Ep.117 | Becoming More Resilient: Breathwork, Cold Plunges & the Simple Tools that Actually Build Capacity with Josh Hildebrand, Coach + Founder of Breath & Exposure
Feel like you’re doing ALL the hard things every single day, but STILL can’t seem to bounce back when life gets stressful? Turns out, there might be a simpler fix than you think.
Josh is a career firefighter, a Marine Corps vet, and the founder of Breath & Exposure. He literally showed up to record this podcast episode after a night of back-to-back calls and zero sleep, and he was the calmest person in the room lolol. His take? Your breath is a manual transmission for your nervous system. Annnnnd most of us have never been taught how to drive it.
If you’ve ever said “I’m just not a cold person” (bc SAME), get ready. Josh makes breathwork & cold plunges feel way less intimidating and WAY more doable than you’d think.
Enjoy the episode! 😊
In this episode, we explore:
➡️ Josh’s journey from Marine to firefighter to breath coach
➡️ Why the breath is the anchor of everything (and the lowest hanging fruit)
➡️ Upregulating vs. downregulating & why you need both
➡️ How the ice bath acts as a mirror for your nervous system
➡️ Doing hard things vs. living the soft life
➡️ CO2 tolerance & why it affects way more than you’d think
➡️ Regulating instead of reacting
➡️ The ripple effect of doing your own work
Links & Resources Mentioned:
About the Guest:
Josh Hildebrand is the founder of Breath & Exposure, a Marine Corps combat veteran, and a St. Louis City firefighter. After years of struggling with PTSD, depression, and sleep issues, Josh discovered the transformative effects of cold exposure and breathwork. Inspired by his own healing journey, he earned multiple coaching certifications and founded Breath & Exposure to help others improve their mental and physical well-being through mindfulness, breathwork, and cold therapy. Josh lives in St. Louis with his family and credits these practices with making him a better husband, father, firefighter, and coach.
Website: https://www.breathandexposurestl.com/
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/coach_josh_hildebrand/
Instagram (Business): https://www.instagram.com/breathandexposurestl/
Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.
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Curiously Guided: the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.
✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
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Connect with The hosts, Shay + Mariah:
👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @shayheyshay
👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco
