Breathwork Made Me Chill: My Session with Shelley Salvatore

“Sometimes the reset you need isn’t a getaway—it’s learning how to breathe differently.”

Recently, at Healing Path Bed & Breakfast, I had a private breathwork session with Shelley Salvatore—and wow, it delivered.

Shelley has been working with private clients and groups for over 28 years, guiding people toward more peace, clarity, and vitality through the power of breath. She trained with Dr. Judith Kravitz, founding pioneer of Transformational Breath®, a method known for combining breathing analysis, hands-on facilitation (Bodymapping), and supportive tools like sound, movement, and affirmations.

Step 1: She caught my “stress-breathing” in the act

We set up in a quiet space and I lay back comfortably on a massage table. Shelley had me breathe normally for a minute—just enough time for her to spot what I didn’t realize I was doing: mostly chest breathing. Quick, shallow, “always-on” breaths…

Transformational Breath® calls this first part Breathing Analysis—watching your natural pattern before coaching you into a better one.

Step 2: Belly breathing = instant “ahhh”

Then Shelley guided me into slow, deep belly (diaphragmatic) breathing—expanding the lower abdomen instead of lifting the chest. It felt like switching my whole system from “drive” to “park.”

And here’s the part that made it click at a whole new level: she used gentle, hands-on guidance to help my diaphragm and chest soften and open. Transformational Breath® literally describes this kind of hands-on facilitation as Bodymapping—a technique used to identify and release tension so the breath can move more freely.

It’s one thing to understand breathwork. It’s another thing to have someone skillfully guide your body while you’re doing it—like the difference between reading about yoga and having a great teacher adjust your alignment.

Step 3: The results (I slept like a champion)

By the end of the 60-minute session, my mind had gone quiet, my body felt deeply settled, and I walked away thinking, Wait… this is what “regulated” feels like?

That night I slept better than I have in ages and woke up clear and refreshed.

There’s also a growing body of research showing that brief, structured breathing practices can improve mood and reduce physiological stress.

My takeaway

Shelley is the real deal: warm, professional, and wonderfully educational—without making it feel clinical. She turned “just breathing” into something genuinely transformative—working on three levels at once: the physical reset of your body, the mental and emotional release you didn’t realize you were carrying, and that quiet spiritual connection that leaves you feeling more aligned.

If you want to downshift stress, sleep better, and feel more at home in your own body, I highly recommend booking a session with her.

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