thinking how wonderful we are, what a hero we have been - although it wouldn’t harm on occasion to do this!

Reflection should be balanced.

There is almost certainly room for improvement for most of us, throughout our life. But if we don’t take time to acknowledge the improvement, the milestones, what can we learn from.

Those successes or moments we were challenged beyond our limits are our opportunity to learn. They are some our greatest teachers.

Adversity, challenge, failure, they teach us a huge amount, but I’m sure there’s also some benefit to looking at the teachings of the achievements, those successes, the wins, the times where to be honest you were an absolute badass.

Maybe.

Maybe it’s worth thinking about.

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

Producer: Conor Sweetman - IG - conorsweetman.stories

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edited & Produced by @conorsweetman.stories

Listen in to hear about how love conquered adversity and read below for more information and exciting retreat details!

Lockdown is what led me to my healing journey, it was the opportunity to stop, I say opportunity, I guess I was forced, but it was definitely an opportunity to see a different pace of life, to slow down.

To face everything I had been running from for a long time.

It led me to a retreat, a few nights away, breathing, taking part in ice baths, away from everything, connecting back in with myself - it allowed me to find my breath.

Five years has passed and in May we will be hosting our 3rd Retreat with Niall & Josie, bringing together like minded people to breathe, move, spend time in nature, challenge ourselves with ice baths, eat delicious food, relax and generally take a break from the hustle and bustle of life, detox from our tech and allow ourselves the time to not only connect with each other, but connect back in with ourselves.

It’s often through adversity or our most challenging times in life we find our strength, when we take the time to truly reconnect to our core, we can find the path through, sometimes it means taking a break, shifting our perspective and being prepared to move in a new direction.

Remember it all starts with a breath.

To take some time out for you, to slow down and reconnect - join us in May - Breathwork, Ice Bath & Movement Retreat.

To find out about our retreat - Retreats — It All Starts With A Breath

We have an amazing offer on, if booked and paid before 2nd April 2025 - £900/person all inclusive (flights/travel to location are not included).

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The health and wellbeing industry is full of “you should do this” and “you shouldn’t do that”. It’s ever changing, ever conflicting and all round at times overwhelming.

If we could just get back to basics, and learn to be consistent we would have an easier time.

Before all the shiny packaging and the chemicals added to our food, before we could get more or less anything delivered to our door with one click, before we made life easier, yet it seems actually creating more difficultly as a result. More sickness, more laziness, more people feeing lonely, lacking community, less talking, more typing.

Maybe if we could strip it back to more simplicity and consistency.

Maybe.

What does that even look like?

Listen along....

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

Produced by Conor Sweetman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They asked her, “how do you love yourself well?”

She answered, “make your well-being and healing a top priority. Have the courage to create boundaries that will support your flourishing. Listen closely to your intuition, respect your need for rest, and connect with people who are emotionally available. Being intentional with your life is loving yourself well.”

I saw these words recently, I’m afraid it didn’t have an author by it, so we will just have to assume its anonymous for now, but the words really resonated with me.

I want to read the last line again – “being intentional with your life is loving yourself well.”

Take a moment to think about those words.

And now listen along....

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

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Join me today to discover the power of your own breath.

By changing how we breathe, we can impact how we feel - in as little as 5 long slow exhales we can start to impact our nervous system.

I still remember that first time I laid down to breathe, I had no idea what to expect, the weather was a little wild and windy out - I was on the West Coast of Ireland - and I had never taken time for myself like this before. I lay there, listening to my breathwork teacher guide me to breathe differently. When the session finished I was surprised at my emotion, I was surprised that although I was full of emotion, I was also so much calmer, so much lighter. I walked out of the studio, the weather was also calmer - it was almost a mirror of my internal state.

Today - a day of love - I am sharing with you one of my greatest loves - breathwork - I am gifting you a 15 minute breathwork session, to have the ability to feel the profound affect your breath can have on you, as you start to bring awareness to it, and start to use it in different ways. On a day that is based around love - gift yourself 15 minutes to sit or lay down and breathe with me to feel calmer.

After all, if we take care of ourselves, we can truly give to others.

Happy Day of Love - see you next time.

Remember, it all starts with a breath.

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I've recently returned from a trip to Poland, where we were facing the cold in very new and different ways. On the trip we had to climb two mountains wearing simply shorts and a bra. The first mountain taught me a lot and helped me to prepare for the second mountain. Mount Snezka and I've just been reflecting on what that mountain taught me.

I made a decision on this climb - time was irrelevant, it didn’t matter how long it was going to take, I had no control over that. It was going to take as long as it was going to take. All I could do was control my internal state, and the only way I could do that was to focus on my breath, my long slow exhale. So, one breath at a time, one step at a time, I walked with my tribe up the mountain, wearing barely any clothes. I didn’t feel cold, in fact, I had one of the best walks of my life, I was the most present I have been in a long time, and it was a really enjoyable experience for me.

When we hit the top, and were exposed to 80kmph winds in -12 degrees, that was certainly a challenge and not quite as enjoyable!! But we made it back down alive and well.

On that walk I had so much time with myself, my breath, my thoughts, time to take in my surroundings, time to reflect on many things, and it really made me realise….

Connection is at the heart of life itself.

Connection to your breath, bringing you connection to your internal world, your internal state. Connection to your outside world, to nature. Connection to the people around you, your loved ones, strangers.

When we truly connect to our breath, we connect internally, when we get to our core, when we accept the darkness and embrace the light, when we surrender to being who we are in this lifetime, we truly start to live, and are able to live a life on purpose.

When we connect to the outside world, and marvel at the beauty of nature, the elements, if the sun shines on us or when the cold wind howls around us, if we learn to lean in to both, accept both, love what both bring us, what they show and teach us, we have the ability to see the beauty in the good and the bad, in the every day.

When we connect to those around us, our loved ones, when we truly take the time to be with them, to absorb them, their beautiful eyes, the way they talk and laugh, their touch when they embrace us, the way they smell so familiar, how they make us feel inside, when our hearts connect we get to share on a deep level.

When we connect to strangers, when we are willing to be vulnerable, to share, we are shown the beauty of humanity, the kindness that surrounds us everywhere. We are shown the reality that we all have our own journey, but we are all often treading a similar path, just a different route. When we come together for shared experience, a shared route, although we are on the same path and we can have a collective experience, it comes with so many different perspectives, so many different solo experiences. Whatever route we take, once connected, we are always a tribe, and with that connection brings love. And that love glows around the World even when we are apart.

For me therefore, connection is at the heart of everything, and leaves me with so much hope for all. As more and more connections are made that glow will out shadow any darkness. Love always wins.

Connect to your breath, connect to your core, connect to nature, connect to your loved ones, connect to strangers and let’s shine the light of connection as bright as the sun. All the love, all the power.

Remember it all starts with a breath.

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