We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kyla Gagnon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kyla, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I spent many years unconsciously avoiding this actually. I lost my mother just weeks after my 20th birthday and began to step deeply into the world of fitness and fitness competitions as well as coaching and training others. Fitness became my life, it became my identity and at that time I believed it to be my self care. In all truth in that time, for me it was. It kept me ok. It kept me distracted so that I didn’t have to live in the depth of grief that was waiting for me, so in other words it kept me SAFE. But I stayed there for 16 years, safe, and avoiding really integral parts of Myself.
When I found conscious connected breathwork, at 36 everything I had ever known about self care drizzled out of my hands and I was left with…. nothing. just Me. just me and my whole breadth of emotions .
I mention emotions because a large majority of society has learned to avoid these parts of self and THESE are the parts of Self that actually require the most CARE.
To me self care NOW looks like being a curious witness, an observer to my emotions, my behaviours and tendencies around each of them. To inquire…. “why does XYZ make me feel XYZ and why when THAT happens do I respond with THIS” I give space for myself to feel the bigness of the feelings and to not rush it or question it or try to validate it. By learning to acknowledge all of my human feelings, as uncomfortable as it can be I have found a GREAT level of compassion not only for myself but for everyone else. This supports my work as a coach so profoundly, and having somatic based skills to support my clients IN THIS exact same work is offering the the same opportunity to meet compassion. In my connection with everyday humans, my family, neighbours, my partner etc if I am able to remember the curiosity, remember the validity in their feelings I no longer feel the need to A) make it about me or B) feel the need to “fix” anything” it empowers all of us
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a somatic breathwork facilitator and empowerment coach for women. I work 1:1 with clients online as well as hosting my Breathe With Kyla breathwork membership and the First 100K Mastermind for start up businesses working towards their first 6 figure year. I am the host of RECLAIMED the podcast and I joyfully run breathwork and transformation retreats in beautiful sunny places. My mission is to help 1,000,000 women reclaim their power through self exploration, emotional and nervous system regulation which is rooted in somatic breathwork. The doors to my group offerings such as the mastermind and membership remain open (most of the time) and I work 1:1 with clients on a client by client basis depending on my availability. This work lights my soul on fire as it has personally changed my life in the most beautiful way and getting to witness healing and growth in people just never gets old.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Trust in Self and something Bigger than I
2. The ability to be curious and change my mind
3. Asking for support
Read Conversations with God, Learn about the Universal Laws ( and re learn and re learn)
In terms of remaining curious and being open to changing your mind… for me it was breathwork, perhaps for you its something else but finding a practice that brings you closer to your DEPTH, your emotions, your old stories, your wounding… this will teach you compassion and wonder…. you can’t help but want to love these parts of You and THIS is what begins to open the mind of how things could be done differently…. the ripple effect of this is HUGE
We were NEVER meant to do this alone, life, business, healing…. none of it. We each get to do our own inner healing and growth but we do it TOGETHER, as community. There are people who are just WAITING to step in and support you, just because you are strong and capable …. doesn’t mean you have to be
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
This one has only become clear for me in recent years and it’s a wild card….. DYING.
The most impactful thing that my Mother did for me ….. was loving me and DYING. If my mother hadn’t of passed when I was only just 20 I wouldn’t be, I SIMPLY WOULD NOT be the woman I am today. I wouldn’t have the pain stories, the self protection and the layers of patterns that kept me “safe” for so many years to then 16 years later get to work through and learn myself deeper… TO which I wouldn’t have the skills and the wisdom from lived experience to walk people through the level of grief that my work often does. I wouldn’t have the spiritual guidance that I do from her now. I would have become a completely different woman, who I am sure would have been lovely…. but the woman i am TODAY doing the work I do TODAY is because I lost my best friend ,
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kylagagnon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breathworkwithkyla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebreathingcorner
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@breathewithkyla/videos
Image Credits
Joshua Lawrence Photography
NK Photpgraphy
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
