Breathwork to Calm Your Nervous System and Show Up Better - Jamie Hinkley

As a former firefighter, my default lens on health has usually been Western, tactical, and practical. “Breathe” was something we yelled to each other on the fire ground, not a doorway into healing trauma, grief, and anxiety. That perspective started to shift for me during a KneeToKnee conversation with somatic therapy coach and mental health advocate Jamie Hinckley.

Jamie's Journey

Jamie’s path into somatic therapy began in one of the hardest ways imaginable. In 2021, her domestic partner died by suicide, and she found herself witnessing both darkness and light in the same moment. Trying to make sense of how someone who looked “fine” on the outside could be in so much pain on the inside pushed her to dive deep into men’s mental health and, ultimately, into her first breathwork session.

What Is Somatic Therapy?

In our conversation, Jamie described somatic therapy in very simple terms: it is a way to reconnect with your body through the breath. Our minds can spin stories—“I’m not safe,” “I’m not enough,” “my voice doesn’t matter”—especially when those beliefs were planted early in life. Intentional breathing brings us back to the body and helps the nervous system remember something different: in this moment, right now, we might actually be safe.

One of my favorite parts of the discussion was her explanation of the “sigh of relief.” We joke about it all the time, but when done intentionally—in through the nose, out through the mouth, shoulders dropping—that sigh can signal to the nervous system that it can stand down. Jamie talked about how anxiety often shows up as stories in the brain and tightness in the body, and how simple breath patterns can down‑shift both.

First Responders & Numbness

Because of my background, I asked specifically about first responders. She has worked with firefighters, police officers, and soldiers who have seen so much trauma that feeling “numb” becomes a survival strategy. Over time, that numbness can blunt everything—joy, sadness, connection—and it shows up at home with spouses, kids, and friends. Breathwork, practiced consistently, does not erase the memories, but it creates more capacity in the nervous system so that old experiences do not control every present moment.

Jamie shared that people often feel better after just one guided session, sometimes even sleeping more deeply that same night. At the same time, she is honest that deeper trauma usually takes three to six months or more of regular work, especially for veterans and first responders with years of accumulated stress. The breath is not a magic wand, but it is a tool you can always return to when big emotions surface.

Quick Start Techniques

For anyone wondering how to start, Jamie recommends something very accessible: nose breathing. When panic rises, sit or stand with your feet grounded, breathe slowly in through the nose, fill the chest, then exhale through the mouth while consciously dropping your shoulders and softening your jaw. Even five minutes of this kind of breathing can start to bring you back into the present moment.

She also talked about breath holds and how holding at the top of an inhale, then releasing, can create a surprisingly peaceful, sometimes even colorful inner experience. Over time, like any muscle, your ability to stay with the breath improves, and dropping into a calmer state becomes faster. For parents, Jamie uses this every night with her kids instead of reading, helping them regulate before sleep.

Another area that really stood out to me was her work with young athletes. Many of them have practiced their sport for years, only to freeze when the pressure of a big game hits. Jamie combines breathwork with guided visualization—having them feel the bat in their hands, see the field, notice where their feet are—to rehearse success in the body, not just in the mind. For kids growing up with constant device distraction, this kind of embodied focus might be one of the most valuable skills they can learn.

For those wanting to explore somatic therapy, Jamie mentioned that there are many online breathwork facilitators and resources. Her own certification came through Pause Breathwork, which also offers an app with shorter exercises and longer guided journeys. She still prefers in‑person work when possible, because gentle movement and hands‑on support can help people notice where the breath is getting stuck in the body.

If you resonate with Jamie’s approach, you can find her at “the somatic reset” on Instagram, where she shares more about her classes and coaching. Whether you work in emergency services, parenting, business, or sports, the invitation is the same: come back to the present by coming back to your breath. As Jamie put it, thinking too much about the past fuels fear, and obsessing over the future fuels anxiety—breathwork is the bridge into right now.

This conversation reminded me that sometimes the most powerful tools are also the most basic. For anyone feeling numb, overwhelmed, or stuck, starting with a single intentional breath might be a small, hopeful next step.

Breathwork bridges past fears and future anxiety to the present.

Resources

Instagram: @thesomaticreset. Pause Breathwork app for guided sessions. In-person adds movement for stuck breath.

Watch the short highlight here: KneeToKnee Episode