Female Founder Feature: Amy Filter of This Little Light Breathwork

Have you ever stopped to think about the actual power behind your breath? While each breath delivers much needed oxygen throughout our bodies to sustain life, our breath can also be used in other beneficial ways, too.

Breathing in an intentional rhythm can create transformation. That’s what the practice of breathwork does.

Every once in a while, a female founder comes into my life with a very unique business concept that especially grabs my attention.

Out-of-the-norm business concepts like these compel me to tell the world what's possible in female entrepreneurship.

Amy Filter, founder of This Little Light Breathwork is a perfect example. This Little Light Breathwork is a company creating transformation through the power of the breath.

Not only is Amy a fellow female entrepreneur, but I've actually experienced transformation as a breathwork client of hers.

On her website, Amy describes breathwork as "A holistic approach to wellness that helps you improve your physical, mental, and emotional well-being with the healing power of your breath."

Listen as Amy explains how her company, This Little Light Breathwork, creates life-changing transformation by guiding clients to simply breathe.

In this video, Amy and I talk about the following:

• How long breathwork has been around and its mental health benefits

• What the atmosphere was like when I walked into my first breathwork class

• How my body felt after it physically released the stress I was holding on to as a result of my first breathwork class

• Amy's motivation for starting This Little Light Breathwork after traveling a very difficult journey of her own

• What it's like to work with Amy and what kind of breathwork services she offers

• Who breathwork is a great fit for

• What to know before you get started with breathwork

• How someone interested in breathwork can begin working with Amy.

In addition, the interview transcript has been provided below.

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Read the Interview Transcript

Female Entrepreneur Interview Introduction

00:02 Hi, I'm Francie Hinrichsen founder of Founding Females, and today I'm teaming up with Amy. She's the founder of the company, This Little Light Breathwork.

00:14 Amy, thanks for taking time to share your story and this time with us. Yeah, thanks for having me, Francie. You're welcome.

00:24 Every once in a while. In my work I come across a business concept model that's just totally unique. It's completely different from anything that I have ever come across.

00:35 And so because of that, and because I've actually tried your services, I wanted to talk with you about the work and the transformation that you do.

00:47 I know that we've all gone through something really hard. And so I wanted to open up the conversation about this concept of breathwork, what you do, and how it actually benefits the people that you work with.

01:07 Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so let's dive in. I learned from you that breathwork has actually been around for really long.

01:17 It's a new concept to me and I've only begun to realize the health benefits of breathwork. So I was wondering if you could share with us what breathwork is, what is this actually look like?

What is breathwork? What do breathwork services look like?

01:31 Yeah, so it's a wide-up and question, right? Because like you said, breathwork actually has been around for a very, very long time.

01:40 Whether you are a believer, you can go back to biblical days, or you can take it way back if you're not a believer to more of the ancient times.

01:50 So for quite a while, but I think what is happening now is our society desperately needs this type of modality.

01:59 And so I think the popularity has taken off in the last probably a couple of years. The term breath work is simply using your body to do the breathing, but there's way more that goes along with that.

02:14 So the type of breathwork that I actually offer that's different from potentially like yoga modality or other types of breathwork is called conscious connected breathing, which like you experience.

02:26 So that type of breathwork is amazing because it allows you to go deeper into the breath and in a more cyclical pattern.

02:37 So you're always in control of your depth in your pace. But what you're doing is you're allowing that constant flow of the oxygen and CO2 to shift within your body.

02:49 So like you mentioned, there's physical aspects that you're actually changing. And there's also emotional aspects as well. So that's the type that I offer.

02:59 The term breathwork, if you Google it, you might get a wide variety of things. But so yeah, that question is so broad sometimes it's hard to answer, but that's the type that I offer and I offer it because I feel like after about 8 or 10 minutes of doing that cyclical breathing.

03:15 That's when your body really makes the internal changes and you can really see long-term systemic results compared to maybe other breathwork types.

03:24 Awesome. Do you mind if I take a moment to describe what walking into session was never even heard the word breathwork and begin to visualize what a session might be like.

What a Breathwork Session is Like

03:38 So my friend, our friend, Katie VandenBerg at her art space, Muse, in Morton hosted one of Amy's sessions. And so when I walked in it was in this somewhat smaller space could be like, you know, somebody could imagine a yoga studio.

04:00 And you asked us to bring a yoga mat and a blanket. And so when I came in, I took my seat on the floor.

04:09 We laid on the floor on our yoga mats. And the lights were dim. It was very serene. So somebody might be able to compare it to a yoga studio.

04:19 Yeah. You had some really beautiful lights around the edge so we could see clearly, but it was a calm space.

04:27 And there was calm music playing. I did your winter session. So there was some really neat Christmas music or I guess holiday music themed that I had never heard before.

04:39 It was just relaxing. Katie gave me some tea. I sat down and took my seat and put the blanket over me.

04:46 And so, you know, this was the scene it was just a such a great way to lead into this guide of breathing that you showed us.

How Did You Start Your Breathwork Business?

04:59 Thank you. How did you start your business? Again, another loaded question. So this goes back about 10 years and it always needs to condense it.

05:12 So basically, for around, I started probably 2012, but definitely 2013 was the heat of it. So I started to lose Some family members of my mom's side through cancer, very rapidly.

05:26 My sister also got cancer, so that happened. So that that enough was like three, right, in like a year. And then the big one was I lost my best friend through suicide in 2013, very publicly.

05:42 So not a whole lot of words to really put that into perspective. It just changed my life. Shortly after that, literally, less than a year later, I lost a loved one to gun violence.

05:57 And so you can imagine, my nervous system was completely off the charts. And so, I also had a really good job, I didn't want to quit, didn't really want to ruin that.

06:09 And I had to just basically press on. And so, I would get up early, travel every day for the job, come back home, sometimes being hotels.

06:20 And the emotions would flood out right at night. But after a while, I found myself just in this ball of state where my nervous system was more on the very sympathetic.

06:31 I was just very tightly wound. Super it's the word, just like constantly on the go, not able to relax. And but that was also my norm.

06:43 So I could function in that. But then about five years later of doing that day in and day out, my body just finally said, okay, you've got to do something.

06:53 So I took a break and started to work from home. When I did that, obviously, my grief has was five years into it, and so I felt like I was in a better place to start to use my nursing background to dig deeper into mental health.

07:08 So with that, I worked in a dictionary recovery for about a year or so, kind of gotten idea of what that looked like for the people that struggle with I then, in the heart of the pandemic, moved over to our local VA working one-on-one with our veterans through the pandemic, a lot of suicidal ideation

07:28 a lot of crises, things like that. Prior to that, I worked in a crisis center via the telephone for three years at a weekly basis.

07:39 So I was taking calls from the community members, really getting to see what people are struggling with. And so kind of just was really immersed in the mental health aspect and also realizing both from my personal aspect with my friend's story and just all the other stories that I've heard is that we

08:00 do some good in the mental health space, right? Nationwide, but we have a huge gap where we are just not connecting the dots when it comes to full body.

08:10 And so I knew, as I was in the heart of that, the traditional system wasn't really my thing. I felt like we were failing, and we weren't doing more.

08:21 So I knew I wanted to get more holistic. I just wasn't sure why. I had a conversation with a mutual nurse friend.

08:28 And she suggested this thing [breathwork]. And typically I'm like, oh, okay, I'll try it. But I did. And when they say that you just had that gut reaction, you just know it's a good thing.

08:39 I signed up. I had no idea what I was doing. It was a six month long program, very intense. So not only did I learn breathwork and I had to kind of model that on a daily basis, I was able to embody that.

08:55 So I learned what safety felt like in my own system and all the benefits that came first personally, then the training came later.

09:07 So I really feel like overall it was a very good intent six months and words can't describe the healing that happened with that, basically emotionally, mentally, all the above.

09:18 So I knew then what happened to me, I had to share it with other people. So I started This Little Light Breathwork for probably close to two years, I would say.

09:26 Again, just kind of grow it by word of mouth, you know, trying to grow within the central Illinois area and going from there.

09:35 So, that is a story of triumph, and I love how you touched on your instinct because as women and women business owners, if you have really strong instinct, then somebody can't always put that into words, but you follow that feeling, and now you're creating transformation for other people, which is very powerful.

09:52 Thank you.

What [breathwork] services do you offer?

10:03 So I offer the continual conscious connective breathwork that's like the main service. I will be doing another service soon that is a little bit different, it's called safe and sound protocol. So from what I understand it's maybe a little on the, I'm not sure where to start side.

10:15 So that's an option coming up with the next month or so. And those services are a library so I could do it remotely like you and I are speaking over the computer.

10:26 We could do it in person like you experienced. Typically there are two different types. So there's an integrative type which is amazing for like during the day you just want to kind of a quick but yet the powerful reset right other nervous systems that's about 25 minutes.

10:41 The other one like you had done is about 60 minutes or longer where it's more meditative. So you can a lot deeper into that feeling in that sensation.

10:50 So, a variety, depending on what you need. That's great. I, the first time I experienced breathwork with you, I had a deep feeling of release of stress.

What a Breathwork Class is Like

11:01 This was in December of really stressful season, typically for a lot of people. The second time I experienced it, I actually got so relaxed that I think I felt asleep.

11:16 I think you did. I did and I woke up and and I wasn't in a deep sleep like I don't think I was snoring.

11:23 I know I was there but it was so you put me in such a state of relaxation. That was my experience the second time so it's really neat to see how what you do translates in our body physically.

11:40 That's the beauty of it. Being able to witness also the breather to go not to steeper with one session but as it progresses because what you're doing in that and probably why you felt the shift was you created a bit of safety so like you said the unknown it's like I don't know what I'm getting myself

11:57 into right when you go to your first session but then the second time you're third and the fourth you start to become more safe with the experience safe with the facilitator but then also safe within your body So that's how you can get those different reactions, but just different experiences, because

12:17 it's all about feeling safe from within. What was interesting was that first time, I had no idea I was carrying around all that weight of stress.

12:26 I had no idea that that's what it physically feels like to have stress weighing you down in the next day. 12:34 When I woke up, I felt lighter. I felt like I had physically released something really heavy. So that was a neat experience.

12:42 That's awesome. I'm glad you got that experience. So you explain that you're trauma-informed. Yes. What's important for people who are looking to maybe a different modality to deal with that.

12:54 So what that being said is somebody who's had a traumatic experience, a good fit for you, or what is a good fit for you, it wise, right?

13:06 So, especially from the pandemic, we have all experienced some sort of trauma. So to speak, right? And I don't like to use the word little or big because to me trauma is trauma.

13:17 So really, there isn't necessarily an ideal client when it comes to trauma. Being trauma informed really is just, I can observe where you're at based upon how you show up, based upon what your body looks like as you breathe, based upon their resistance that I can see.

13:34 And there's also words matter, right? So that's a large piece as well. So I create the safety. I'm aware of the space with others and I'm also aware of you individually.

13:48 So that's huge when it comes to being trauma informed. From an ideal perspective client, I would say probably, obviously it's what I know best which would be veterans from working at the VA, right?

14:00 I definitely have a heart for that have kind of dug in deep over the last couple of years with that particular client.

14:08 I also really appreciate the clients that have had a traumatic event or since we're to trauma and start from what they call the top up, right, so our logical headspace.

14:17 And typically that's cognitive behavior therapy or DBT, which is another type of therapy. You're doing a lot of talking typically, but our body holds on to that as you've experienced.

14:29 And so, that would also be a really ideal client. Someone who maybe has gone through that type of talk therapy, and either wants a little bit more deeper transformation, or maybe just wants to, let go of what they still know is there.

14:43 Talk therapy's working, but we're not quite feeling like we're ready where we want to be. So that's also an ideal client for sure.

What Should People Know Before Starting Breathwork?

14:50 Awesome. Awesome. What's important for people to know before they even get started with the breathwork? Yeah, the biggest piece to this is we talked about safety, of course, right?

15:02 So knowing that there's a container literally, like this is considered a container. So they're safety for you, safety for me, and then we work together to kind of deepen that safety.

15:15 You are always as the breather, the one that's in control of what happened. So I guide you through music. I guide you through patterns and I just guide you kind energetically.

15:26 But your depth in your pace are based upon how you feel with your nervous system, which I really feel is important.

15:32 It gives people that sense of okay. Things get a little hectic or wild like I'm always in control. Especially when there's breathing patterns that feel a little uncomfortable initially as you get started with our bodies. 15:45 And that's common, right? Because half the time we only realize how breathing. And so once we breathe deeper or to a different pattern, it can feel really uncomfortable.

15:54 So knowing that you're always in control of that, and that's called the window of tolerance So what can you tolerate?

16:01 How can we stay safe in that aspect? And then as we grow, maybe we can expand upon that and really improve what's called neuroplasticity, which is just that flexibility of our nervous system.

16:15 So there is a long-term goal to all of this. Great. Yeah. So, and I understand and I've heard you say before that this is like a one time session can be helpful.

16:27 But you see the most benefit when people do a series of series of services with you just like therapy. You go once and it can be therapeutic and you can feel good when you're going.

16:40 But the most beneficial result is when those, you know, that time compounds over time. So I'm understanding that that's the same with breathwork.

How Many Sessions of Breathwork Does it Take to See Benefits?

16:50 Absolutely. Yeah, I would say at least probably four to six sessions, you know, to get your nervous system into that state of feeling comfortable so that you can kind of expand upon that.

16:59 But yeah, one is great. You're definitely going to feel relaxed. But to get to that safety piece and really dig deeper into it, I would definitely suggest probably four to six.

17:10 Not necessarily 60 minutes. You can still do 30 minute one, it's just allowing your nervous system to kind of be accustomed to what's going on from the inside out.

How Does Someone Get Started with Breathwork?

17:19 That's helpful. So what is somebody get started working with you? Yeah, so basically my information is www.thislittlelightbreathwork.com is the website.

17:29 On there is social media, they can email me, they can call whatever works best. We can do individual customized or group settings, like I said.

17:40 I'll add your website to the description of the video and people can go to your website and get connected with you there.

17:48 Wow, amazing. All right, Amy. Thank you for sharing. This is such an incredible entrepreneur story because you took something that was so devastating that happened to you a period of time really over and over you experiences and you've turned it into transformation for other people.

18:06 I love those stories, so thank you sharing with us. Thank you. Yeah, it's been a journey, but it's all worth it in the end.

18:14 So thank you so much for having me on this platform and yeah, just being able to share the experience. Yeah, you're welcome.

18:22 Good to connect with you. You too. Thanks.

Conclusion to Amy’s Female Founder Feature

Amy began her business as the solution she needed after walking a difficult life journey. Isn’t that how so many of us in female entrepreneurship get started, too? Her business concept is unique and intriguing and can be a positive light for anyone struggling with hard personal challenges.

Widen your circle of female entrepreneurs by visiting the This Little Light Breathwork website and connecting with Amy on socials.

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