Courage on Command: Just Add Breath
A high-energy technique to steady your nerves and spark bold action, fast
By this point in September, most of us have our routines locked back in. The kids are back in school, the calendar feels a little steadier, and the fall equinox feels like a little nudge: what will make the rest of the year feel like it was a success?
Fall is often painted as a season of cozy sweaters and candles. Which I fully endorse; I wish I had more cozy sweaters in my life. (Instead, I am the cozy sweater.)
But it’s also a season of fresh starts, and fresh starts tend to require courage.
And courage doesn’t exactly feel natural when your body is tense, anxious, or running on fumes. That’s where your breath comes in.
Courage, Confidence, the Chicken and the Egg
Let’s clear up a common misconception that I talk about with my coaching clients. People think you need confidence to have courage, but it’s really the other way around.
Courage is the leap – the choice to take action even if you feel fear.
Confidence is what comes afterward, once you’ve leapt a few times and realized, hey, I can do this.
Confidence can help you develop more courage, but courage is the starting line. And when fear hijacks your body, the fastest way to spark that feeling is with your breath.
How Breathwork Builds Bravery
When you face something intimidating, your nervous system goes into overdrive. Heart racing, chest tightening, thoughts spiraling – think of these responses as your body’s built-in alarm system. It’s great if you’re running from a bear, but not so much when you’re just about to hit “publish” or ask for that raise.
Fortunately, breathwork can help redirect that surge into usable energy.
Slow exhales tell your brain, “You’re safe,” calming shaky nerves and directly activating rest and digest mode.
Grounding rhythms feel physically balancing and steady your thoughts so you don’t spiral into overthinking.
Energizing breaths ignite your system, giving you the spark to act in a productive way.
Which means by breathing with intention, you can shift from fear into fuel. And it doesn’t take long.
A Better Alternative to Having a Meltdown
When I first started hosting live breathwork journeys for my coaching certification, I used this exact approach before getting on Zoom. My nerves would spike but instead of pushing through on sheer adrenaline, I always spent a couple minutes doing short bursts of bellows breath (also called Bhastrika pranayama).
It made me feel weirdly better. That fiery, fast-paced rhythm cut through the jitters and gave me a steady, energized presence. I wasn’t fearless, but I was ready. And ready is all courage really needs.
Bonus: this technique does more than just help pump you up in the moment. It also lowers your heart rate and blood pressure and improves your HRV.
Pretty good deal in exchange for a minute or two of your time, no?!
A One-Minute Practice to Ramp Up Your Courage
Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellows Breath):
Sit tall, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Put your hands on your belly to focus your attention there.
Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling the expansion in your belly. If you’re not feeling the expansion, exaggerate the movement more.
Exhale forcefully through your nose, pulling your belly in as all the air empties out.
Repeat rapidly (about one full inhale + exhale per second). Start off with a set of 20–30 breaths. Pause if you need to, or do a few more sets if it feels good.
Go back to breathing normally and notice the energy shift.
Pro tip: keep your movements strong but not forced. You want power, not dizziness, so start small and build.
It’s quick — one set takes less than a minute — but that might be all you need to feel the effects: clarity, energy, and courage on demand.
Courage Is a Verb
Here’s the reality: courage isn’t about being fearless. In fact, you’re gonna be hard pressed to lead an existance that you find meaningful if you have zero fear in your life.
Courage is about acting in spite of fear. And every time you use your breath to steady yourself, you’re practicing it. Yup, it really is that easy to start training your nervous system to realize, I can handle this. You’re wiring confidence in for next time.
That’s why this month inside my membership, our theme is Courage. Members are diving into a 45-minute breathwork journey that’s all about summoning courage, plus a 20+ minute deep-dive talk with notes on how to apply these practices in real life. Because the more you practice courage, the stronger your confidence becomes.
So think about it moving through the rest of this week: What brave thing do I want to carry forward? Then give yourself a minute to breathe, and let courage lead.
Last Gasp
If you loved this blog, there’s so much more in my full weekly newsletter. Every Sunday I send out practical breathwork tips, science-backed insights to make every day easier, and encouragement to keep you moving forward when you just don’t f*cking feel like it.
Sign up here and I’ll also send you my free 5 Breaths in 5 Minutes kit.
Because when you feel your best, you can do your bravest.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”
— Ambrose Redmoon