A Big Breath In: The Villain Origin Story

Hi there! Now that you’re here, let me take a few minutes of your time to trauma dump. Just kidding, I won’t do that to you. But I am really glad you’re here. A big, hearty welcome to this little slice of heaven on the interwebs.

A Big Breath In started during the pandemic, the way many people’s sourdough starters and tiktok dancing adventures did. I had just completed my yoga and meditation teacher training, and all that wisdom and knowledge had nowhere to go. A couple of good friends were struggling with isolation, trying to find new routines, and feeling really rotten about things. I was also pretty drained and emotionally stretched, and the uncertainty of everything just became overwhelming. I needed to find a kinder way to be with myself, and luckily, I had my friends to also pin this little venture on.

You know when you jokingly start grunting when you put on your shoes or get up from a chair, purely for dramatic effect… and then one day you realize you’re not doing it sarcastically anymore? You’re actually grunting for movements that used to feel effortless?

That’s kind of how the phrase "A Big Breath In" came into my life. What started as a sarcastic little message to myself - “that’s so cheesy, it’s not going to help” - ended up being exactly what I needed. I started noticing how often I was holding my breath for really unimportant things, like I was constantly "bracing for impact."

Waiting at a traffic light. Thinking about my to-do list. Hearing yet another ping from emails, messages, or Zoom calls. My body was on high alert even when nothing was actually wrong. And in those moments, just taking a big breath felt like an amazing little reset button. It wasn’t some huge, life-changing magical thing. It was just a calm, unexciting moment of relief.

That’s what I hope to offer through these meditations. A gentle reminder to breathe and check in. A tiny pause to say,“Okay, I’m still here. I can slow down. I can take one full breath.” The YouTube channel grew out of that idea. I wanted to create meditations that felt gentle and unintimidating, short and sweet (also words I use to describe myself).

And I especially love that you can tuck them into the in-between places of your life: while brewing a hot cup of , before heading out the door (and grunting while putting on your shoes), waiting in line for , while folding laundry, after a lunch break, between tasks, right before bed. You can literally squeeze one in anywhere.

No fancy gadgets needed. No special posture required. And especially no gold star for doing it “right.” You don’t need to be more productive, or more positive, or more anything to be here. This is a space where you can be as you are — tired, hopeful, anxious, curious, tender. All vibes are welcome.

Maybe someday this site will grow, maybe the meditations will get longer. But for now, just a big breath in is plenty enough. I hope to keep exploring themes like being kinder to ourselves, noticing small joys, grounding when life feels chaotic, and breathing through it all.

Thank you for being here and for spending a few moments reading this. Before you click away, you’re welcome to pause for just a second, take a big breath in… and a long, slow breath out.