The Breath That Brought Me Back...166

A Neighbor Listened, A Life Was Saved, And Gratitude Found New Meaning...

This episode wasn’t what I planned to share. I had a guest lined up, a topic ready... but life had other plans. Something unexpected happened that brought me face to face with surrender, grace, and the quiet power of human connection.

In this deeply personal reflection, I share what it felt like to be held when I didn’t even know I needed help, how control slipped through my fingers, and what it truly means to receive each breath as a gift. I invite you to listen with an open heart as I explore the ways life shows up for us, often through others, and always in the breath.

Timeline Summary:

[0:33] - Why this week’s episode is not the one I had planned

[1:12] - A quiet moment that sparked a chain of care

[3:48] - Waking up disoriented and realizing something profound had happened

[6:35] - Feeling grace in the spaces I couldn’t control

[8:40] - Breathwork, redefined in the most unexpected way

[10:22] - Letting go of control and discovering what holds us

[12:01] - Breathing as a gift, not a task

[14:30] - A moment of breath together

[16:10] - Final reflections on connection, gratitude, and being held

• Share this with someone who needs a reminder they’re not alone

Closing Note: If this episode moved you, I’d be so grateful if you rated, subscribed, or reviewed the show. It helps others find these conversations. And remember: As long as you have your breath, you have options. 

Keep breathing, keep shifting, and remember everything is figureoutable.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Change Of Plans
• 0:49 The Seizure And Rescue
• 2:26 Waking In ICU
• 4:06 Grace And Being Held
• 5:14 Breath As A Gift
• 9:26 Gratitude And Recovery
• 12:13 Closing Reflections

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to the Mandel Mindset podcast. And of the IV of other people.

SPEAKER_01: 0:33

Will we talk about mindfulness, mindset shift? In the moment that changes. Today's episode isn't the one I planned to release this week. I had a guest episode ready to go for Monday. But life had other plans for me. On Sunday afternoon, I had a seizure. I was home alone in my apartment by myself. And I don't remember much. I don't remember feeling dazed or feeling confused or anything before it happened. What I've been told is that my neighbor heard what sounded like me crying. And he could have ignored it. But he didn't. He called my landlord, who tried calling me multiple times, and when she didn't get an answer from me, she called the police. My neighbor could have ignored those sounds, those cries, those noises. But he didn't. He called my landlord, who called for help. And that one small act, that moment of him listening, probably saved my life. When I woke up in ICU, I learned I had been intubated and I had been on life support. A machine had been breathing for me, the breathing goddess. Until my body was able to do it again itself. And as someone who teaches breath work and teaches people how to breathe, that just hit different. So instead of the conversation I'd planned to share this week, this episode is a thankful Thursday reflection and reminder about surrender, about grace, and about the reminder that even when you think you're alone, you're never truly alone. I want to share what this experience taught me. Three major things, really. About being cared for when you don't even know it. About trusting what you can't control, and about how every single breath, even the ones you don't remember taking, are truly a gift to be thankful for. When I woke up in ICU, I didn't know what day it was. I was dazed, I was confused. I remember opening my eyes, not knowing why I was in a hospital, seeing monitors and the cords and people moving around me. I was still so foggy and confused. Later, I found out I was in ICU and I had a seizure. And I found out I stopped breathing on my own. And my body, with a lot of help, had fought to keep me here. I found out I had been intubated on life support that a machine had been breathing for me. And my first thought was, wow. Life literally kept me alive even while I was unaware. I didn't ask for it. I didn't control it. It just happened. And that's grace. I was home alone when this happened. I didn't call for help. There was no warning sign. My body simply made a sound that someone else heard. And then they called for help. My neighbor thought it sounded like crying. He could have simply ignored it. Like so many of us do. He could have toned up the TV and gone about his day. But he didn't. He listened. And he acted. And that one decision of action changed everything for me. That's what I mean when I say, even when you think you're alone, you're not. There are people, energies, angels, whatever you believe in, your ancestors, working behind the scenes, listening for the smallest signs that you need help or support. Sometimes it takes something like this for us to realize how connected we all actually are. This experience also reminded me how little control we truly have. And yet, how held we still are. Sometimes surrender isn't a choice. It's what happens when control is taken away. And in that surrender, you realize something greater is holding you. Your body, your breath, the universe itself. And when I understood that, gratitude took a whole new meaning. Learning that a machine had been breathing for me truly shook me. For years now, I've taught people to connect with their breath. But this time, my breath connected with me. It carried me through a moment I don't even remember. Since then, every inhale feels sacred. And every exhale feels like a thank you. Our breath isn't something we have to own or perfect. It's a gift we're given. Even when we forget what's happening. Our breath still shows up for us. As I always say, as long as you have your breath, you've got options. Wherever you are, if you are in a safe space to do so, I invite you to take one long slow inhale with me. And exhale it gently and slowly out. That's life. That's grace. That's connection. If there's one thing I want you to take away from this episode, it's that you are never truly alone. You don't have to control everything. And every single breath is a gift. This week I'm extra thankful for my neighbor, for my landlord, for the doctors and the nurses, and for this breath that brought me back. The doctors and the nurses even told me they'd never seen someone come off life support as quickly as I did. And I'd like to believe part of that is because of my tapping in to my breath and tapping into breath work. Whether that's true, whether it's not, the world may never know. Until next time, keep breathing, keep shifting. And remember, everything is figure outable. Thanks, guys. Until next time.