Health Up

A weekend certificate does not make someone trauma-informed. Breathwork practitioner and clinical nutritionist Kathy O returns to Health Up to explain what actually separates a safe breathwork facilitator from an under-trained one — and the questions to ask before you lie down on that mat.

If you've had a breathwork session that left you shaken, dissociated or convinced the whole modality "doesn't work for you," this conversation may reframe it. The problem often isn't the breath. It's the room, the screening and the hours behind the person holding it.

WHAT WE COVER

- The difference between conscious connected breathwork and conscious controlled breathing (box breathing, Wim Hof) — and why the distinction matters for your nervous system
- Rebirthing vs holotropic breathwork: parasympathetic and gentle vs sympathetic and stimulating
- Why healing does not have to be forceful, and how "freeing the breath mechanism" changes how you live, not just how you breathe
- Contraindications, waivers and full disclosure — what a competent practitioner asks you before a session
- Panic breathing and freeze states: why a trauma response can look completely calm from the outside
- Group size and safety — why Kathy caps solo-facilitated groups at 10, and what happens at 50-plus festival sessions
- How to vet a practitioner: training hours, mentorship, recognised schools, the Australian and Global Breathwork Alliances
- Confidence vs arrogance, and why a safe practitioner will never call themselves your healer
- How many sessions before you notice a shift, and why integration matters as much as the breathing

HOW TO CHOOSE A BREATHWORK PRACTITIONER

Ask where they trained, how many hours, and who accredits the school. Ask what happens if you panic. Ask whether they screen for contraindications and medications. A two-day trauma-informed course is not equivalent to a 450-hour program with six months of mentorship — compare the pair.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome back, Kathy O
00:41 From dietetics to breathwork: the backstory
05:33 Finding breathwork through her explant journey
09:03 Rebirthing vs holotropic: two branches of conscious connected breathwork
11:26 Freeing the breath mechanism and why we chest-breathe
14:30 The breath as a bridge between conscious and unconscious
16:21 One-on-one vs group sessions
19:05 Waivers, contraindications and what you may experience
21:27 Panic breathing, freeze and flop, and the polyvagal picture
23:39 Where beginners should actually start
25:00 Credentials, training hours and vetting a school
27:14 Confidence vs arrogance in a facilitator
29:14 Healing can be gentle
32:06 Co-regulation, screams and large-group risk
38:49 How many sessions before you feel a shift
41:07 Why the effects continue after the session ends
43:17 Where to find Kathy O

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Kathy O is a clinical nutritionist, breathwork practitioner and NLP practitioner who blends Eastern and Western approaches. This is her fifth appearance on Health Up — earlier episodes cover gut health, thyroid, burnout and breast implant illness.
Connect with Kathy on Instagram: @kathyo

Hosted by Anthony Hartcher, clinical nutritionist and lifestyle medicine specialist at me&my wellness.

If this episode helped, share it with someone considering their first breathwork session.

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Learn how to move mindfully instead of mindlessly. Coach Tyler shares how personalized movement and the mind-body connection can reduce pain, improve mobility, and transform your fitness practice from punishment to self-care. Discover the movement principles physical therapists use—and why the fitness industry may have led you astray.
📍 CHAPTERS:
0:00 – Intro & Welcome
0:30 – Coach Tyler's Story: From Aesthetic Fitness to Pain-Free Movement
2:55 – The Injury That Changed Everything: Rethinking Fitness
5:03 – WeShape Mission: Movement Quality Over Intensity
5:39 – The Mind-Body Connection in Fitness & Nutrition
7:04 – Mindful vs. Mindless Exercise: Why It Matters
27:22 – Practical Shoulder Movement Principles & Demo
28:51 – How to Connect & Work With Coach Tyler
🤝 CONNECT WITH COACH TYLER:
WeShape Programs:
Website: WeShape.com/health-up (exclusive link for Health Up listeners)
Free 2-week trial available
Personalized movement assessment included
Live coaching calls, group programs & retreats
Follow on Social Media:
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook: @WeShape
About Health Up Podcast:
Health Up is a weekly podcast dedicated to empowering listeners with actionable insights on nutrition, lifestyle medicine, movement, and holistic wellbeing. Hosted by clinical nutritionist Anthony Hartcher, each episode features conversations with leading wellness experts

The longevity industry wants you to believe you can live forever. But what if the obsession with supplements, peptides, and anti-aging protocols is actually accelerating your aging?In this episode, I'm unpacking the uncomfortable truth about the longevity marketing fad and why the world's longest-living people aren't doing what the wellness industry is selling.What we discuss:→ Why the longevity market preys on the fear of death→ How chasing other people's goals leads to emptiness and unfulfillment→ The simple formula from Blue Zones (spoiler: it's not supplements)→ Why living authentically actually improves both your health span and lifespan→ How to dissolve limiting personas and discover who you truly are→ The psychology behind supplement addiction and why it's a wasteThe real secret? Death is part of life. And when you accept that and get present with what's actually meaningful to you, everything changes.This episode is for anyone tired of the longevity hype, ready to let go of comparison, and interested in living a sustainable, authentic life.Ready to start your self-discovery journey?Book a free introductory session to uncover what's truly important to you.Perfect for: Health-conscious listeners, wellness professionals, anyone questioning longevity trends, people seeking meaningful living, and those interested in lifestyle medicine and authentic health.
Key Takeaways:🕐 00:01 - Introduction: What is longevity, really?🕐 02:29 - Why the longevity market takes you away from the present🕐 04:54 - The supplement addiction trap and what our bodies actually need🕐 07:18 - How fear of death accelerates aging and why acceptance matters🕐 09:43 - The simple life formula: How Blue Zones get it right💡 Core Message: Living authentically beats chasing longevity every timeQuestions explored:- Is longevity just a marketing fad designed to sell supplements?- Why do we chase other people's goals instead of finding our own?- What can we learn from the world's longest-living populations?- How does self-discovery improve your actual lifespan?- What role does acceptance of death play in better health?Guest: Anthony HartcherClinical Nutritionist | Lifestyle Medicine Specialist | Wellness Coach

In Part 2 of "Sing High, Sing Low," we dive deep into the transformative science of singing and why this ancient human practice is one of your most powerful tools for mental health, nervous system regulation, and authentic human connection. 
What happens when you sing? Your vagus nerve activates. Your parasympathetic nervous system (your body's built-in calm system) engages. Stress hormones like cortisol drop. Feel-good hormones like oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins surge. And if you're singing with others? The bonding response is measurable and immediate. Fiona, a singing facilitator and vocal advocate for reclaiming this lost practice, joins us to explore: 
— How singing activates vagal tone and parasympathetic nervous system regulation
— Why group singing creates deeper human connection than conversation alone
— The hormonal cascade of group singing: oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, cortisol reduction
— How to use your voice as your personal stress-relief and wellness tool (it's free, it's always accessible)
— Voice shame, choir culture, and why so many of us stopped singing
— Why singing isn't an art form
—it's a fundamental human practice
— Practical applications: corporate team building, community connection, personal mental health
— How singing can regulate both your nervous system and the nervous systems of people around you 
This episode challenges the myth that only "good singers" deserve to sing and reveals how singing is your personal wellness toolkit for anxiety, stress relief, belonging, and meaningful human connection. If you've ever felt too self-conscious to sing, if you're looking for practical nervous system regulation tools, if you want to understand the science of what group singing actually does to human beings—this conversation is for you. 
Listen and discover why your voice has been waiting for you all long.
GUEST: Fiona | Singing Facilitator, Vocal Advocate
→ Instagram: @singhighsinglow
→ Upcoming Book: "All Children Sing Until They're Told Not To" (September)
→ Offers: Singing groups in Sydney, corporate workshops, one-off sessions 
HOST: Anthony Hartcher | Clinical Nutritionist, Lifestyle Medicine Specialist, Science Educator 
SHOW: Me & My Health Up PodcastPractical conversations at the intersection of nutrition, lifestyle medicine, science education, and joyful wellbeing. 
TOPICS COVERED:
Vagal tone • Vagus nerve activation • Nervous system health • Parasympathetic nervous system • Parasympathetic activation • Nervous system regulation • Singing benefits • Mental health • Emotional wellbeing • Anxiety management • Stress relief • Oxytocin • Serotonin • Dopamine • Endorphins • Cortisol reduction • Group singing • Human connection • Community • Belonging • Voice shame • Inclusive wellness • Corporate team building • Wellness tools • Holistic health • Lifestyle medicine • Mental wellness
 CHAPTERS/TIMESTAMPS: 
00:00 - Intro & Overview00:45 - What is a Singing Facilitator? Fiona's Journey
02:30 - The Science: What Happens When You Sing
04:15 - Vagal Tone & Parasympathetic Nervous System Activation
06:00 - Why Choir Culture Can Damage Singing Confidence
08:30 - The Hormonal Response to Group Singing
10:45 - Oxytocin, Serotonin, Dopamine: The Feel-Good Cascade
13:00 - Singing vs. Talking: Why Connection Deepens Through Song
15:30 - Corporate Team Building Through Singing
18:00 - Evolution & Cooperation: Why Humans Sing Together
20:15 - Voice Shame & How to Overcome Singing Anxiety
22:45 - Inclusive Singing: It's Not About Being "Good"
25:00 - Practical Applications for Personal Mental Health
27:30 - Singing as a Nervous System Regulation Tool
29:45 - The Future of Singing in Wellness & Community

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Burnout isn't a breakdown — it's your body's way of telling you something needs to change.
In this episode, clinical nutritionist and wellbeing specialist Anthony Hartcher unpacks the real root causes of burnout and why it so often gets mislabelled as anxiety, depression, or ADHD. More importantly, he shares how to use exhaustion as a guide back to meaning, energy, and a life that actually feels like yours.
You'll learn:
Why burnout is a signal from your body, not a sign of failure
How people pleasing and the need for external validation keeps you trapped
The survival-to-thriving cycle — and where you might be sitting in it right now
Why resilience and mindfulness alone won't resolve burnout
How to reconnect with your values and take meaningful steps forward
Simple daily actions to rebuild energy and live in alignment with who you truly are
Whether you're a burnt-out parent, a high-achiever running on empty, or someone who just can't shake the feeling that something's missing — this episode will help you understand what's really going on and what to do about it.
Ready to take the next step?
Book your free consultation with Anthony and get started on your journey today.
Anthony Hartcher is the founder of the Joyful Mate wellness brand and host of the Me & My Health Up Podcast. He holds degrees in complementary medicine, nutritional medicine, and chemical engineering, and has spent his career helping people move from surviving to thriving.