The Dark Side with Verity

You had a normal week. You didn't work crazy hours. You slept okay. So why are you bone-deep exhausted by Friday?In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, we unpack the exhaustion epidemic nobody's naming properly, the one that has almost nothing to do with how much you're doing and everything to do with what your nervous system is carrying.You'll learn:Why passive rest (scrolling, Netflix, lying down) doesn't actually regulate youThe nervous system bucket theory and what's secretly filling yoursWhy high achievers find rest activating and how to rewire thatThe hidden load carried by coaches, healers and anyone building in publicHow to complete the stress cycle so your body stops storing itA practical audit: what depletes you vs. what actually restores youIf you've been told to "just rest" and it's not working, this is the episode that explains why and what to do instead.🌀 Take the 3-swallow test in the first minute to check your own nervous system state.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

There's a version of the wellness industry that genuinely changes lives. And there's a version that quietly exploits the very thing it claims to heal.This episode isn't about fake gurus or obvious over-claiming. It's about something far more subtle and far more common. It's about what happens when sharing your healing starts driving your healing. When your worst moments become your best performing posts. When vulnerability stops being an act of courage and starts being a growth strategy.Verity goes there. Fully.In this episode she unpacks:How authenticity became currency and what that actually costs youThe moment your audience starts shaping your healing instead of the other way aroundWhy the most regulated, ethical practitioners are often outperformed by people bleeding publicly and what to do about itClient stories, consent, and where social proof crosses into exploitationThe difference between sharing from your healed place versus sharing from an open woundWhy "you're allowed to feel good and still have something to say" might be the most radical thing you can modelThis one is for every coach, facilitator, and wellness practitioner navigating the tension between building a brand and staying true to why they started.Your audience is not your processing container. But your story? Still one of the most powerful things you have.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

If you've ever delivered a great session, got incredible feedback, and still gone home convinced it was a fluke, this episode is for you.Imposter syndrome isn't a mindset problem. It isn't a confidence problem. And no amount of affirmations, credentials, or "fake it till you make it" is going to touch it because it was never designed for what you're actually dealing with.In this episode, Verity breaks down what imposter syndrome really is from a somatic and nervous system lens, including why the standard psychological definition completely misses the mark, what polyvagal theory reveals about the freeze and collapse response underneath it, and why high achievers, wellness practitioners, and coaches are especially vulnerable.You'll learn:Why your brain can't tell the difference between social threat and physical danger (and what that means for visibility)How childhood conditioning, conditional praise, and performance-based belonging wire the nervous system for imposter syndromeWhy "fake it till you make it" actively makes it worse — and what to do insteadThe real reason more certifications won't fix thisHow to build genuine safety in the body through regulated, embodied visibilityWhether you're a breathwork facilitator, coach, or wellness practitioner who keeps stacking qualifications before letting yourself be seen, this episode will change how you understand yourself, your clients, and the work.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity Coonan, we explore how your nervous system may be the very thing limiting your income, business growth, and ability to receive.Financial blocks aren’t just mindset issues, they’re survival responses stored in the body.Through real-life experiences, including making costly decisions from a dysregulated state, Verity breaks down why regulation is essential for making aligned choices in business, money, and life.If your body doesn’t feel safe with more… you’ll unconsciously push it away.This episode will shift how you think about money, capacity, and what it actually takes to build sustainable success.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, we go deep into what it really takes to rebuild yourself from burnout, anxiety, and trauma… to clarity, creativity, and business.Trina from @james_boutique shares her journey of:Starting a boutique and designing her own clothing lineNavigating anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and burnoutThe truth about trauma work (and what actually changed everything)Letting go of perfection, control, and what people thinkFinding your personal style (in life + fashion)Creating space in your body to actually live, create, and growThis is a raw, honest conversation about healing, identity, and doing the thing anyway, even when you’re not ready.If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re “too much”… this episode will hit.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity sits down with Sarah, founder of Book Besties Darwin, a growing community and lifestyle brand bringing women together through their love of books.What started as a simple love of reading has turned into a powerful community where women connect, share stories, and build friendships.But this conversation goes far beyond books.Sarah shares the story behind Book Besties, the reality of building something from the ground up, and how having supportive people around you can make all the difference.We also talk about:• Growing up with your partner and navigating life as high school sweethearts• The reality of building a business when you’re figuring it out as you go• Why community matters more than ever right now• The courage it takes to start something newSarah’s story is a reminder that the most meaningful businesses often begin with something simple, a passion, an idea, and the willingness to take the first step.If you’ve ever dreamed about building something of your own, this episode will inspire you.In this episode of The Dark Side Podcast with Verity, Verity sits down with Sarah from Book Besties Darwin to talk about building community, entrepreneurship, relationships, and the story behind one of Darwin’s growing book communities.Sarah shares how her love of reading eventually turned into Book Besties, a community and lifestyle brand bringing women together through books, connection, and shared experiences.The conversation explores:• How Book Besties began• Building a community business from scratch• Being high school sweethearts and growing together• Entrepreneurship and having supportive partners• Why community matters now more than everThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt the pull to create something meaningful.Sometimes the best ideas begin with something simple, like a love of books.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity Jo Coonan explores why going slow is often the most intelligent nervous system strategy available.In a culture that rewards urgency and intensity, she explains how speed can override safety and why true capacity is built through steadiness, not force.Verity unpacks how the body interprets pressure, why healing cannot be rushed, and how moving slowly creates deeper integration, clearer decision-making, and stronger leadership.This conversation reframes slowness as strength, safety as strategy, and regulation as the foundation for sustainable growth.For anyone who feels behind, tempted to push, or caught between ambition and exhaustion, this episode offers a grounded alternative.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity Jo Coonan explores the often-overlooked foundation of powerful facilitation: the Nervous System of the person leading the room.She explains why technique, scripts, and intensity mean very little if the facilitator’s own body is dysregulated. The depth of a space is not created by performance, it is created by capacity.Verity unpacks how co-regulation works, why participants subconsciously track the facilitator’s state, and how unprocessed urgency or ego can leak into a room. She speaks to the responsibility of leading nervous-system work with steadiness, integrity, and embodied safety.This episode is essential listening for facilitators, coaches, and space holders who care about how their work is held and who understand that true leadership begins with self-regulation.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity dismantles the myth that nervous system regulation makes you soft, slow, or less ambitious.She explains how true regulation sharpens leadership, strengthens boundaries, and increases decision-making clarity. A regulated system does not remove drive, it removes chaos.Verity explores why ambition built on dysregulation leads to burnout, and why sustainable growth requires steadiness in the body first. This conversation is essential for facilitators, coaches, and entrepreneurs who want depth without depletion.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

We talk a lot about depth in Breathwork, healing, and facilitation, but far less about discernment.In this episode, Verity explores why knowing when to guide, when to pause, and when to do nothing is one of the most important skills a facilitator can develop.This conversation goes beyond technique and into nervous system literacy, ethical holding, and the quiet intelligence that allows real change to happen safely.This episode is for facilitators, coaches, and practitioners who feel the responsibility of the work they hold and want to do it well.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity Jo Coonan explores what happens when healing stops being private and starts becoming something to perform.In a world where inner work is increasingly documented, filtered, and shared, Verity speaks to the quiet pressure to always appear healed, regulated, evolved, and self-aware and the nervous system cost of turning growth into an identity.She unpacks how healing can begin to feel like a costume that can’t be taken off, how constant self-narration interrupts integration, and why striving to “do healing right” can actually pull people further away from their bodies and their truth.Through personal reflection, lived experience, and grounded nervous-system insight, Verity shares:How healing shifted from something intimate to something performativeWhy embodiment and integration matter more than presentationThe difference between real regulation and spiritual perfectionHow over-sharing can replace internal safetyAnd why healing doesn’t owe anyone proofThis episode is for anyone who feels the pressure to always respond consciously, to use the “right” language, or to be the example, even when they’re tired, messy, grieving, or human.Because healing isn’t content.It isn’t linear.And some of the most honest work happens where no one ever sees.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan explores the real cost of holding space and how that cost changes as capacity grows.Holding space is one of the most powerful skills a facilitator, coach, therapist, parent, partner, or friend can develop. But when it’s done without nervous system support, boundaries, and embodiment, it can quietly become exhausting.Verity reflects on the early years of facilitation, when holding space meant absorbing emotions, carrying stories, and needing to find ways to release after every session. She shares how this work transformed once she built real internal support and how holding space shifted from something that drained her to something that genuinely lights her up.In this conversation, Verity speaks to:Why burnout isn’t failure, it’s a capacity issueThe emotional residue that often goes unspokenHow the nervous system determines what can be held safelyWhy knowledge without embodiment isn’t sustainableAnd how holding space becomes energising when practitioners are truly resourcedThis episode is for the big-hearted humans the ones people naturally open up to, the ones who are often “the safe one,” and the ones learning how to hold others without losing themselves.Holding space isn’t about fixing or saving anyone.It’s about creating safety, presence, and sustainability for everyone involved.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) isn’t about how deeply you breathe, it’s about rhythm, regulation, and safety in the body.In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan breaks down what HRV actually measures, why it’s one of the strongest markers of longevity and nervous system health, and how Breathwork directly influences emotional resilience and stress recovery.You’ll learn the science behind HRV, how it reflects the balance of your autonomic nervous system, and why steady, simple breathing patterns are more effective than intense techniques. Verity shares practical, trauma-informed ways to integrate HRV breathing into daily life, without tracking obsession or over complication.This episode is an invitation to build capacity, not force calm. To trust your body’s rhythm. And to remember that resilience is created through consistency, not intensity.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Grief doesn’t end, it expands.In this deeply personal episode, Verity Jo Coonan shares a raw reflection on living with grief fourteen years after the death of her partner. She speaks to what it means to experience life “backwards,” how loss reshapes priorities, and why acceptance isn’t about letting go, it’s about learning to hold more.Verity shares a powerful dream that marked a turning point in her grief: imagining her partner grown, happy, and moved on, and how that dream became an unexpected moment of permission to move forward herself.This episode explores grief through the lens of the Nervous System, Breathwork, dreams, and daily practices like meditation and journaling, reminding us that healing doesn’t come from pushing pain away, but from meeting it with curiosity, compassion, and presence.If you’ve ever felt like you needed permission to move on, this episode is for you.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan explores a powerful reframe in healing and Breathwork: intensity does not equal transformation, safety does.In a wellness world that often glorifies peak experiences, emotional release, and catharsis, Verity invites a slower, more honest conversation about what actually creates lasting change in the nervous system.Drawing on trauma-informed principles and real-world facilitation experience, this episode unpacks why regulation matters more than how “deep” a session feels and how integration, consistency, and daily practices are where healing is truly embodied.Inside this conversation:Why safety must come before intensity in breathwork and healingHow a regulated nervous system creates sustainable transformationThe difference between catharsis and integrationWhy grounding after intense experiences is essentialHow daily practices build resilience, capacity, and self-trustWhen intensity becomes escapism rather than healingThis episode is for anyone navigating healing, breathwork, or personal growth, especially those who feel drawn to “more” but are craving stability, safety, and integration instead.Because your body already knows what safety feels like.Healing begins when you listen.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan speaks openly about one of the most important and often avoided conversations in the breathwork space: safety.- Not safety as a checkbox.- Not safety as a certification.But safety as something that is lived, embodied, and practiced.Drawing from personal experience, facilitation work, and years of holding people through deep emotional states, Verity explores why being “trauma-informed” isn’t something you learn once, it’s something you become.This conversation challenges the belief that technique equals readiness, and instead invites facilitators, coaches, and space-holders to reflect on their own nervous system, self-awareness, and capacity to truly meet another human.Inside this episode:Why certification alone doesn’t make you a safe facilitatorWhat trauma-informed facilitation actually requiresWhy technique should never come before nervous-system safetyHow lived experience shapes real leadership and presenceThe human element that can’t be taught only embodiedThis is an honest, grounded conversation for anyone working in healing, coaching, or Breathwork and for anyone who has ever trusted another person with their vulnerability.Because transformation doesn’t happen through methods alone.It happens through presence, humility, and safety.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this threshold episode of The Dark Side of Verity, Verity Jo Coonan invites you to slow down, breathe, and meet yourself in stillness.Inspired by the Lighthouse Principle, this is not a “how-to” conversation it’s an embodied reflection on leadership, boundaries, nervous system authority, and what happens when you stop chasing connection and start anchoring into yourself.Verity explores how over-explaining, over-giving, and over-availability often stem from people-pleasing and trauma responses and how self-abandonment can quietly lead to resentment, burnout, and disconnection from your own body. Through breath, lived experience, and grounded insight, she shares why safety comes from consistency, not urgency, and why the most magnetic leaders don’t move, they hold.This episode is for you if:You feel exhausted from always being available to othersYou’re learning to set boundaries without guilt or aggressionYou’re stepping into leadership, in life, relationships, or facilitationYou’re ready to lead from regulation, not rescueIf something softened in your body while listening, that’s your nervous system recognising safety.You don’t need to chase.You don’t need to explain.You don’t need to abandon yourself.You just need to decide if you’re ready to be the lighthouse.Ready to lead with breath? Apply for VIDYA Breathwork™ Facilitator Training (100% online) or book a 1:1 with Verity. Share this episode with a friend who needs Nervous System safety and hope.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Motherhood, mum rage, guilt, grief and… Breathwork.In this episode, Verity sits down with shadow work + Breathwork coach Steph Beers, mum of three, to talk honestly about what really happens behind closed doors in modern motherhood.They dive into:Mum rage, shame and yelling (and why you’re not a “bad mum”)Gentle parenting vs reality at 5pmWhy your kids aren’t attacking you, they’re learning boundariesHow shadow work + Breathwork (“shadow breath sessions”) help regulate your nervous systemSteph’s journey through loss, sobriety and finding herself again in motherhoodIf you’ve ever put the kids to bed, scrolled their photos and cried because you felt guilty for how the day went… this one will feel like a deep exhale. 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity guides listeners through her end-of-year ritual, a powerful process of releasing, reflecting, and preparing the body for what’s next. As 2025 comes to a close, she shares the mixed feelings that come with looking back on a rollercoaster year while craving new energy and a fresh start.Verity opens up about the importance of closing loops, acknowledging both the beautiful and the difficult moments, and using practices like rage journaling to move emotions out of the body. She explains how unprocessed feelings get stored physically, and why emotional housekeeping is essential before stepping into a new chapter.From clearing what’s unresolved to sitting in stillness, visualising the future, understanding what’s in your control, and taking small actionable steps, Verity walks listeners through the exact practices she uses to shift her state and call in what she wants for the year ahead.She also dives into the power of mantras, future-paced language, and preparing the nervous system to hold the reality you’re trying to create whether it’s love, fertility, abundance, or a completely new season of life.This episode is grounded, real, and deeply supportive, a reminder that December is a portal for release, renewal, and becoming the version of yourself who can fully receive what you’re calling in.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of Dark Side of the Verity, we dive deep into one of the most powerful teachings you can integrate into your life:Nothing actually triggers you, everything simply reflects what’s asking to be healed.As we move through the chaos, closeness, and emotional charge of the holiday season, Verity unpacks the truth about triggers, blind spots, and why our loved ones often set us off the most. This episode is a gentle reminder that your reactions are not failures, they’re invitations.Inside, you’ll explore:- Why triggers are mirrors, not attacks- How lived experience shapes communication (and misunderstandings)- The nervous system science behind stress responses- Why family can activate old patterns faster than anyone- How to pause, regulate, and return to your grounded self- What it means to hold grace for yourself and othersThe beauty of having people who truly have your back and losing them too soonVerity also shares practical tools to support you through this season, including her signature Nervous System Reset™ and how facilitators continue to use the 14-Day Reset inside the VIDYA Wellness Club to shift emotionally heavy moments into deeper clarity and connection.If you ever find yourself overwhelmed, misunderstood, or reactive, especially around the people you love, this episode is your anchor.✨ Experience the Nervous System tools mentioned inside the VIDYA Wellness Club App. Start your free 7-day trial and begin your reset today.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity reflects on what turning 41 has opened in her, the honesty, the softness, the truths she can’t avoid anymore. She shares how this year pushed her to close loops in her business, prepare for the future she wants, and finally get real about love, relationships, and the patterns she’s outgrown.It’s a candid look at ageing, desire, identity, and the very human experience of wanting a family while building a life that feels aligned. Verity talks about attraction, energetics, the discomfort of growth, and what it means to stay open to love even after deep reflection.This episode is tender, grounded and honest, a window into the season she’s in and the woman she’s becoming as she steps into a new year with clarity, courage, and an open heart.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Verity sits down with VIDYA Facilitator Graduate, Hannah, a former corporate high-achiever who stumbled into a Breathwork class after a panic attack and walked out with a new path. They unpack Nervous System safety, why so many of us “hide” in our 30s, the power of community in healing, and the surprising breakthrough that rewrote Hannah’s story about motherhood and relationships. If you’ve ever felt stuck on autopilot, this one’s a hug for your whole system.Ready to lead with breath? Apply for VIDYA Breathwork™ Facilitator Training (100% online) or book a 1:1 with Verity. Share this episode with a friend who needs nervous-system safety and hope.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Verity drops in with three grounding breaths and welcomes Shauna, VIDYA Facilitator graduate, an Irish Breathwork + mindset coach based in Perth, who casually reveals she’s 24 weeks pregnant. They unpack how Breathwork helped Shauna process lifelong grief, open a spiritual side she didn’t know she had, and build a flexible business serving FIFO workers, men who don’t love “talking,” and community retreats. Real talk on trusting your timing, and designing a career that evolves with motherhood.Ready to lead with breath? Apply for VIDYA Breathwork™ Facilitator Training (100% online) or book a 1:1 with Verity. Share this episode with a friend who needs nervous-system safety and hope.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Exhale the noise, inhale your Nervous System reset. This guided 4·7·8 practice slows your heart rate, softens tension, and signals safety to your body in under three minutes. Perfect before bed, between meetings, or anytime your mind is racing.A gentle drop-in to orient your body to safety4·7·8 cadence: inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8 (repeated 4–8 rounds)Soothing cues to lengthen your exhale and melt residual stressA brief integration to lock in that calm, clear stateLonger exhales stimulate the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) response, lowering arousal and helping you feel grounded, clear, and sleepy-ready if used at night.Evening wind-down or mid-day resetAnxiety spikes, decision fatigue, travel days, post-conflict cooldownsSit or lie down comfortably, jaw relaxed, tongue resting on the roof of your mouth.Inhale quietly through the nose for a count of 4.Hold gently for 7 (no strain).Exhale audibly through the mouth for 8, like fogging a mirror.Repeat 4–8 rounds.Tip: If the counts feel long, halve them (2·3·4) and build up.If you’re pregnant, dizzy, or have respiratory/cardiac concerns, please release the holds.

This practice isn’t just breathing, it’s Nervous System training.When we use structured Breathwork daily, especially in short intentional bursts like this, we’re teaching the body how to move between sympathetic activation (stress response) and parasympathetic regulation (rest, repair, clarity) with control instead of chaos.Most people live stuck in sympathetic mode, fast, overwhelmed, reactive, “on” all the time.Belly breathing activates the diaphragm, signalling safety to the brain.Mouth breathing with holds applies a controlled dose of stress, which strengthens our capacity to feel intensity without shutting down.This is resilience building, not avoidance.We intentionally elevate the system on purpose and then guide it back down, creating flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability over time.Like training a muscle, each round builds tolerance.Your Nervous System learns:I can feel more, stay present, and return to safety.And this is how we rewire patterns of anxiety, urgency, freeze, shutdown and overthinking, gently, consistently, through the breath.Ready to lead with breath? Apply for VIDYA Breathwork™ Facilitator Training (100% online) or book a 1:1 with Verity. Share this episode with a friend who needs nervous-system safety and hope.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity Jo Coonan explores what it really means to let go of the “good girl” conditioning so many of us carry. From school systems that reward compliance, to the pressure of being perfect in every role, mother, partner, business owner, this ingrained pattern often leads to exhaustion and burnout.Verity shares her own struggles with learning, perfectionism, and coping mechanisms, and how these patterns show up in VIDYA Breathwork™ Facilitator Training. She dives into why true growth requires embracing the messy parts, understanding your unique learning style, and moving beyond surface-level “goodness” into embodied transformation.This raw and real conversation is for anyone ready to release the need to appear perfect and instead step into authenticity, resilience, and deep self-understanding.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity explores the often-overlooked connection between your Nervous System and the way you run your business. From launching offers to responding to clients, your energy speaks louder than your words. Verity shares how regulation, resilience, and daily practices become the true backbone of a sustainable business where safety, trust, and authenticity shape every interaction. Tune in to discover how to build the nervous system of your business, create alignment, and grow from a place of grounded strength.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, host Verity Jo Coonan shares why Breathwork, though powerful, is only the beginning of a layered healing journey. She explores the importance of safety in the body, the role of tools like journaling, tapping, toning, and community, and why integrating multiple practices creates lasting transformation. Through personal stories and real client experiences, Verity reveals how healing becomes deeper, more authentic, and more sustainable when we combine breath with somatic practices, communication, and self-expression.This conversation is an invitation to go beyond “just breathing” and discover how to weave safety, community, and creativity into your healing so you can fully show up as your authentic self.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity Jo Coonan, founder of VIDYA Breathwork™, explores the concept of microdosing Breathwork using just a few intentional minutes a day to reset, regulate, and reconnect with the body. She shares how a simple two-minute practice can act as a daily energetic cleanse, rewiring the nervous system and creating space for healing without the pressure of long sessions or perfect conditions. Through powerful metaphors and practical guidance, Verity invites listeners to see breathwork as a way to build safety, presence, and resilience in everyday life.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, host Verity Jo Coonan introduces the VIDYA Shadow Work Therapist a tool designed to make shadow work, journaling, and emotional healing simple and accessible.Verity shares how this practice blends breathwork, reflection prompts, and gentle self-inquiry to help listeners regulate their nervous system, release stored emotions, and reconnect with their inner wisdom.Whether you’re new to journaling or looking for a supportive way to explore your patterns, the VIDYA Shadow Work Therapist offers a safe starting point for self-discovery and transformation.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this heartfelt episode, Verity reflects on the 13-year journey since the passing of her partner and the evolution of how she chooses to honour that day. From early years of gathering with friends and drinking, to creating sacred rituals of solitude, and now to painting, ocean swims, and island adventures, she shares the raw, messy, and beautiful truth of navigating grief, healing, and self-belief.This is a story of consistency, transformation, and reclaiming freedom. Verity speaks about learning to trust herself, stepping into flow, being supported by community, and the importance of choosing quality people and aligned energy in life.Join her in exploring what it really means to honour your past, embrace your present, and continue building a future from a place of self-love, intuition, and deep alignment.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity opens up about the heart of her mission with VIDYA, making Breathwork accessible, shareable, and sustainable for everyone. She dives into the magic of sharing: why our first instinct after a transformative breath session is to tell others, and how that ripple effect can truly shift the world.Verity breaks down the new VIDYA affiliate program, designed to reward those who share from genuine experience, because transformation deserves to be celebrated and compensated. From her own stories of discovering Breathwork, to building The VIDYA Wellness Club app and a Facilitator Training that now includes business tools, this conversation explores the deeper truth: health and wealth are inseparable when we live in alignment.Expect honesty, raw reflections, and an invitation to step into the VIDYA movement, whether through the app, facilitator training, or by becoming an affiliate and helping this medicine reach more people.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, we explore two worlds that are more connected than you think: the backend systems that keep your business alive, and the body’s signals that reveal the truth you’ve been avoiding.I share why I built the Business Builders™ system into VIDYA Facilitator Training, so you’re not left scrambling with funnels, CRMs, and marketing gaps that stall your growth. Then we move deeper, into the body that always keeps the score. From shoulder pain to gut health, parasites to sore throats, I unpack how symptoms are not problems to fix, but messages to interpret.If you’ve ever felt stuck, in your business or in your body, this episode will remind you that both need clarity, structure, and space to release.Tune in, breathe with me, and discover how the way you run your business and the way you care for your body are mirrors for each other.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a real moment inside the work.In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan shares the messy middle of an emotional rollercoaster, where old wounds rise, boundaries are tested, and the universe asks: are you truly open to receive?For someone who has built her life around holding space for others, this season revealed the blind spot: giving came easy, but receiving love without earning it was the deeper edge.Inside, you’ll hear:The lessons eclipse energy pulled to the surfaceWhy healing asks us to pause mid-ride instead of waiting for the endHow true boundaries protect love, not block itWhat shifts when you finally let yourself be supportedThis is breath, healing, and life remastered. An invitation to slow down, open wider, and receive what you’ve been asking for.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

What happens if a client cries, panics, or shuts down during Breathwork? Do you know what to do?In this episode, Verity breaks down why trauma-informed facilitation is no longer optional in today’s Breathwork world. Using real stories and simple nervous system science, she explains how the body’s neuroception (its built-in radar for safety) decides whether healing can happen or whether a client spirals deeper into overwhelm.You’ll learn:The hidden risks of guiding sessions without trauma awareness.How to recognise when a client’s nervous system is in fight, flight, or freeze.The difference between a “session guide” and a true facilitator who leads with safety, atunement, and embodied presence.If you’re serious about creating spaces where transformation lasts, this episode will show you why leadership in Breathwork starts with safety.At VIDYA, this is exactly what we train facilitators who can hold the deepest spaces with skill, integrity, and confidence.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Most people think becoming a Breathwork facilitator is just about learning techniques. But here’s the truth: techniques alone won’t build you a career.In this episode, Verity reveals why the future of Breathwork belongs to facilitators who are more than session guides they’re trauma-informed leaders, skilled space-holders, and entrepreneurs with the tools to grow a sustainable business.You’ll discover:The biggest misconception about “getting certified” in Breathwork.Why safety, somatics, and business training matter just as much as technique.Real stories of facilitators who turned their training into thriving, purpose-led careers.If you’ve ever felt called to lead in Breathwork, not just practice it this episode will show you the pathway to turning passion into profession.Because at VIDYA, we don’t just teach Breathwork. We certify leaders who are reshaping healing worldwide.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Breathwork is everywhere right now but here’s the truth no one wants to admit: not all Breathwork is safe.In this episode, Verity pulls back the curtain on the dangers of untrained facilitation and why safety isn’t optional, it’s essential. From panic attacks to trauma reactivation, she shares the real risks that can unfold when facilitators lead without understanding the nervous system.You’ll learn:What actually happens in the body when Breathwork goes “too far, too fast.”How neuroception (your body’s built-in radar system for safety) determines whether healing can even happen.The difference between “technique-only” sessions and trauma-informed, embodied facilitation.If you’re curious about becoming a facilitator or if you’ve ever questioned what makes a session truly safe this episode will give you clarity.Because Breathwork isn’t just about techniques. It’s about responsibility, leadership, and integrity. And that’s exactly what we train inside VIDYA Certification.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan speaks openly about the realities of growth both personal and professional. What begins with a simple breath practice to release tension at the top of the ribcage unfolds into a larger reflection on breaking patterns, building trust, and learning to hold more in life and business.Verity explores:Why releasing control and asking for support is essential when moving to your next levelHow old patterns of communication can limit connection with family, clients, and teams and how to shift themThe role of water, nature, and play in regulating the nervous system and creating clarityThe lessons learned from hiring new marketing and community support, and why clarity and communication are non-negotiable in business relationshipsInsights from exploring BPD, boundaries, and emotional thresholds and how awareness helps create healthier choicesThe importance of updating your rituals and devotions as life changes, instead of holding onto outdated routinesThis isn’t about doing more for the sake of it. It’s about creating space through breath, trust, support, and honest self-reflection, so you can hold more clients, more joy, more freedom, and more of the life you’re building.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Welcome back to The Dark Side with Verity a space where truth meets transformation.In this deeply episode, Verity Jo Coonan shares what it really looks like to lead while healing. From heartbreak and betrayal to standing in front of 20 people and facilitating a life-changing Breathwork session, all in the same day, Verity opens up about what it means to hold space in the middle of your own storm.You’ll hear about:The fallacy of waiting to be “fully healed” before stepping into your purposeThe real reason you can still show up powerfully even when you're hurtingWhy service can be a sacred act of self-healingA raw story of pain, projection, and rising above itAnd a reminder that your messy human moments are often your most magneticWith breath as the anchor and presence as the guide, this episode is a permission slip to lead with your heart, not your perfection.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Verity opens up about her journey into becoming a Breathwork facilitator and how the practice transformed not only her own healing but also the way she holds space for others.She shares the beliefs and patterns she had to break through, from trying to save everyone around her, to learning the power of “borrowed belief,” to finally feeling safe and content in her own body. Verity dives into childhood conditioning, grief, and why real change only happens when we’re ready to choose it for ourselves.What you’ll hear in this episode:The childhood lens that shaped Verity’s desire to “save” peopleWhy safety and self-trust are the keys to true healingThe shift from survival mode to contentmentHow Breathwork helps release layers and return to our authentic selvesWhy you can’t force anyone to heal (and what to do instead)If you feel called to become a Breathwork facilitator or are ready to go deeper in your own healing, Verity would love to connect , send her a message.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity opens up about her journey with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapy, a powerful healing modality explored to better understand and support her clients.Sharing the raw truth of what it felt like to go back into some of the most challenging life experiences, how EMDR helped her process emotions stored in themy body, and why pairing it with Breathwork was a game-changer.Whether you’re navigating grief, trauma, or simply feeling stuck, this episode will give you clarity on how EMDR works, how it differs from talk therapy, and why creating space to process emotions is essential for lasting healing.Trigger warning: This episode discusses themes of sexual assault and grief.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect & Train with Verity● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, Verity Jo Coonan shares the raw, behind-the-scenes story of how VIDYA was born, from chasing clarity through retreats, yoga, and Breathwork to building a method that bridges science, spirituality, and Nervous System healing. She opens up about the messy, magical evolution of her business, the multiple $50K lessons in trust, and why her 14-week facilitator training is more than a course, it’s a journey of embodiment. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, burnt out, or like you’re doing it all alone, this episode is a reminder that clarity isn’t found, it’s created.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

This episode with Verity dives into the fear of being seen, not just physically, but energetically and emotionally... and how this hidden fear silently sabotages success. We explore how visibility is deeply tied to safety, self-worth, and our Nervous System… and how becoming visible is the portal to deeper impact, aligned success, and authentic leadership.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

Breakups crack us open.And in this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, we’re not bypassing the pain, we’re breathing through it.Verity dives deep into how breakups can serve as portals for healing and transformation when we choose to meet the grief head-on. Using the power of Breathwork, she shares how we can alchemise heartbreak into self-awareness, emotional regulation, and nervous system repair.This episode explores:Why your breakup pain isn’t “just emotional” it’s somaticHow Breathwork can move stuck grief, rage, shame, or longingThe role of community in your healing journeyWhy avoidance keeps you stuck and breath brings you homeA guided perspective shift: from abandonment to reclamationIf you’re going through it, this one’s for you.Verity reminds us that we’re not broken, we’re breaking open and there’s breath for that.Listen now and start your healing.→ Rate, Review + Share if this spoke to your heart.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this next season Verity invites you into a deeper, more vulnerable chapter of The Dark Side. She reflects on her own journey of healing, from navigating grief and growth to learning the radical art of having her own back. Through storytelling and soul-led reflection, Verity explores the power of relationships, purpose, and the ongoing evolution of self. This episode is both an invitation and a reminder: your healing isn’t linear, and your story matters. Stay tuned until the end for a grounding meditation to help you reconnect with yourself in this next season of life.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

This episode is for every woman who’s ever carried the quiet grief of wanting something deeply… and not knowing when, or if, it will happen.Verity Jo Coonan shares an unfiltered look into the emotional layers of the fertility journey, grief, societal pressure, self-worth, identity, and belief systems we didn’t even choose.She explores how Breathwork supported her through moments of uncertainty and disconnection, and offers tools for calming your nervous system, softening your internal world, and coming back home to your body, whether you're actively trying to conceive or simply navigating your own version of "what now?"This conversation isn’t just about fertility. It’s about self-trust, reclaiming your story, and letting your body feel safe again.You’ll hear:Why we internalise others' fertility struggles as our ownThe mind-body link no one teaches us about trying to conceiveBreathwork for emotional release + Nervous System regulationLetting go of the pressure and finding your version of peaceWhy honesty matters, and why silence isn’t protectionYou are not alone. Your journey is sacred. And your breath is your anchor.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

What does it really take to create a transformational retreat? In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan, founder of VIDYA Breathwork™, shares her personal evolution from organising over-packed wellness retreats to discovering the true magic of deep silence and spacious healing.She unpacks the real cost of transformation (and why a $4,500 retreat saved her life), the importance of trauma-aware facilitation, and why your retreat space should always feel safe, not just spiritual.If you’re a coach, facilitator, or healer who wants to hold life-changing retreats or you're dreaming of attending one, this episode is your roadmap.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this episode, Verity opens up about one of the darkest moments in her life. A night that ended in an Adelaide jail cell, triggered by grief, alcohol and unhealed trauma. With compassion and accountability, she reflects on how suppressed pain, unspoken truths, and emotional wounds can explode in relationships, especially when we bypass our own healing.This is not a story of blame, it's a powerful testimony of how rock bottom can become the birthplace of radical transformation. From the depths of shame to the clarity of self-worth, Verity shares the real, uncomfortable, human moments that led her to deepen her healing journey and commit to never losing herself again.This episode is for anyone who’s ever looked back and thought, "That wasn’t me" and is ready to come home to themselves.Healing is messy. But it’s also holy. Tune in for truth, reflection, and hope on the other side of heartbreak.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

After the court case, turning 30, and escaping on a big overseas adventure… coming home hit hard. In this episode, Verity shares what it really felt like to return to “normal life” after everything and how I slowly rebuilt from the ground up.From navigating post-travel blues and burnout, to letting go of interior design and learning to be again diving into my early days of sobriety, healing through gym training, the unexpected gateway yoga opened for me, and the big wake-up call at my first healing retreat in Bali.This is the part of my journey where I started replacing avoidance with awareness, chaos with compassion, and control with connection.Whether you're navigating life after grief, big transitions, or just trying to find your grounding again, this one is for you.Let’s get into the messiness, the movement, and the medicine.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @thevidyawellnessclub.app● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

In this revealing episode, Verity shares the messy, magical journey of grief and healing through spontaneous travel across Bali, Mexico, and Guatemala. From hospital visits and heartbreak to laughter, late-night bunk beds, and spiritual awakenings, she explores how saying yes to the unexpected can lead to powerful transformation—even when healing looks nothing like you thought it would.🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.Connect with Verity:● @verityjocoonan @vidya_clarity● Learn more about Breathwork & healing ⁠here⁠● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity