Meet Brenda Winkle | Breathwork Facilitator, Somatic Coach and Energy Healer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brenda Winkle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brenda, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I decided to say YES to me – my dreams, needs and desires. They say you teach what you most need to know, and that’s true for me.

I’ve always been sensitive and able to feel and sense other people’s emotions. As a young child, I turned that sensitivity into people-pleasing. I could anticipate your needs before you knew you had them. I liked it because it made me feel safe to have the people around me feeling calm and happy.

That followed me into adulthood where I put everyone’s needs before mine. I chose a partner whose needs came before mine and worked in jobs where I didn’t express any needs. I felt like I was disappearing. I forgot what I liked, what I needed, and what dreams I had. It was always about other people.

I decided enough was enough in 2007 when I left that toxic marriage and started on a healing journey. I got to know myself, learned to set boundaries, and healed my nervous system. It was gradual but day by day, my confidence grew. This journey gave birth to the work I now do. Over time by expanding my confidence I was able to start my business and worked parted time while I continued as a music teacher from 2015 – 2022. In 2022, I went all in on my dreams, gave up teaching and began to work full-time in my company.

I keep saying YES to me. It’s so rewarding and can be scary when making unconventional decisions. But I trust my intuition and know she’s not going to take me in the wrong direction. I’m so committed to this that it’s central to my work: I help other people say yes to themselves.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I guide sensitive, intuitive, and successful women towards self-actualization and personal empowerment by supporting them to heal their nervous system, set better boundaries, and understand energy so they say yes to the things that light them up and no to the things that don’t.

I’m one of very few healers and coaches with the knowledge, training, and skill set to successfully blend the science of breathwork and somatic healing with of energy healing and spirituality. The result is a life-changing combination of intuitive access, increased nervous system capacity to stop people-pleasing, and a feeling of fulfillment.

I had to unlearn just as much as I had to learn in my business. I was a music educator and in music, there’s no such thing as B+ work. Everything has to be perfect. That perfectionism that made me such an excellent choral conductor kept me stuck at the beginning of my business journey because I was afraid to experiment and ask questions.

I wanted to have all the answers and be able to execute it perfectly before I put anything out into the world. Business requires asking lots of questions and trying things. The only way to learn what works is to talk to people, and you don’t have anything to talk about unless you are putting out some work. That felt very vulnerable to me when I first approached people with an idea that wasn’t fully formed to verify if it had a place in the market. I shifted my perspective to thinking of this as co-creation where my audience and I are creating the things they want.

My brand, Your Yes Filled Life, is built around saying yes to you. An interesting side effect of that has been that I continue to expand how I’m showing up for myself. When there is congruence between what someone says and what they do, you feel it, right? When I notice I’m not feeling a full body yes in something, I shift it. That’s not the way I grew up and is very different from the people-pleaser I used to be. This is what makes me so good at what I do now – I have an integral understanding of working from the intersection of high sensitivity, people-pleasing, and perfectionism to create a life of freedom, ease, and joy. I can support people to say yes to themselves because it’s how I live.

I have a servant’s heart, I give generously and set an example of how to create healthy boundaries while serving. I serve while saying yes to me so when I give, it’s from a place of true generosity and not people-pleasing. It’s so inspiring to watch my clients do the same. They are MORE generous with their loved ones and in their careers when they say yes to themselves because they are giving from a place of overflow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I enjoy visiting iconic places and the Hotel Bel Air is a favorite. Their restaurant and the food is outstanding. For a more bustling city vibe in West Hollywood, Hotel Andaz has a fabulous rooftop pool and you can enjoy happy hour at their poolside bar.

I would check out local events and see if you can attend a sound healing event by Ana Natatnel in the Malibu area. Spend your day in the Malibu area or West Lake Village and then enjoy a healing overlooking the ocean.

I love the beach so that’s where I would spend most of my time. Santa Monica is amazing and the sunsets from the Loews Hotel can’t be beat. You can enjoy live music some days and the food is wonderful. During the day you can easily walk along the strand, visit the pier, and play in the waves. There are showers nearby so you can get the sand off your feet and continue with your day. Blue Plate Taco is nearby and if you like Mexican food, it’s a must-try.

One of my best friends lives in Redondo Beach and we’ve spent a lot of time in nearby Manhattan Beach, so it’s a favorite. There are so many cute restaurants in Manhattan Beach, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Get to the beach in a matter of minutes, walk either along the strand, out on the pier or get your feet in the waves. Parking is easy and there’s tons to do right in that little area. That’s where I like to spend most of my time. Bruch at Rockafeller is really fun. Sunset watching is incredible here, too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Samantha Skelly is my breathwork mentor. She is the founder of Pause Breathwork. I met Sam through a mastermind I was in. At the time I was in deep grief over the declining health of my dachshund, Hutch. She guided us through a breathwork session.

I’d done breathwork before but I’d never experienced anything like the breathwork Sam guided me through. I released so much pain and grief. At the end of the session, I wiped my tears and realized I felt lighter and so much better. I had no interest in becoming a breathwork facilitator at that time, I just knew I liked breathwork.

Samantha came back into that group one more time and then I met her in person at a retreat in Malibu. After that breathwork experience, I knew there was more there for me.

I joined Pause Breathwork in October of 2022 and became a certified breathwork facilitator under Sam’s mentorship in April 2023. I kept working with Sam in her LIFE (Lucrative, Impactful, Fun and Easy) Mastermind, attended her Level 2 Breathwork Retreat, and then became a certified Somatic Coach through Pause Breathwork. Not only did working with Sam change my career but it changed my life. The bar has been raised in every area of my life.

Samantha has taught me to do business in a more feminine way. I’m truly grateful for Samanthat’s guidance, mentorship, leadership, and friendship. The work she does is changing lives all over the world and truly has changed my life. Thank you, Sam!! Give Samantha Skelly and Pause Breathwork a follow on Instagram.

Website: https://www.brendawinkle.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendawinkle/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendawinkle/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.winkle111

Image Credits
Headshot of Brenda by Kam Neth of Photography by Kam in Boise, Idaho

All other images by Rachel Hadiashar in Portland, Oregon