The Dark Side with Verity

Verity Jo Coonan
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The Dark Side with Verity is a raw, real podcast about healing, transformation, and the moments that change everything. Hosted by Verity Coonan, founder of VIDYA Breathwork™, this show dives deep into Breathwork, somatics, and Nervous System healing. Through personal stories and expert insights, we explore grief, trauma, resilience, and the power of rewriting your story. No fluff, no sugarcoating—just real conversations about what it takes to rebuild from the inside out. Breathe deep, tune in, and step into your next chapter.

  1. 1D AGO

    Certified But Clueless: The Facilitator Industry Is Broken

    The wellness industry has a problem nobody wants to say out loud. People are getting certified to facilitate breathwork in a single weekend, and people are getting hurt. In this episode, Verity walks through what a 14-week trauma-aware certification actually covers versus what a weekend program leaves out. CO2 tolerance. Polyvagal theory. Contraindications and screening. What to do when someone dissociates, panics, or goes into a freeze response mid-session. The science and safety that most certifications skip entirely. She recently watched a "certified" facilitator tell a woman in full tetany to push through because "the trauma was leaving." It wasn't trauma leaving. It was a CO2 crash. That moment is why this episode exists. If you've got a certificate and a tight feeling in your chest, this one is for you. It doesn't mean you stop. It means you train deeper. Cohort 1 of VIDYA Certification closes Saturday midnight AEST. Comment TRAINING on the episode post and Verity will send you the page. Topics: What a weekend breathwork certification actually includes (and what it dangerously leaves out)Why you cannot learn clinical safety skills in three daysThe real risks: tetany, dissociation, dorsal vagal shutdown, flashbacksWhat VIDYA's 14 phases cover, from respiratory science to supervisionHow to know if you actually know enough to hold a room safely 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    17 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Why Meditation Doesn't Work (And What Your Nervous System Actually Needs)

    Tomorrow is World Meditation Day, and most of what you've been told about meditation is wrong for the state you're actually in. In this episode, Verity breaks down why stillness without regulation can make you feel worse, not better. The polyvagal theory piece your meditation app didn't mention. The CO2 tolerance science that explains why you panic when you try to slow your breath. And what to do instead. If you've ever tried to meditate and felt like you were doing it wrong, you're not broken. You were sold the wrong starting point. The free 21-min nervous system reset drops Thursday. Comment RESET on the episode post or DM RESET to get it sent straight to you. Topics:– Why meditation fails for activated or frozen nervous systems– Polyvagal theory in plain language– CO2 tolerance and why slowing your breath can trigger panic– The difference between regulation and stillness– What your nervous system actually needs first 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    17 min

  3. MAY 10

    Breathwork Isn't Woo, It's Anatomy

    The breath is the only autonomic function you can consciously control which makes it the most direct access point you have to your nervous system. In this episode, I'm talking to the part of you that's a little skeptical. The part that thinks breathwork is just fancy deep breathing with a playlist. No woo. Just science. We go deep on the mechanisms most certifications skip: why CO2 tolerance matters more than oxygen, how your vagal tone is trainable, what's actually happening in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex during a session, and why emotional release, tetany and somatic waves are signs the nervous system is working not breaking. I'll walk you through the BOLT test so you can measure your own CO2 tolerance in real time, break down the breath styles I use with clients (slow coherent, box, 4-7-8, conscious connected, breath holds) and explain why a complete facilitator toolkit requires all of them. This is the episode I wish every Breathwork student and every skeptical client had access to. If you're a facilitator, this is the standard. If you're a practitioner, this is the mechanism. If you're curious, welcome in. In this episode: Why breath is the only direct intervention for the nervous systemCO2 tolerance and why breathing more doesn't mean more oxygenThe BOLT test, measure yours as you listenVagal tone, HRV, and why your baseline is trainableWhat breathwork actually does to the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and default mode networkWhy emotional release happens and why it needs skilled facilitationThe breath styles every facilitator needs in their toolkit 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    27 min

  4. MAY 3

    You're Not Tired Because You're Doing Too Much . You're Carrying Too Much

    You had a normal week. You didn't work crazy hours. You slept okay. So why are you bone-deep exhausted by Friday? In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, we unpack the exhaustion epidemic nobody's naming properly, the one that has almost nothing to do with how much you're doing and everything to do with what your nervous system is carrying. You'll learn: Why passive rest (scrolling, Netflix, lying down) doesn't actually regulate youThe nervous system bucket theory and what's secretly filling yoursWhy high achievers find rest activating and how to rewire thatThe hidden load carried by coaches, healers and anyone building in publicHow to complete the stress cycle so your body stops storing itA practical audit: what depletes you vs. what actually restores youIf you've been told to "just rest" and it's not working, this is the episode that explains why and what to do instead. 🌀 Take the 3-swallow test in the first minute to check your own nervous system state. 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    20 min

  5. APR 26

    When Healing Becomes Content: The Ethics of Vulnerability in the Wellness Industry

    There's a version of the wellness industry that genuinely changes lives. And there's a version that quietly exploits the very thing it claims to heal. This episode isn't about fake gurus or obvious over-claiming. It's about something far more subtle and far more common. It's about what happens when sharing your healing starts driving your healing. When your worst moments become your best performing posts. When vulnerability stops being an act of courage and starts being a growth strategy. Verity goes there. Fully. In this episode she unpacks: How authenticity became currency and what that actually costs youThe moment your audience starts shaping your healing instead of the other way aroundWhy the most regulated, ethical practitioners are often outperformed by people bleeding publicly and what to do about itClient stories, consent, and where social proof crosses into exploitationThe difference between sharing from your healed place versus sharing from an open woundWhy "you're allowed to feel good and still have something to say" might be the most radical thing you can modelThis one is for every coach, facilitator, and wellness practitioner navigating the tension between building a brand and staying true to why they started. Your audience is not your processing container. But your story? Still one of the most powerful things you have. 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    28 min

  6. APR 19

    Imposter Syndrome Is a Nervous System Problem. Here's How to Fix It

    If you've ever delivered a great session, got incredible feedback, and still gone home convinced it was a fluke, this episode is for you. Imposter syndrome isn't a mindset problem. It isn't a confidence problem. And no amount of affirmations, credentials, or "fake it till you make it" is going to touch it because it was never designed for what you're actually dealing with. In this episode, Verity breaks down what imposter syndrome really is from a somatic and nervous system lens, including why the standard psychological definition completely misses the mark, what polyvagal theory reveals about the freeze and collapse response underneath it, and why high achievers, wellness practitioners, and coaches are especially vulnerable. You'll learn: Why your brain can't tell the difference between social threat and physical danger (and what that means for visibility)How childhood conditioning, conditional praise, and performance-based belonging wire the nervous system for imposter syndromeWhy "fake it till you make it" actively makes it worse — and what to do insteadThe real reason more certifications won't fix thisHow to build genuine safety in the body through regulated, embodied visibilityWhether you're a breathwork facilitator, coach, or wellness practitioner who keeps stacking qualifications before letting yourself be seen, this episode will change how you understand yourself, your clients, and the work. 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    17 min

  7. APR 12

    How Your Nervous System Is Keeping You Broke | Breathwork for Money & Regulation

    In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity Coonan, we explore how your nervous system may be the very thing limiting your income, business growth, and ability to receive. Financial blocks aren’t just mindset issues, they’re survival responses stored in the body. Through real-life experiences, including making costly decisions from a dysregulated state, Verity breaks down why regulation is essential for making aligned choices in business, money, and life. If your body doesn’t feel safe with more… you’ll unconsciously push it away. This episode will shift how you think about money, capacity, and what it actually takes to build sustainable success. 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    19 min

  8. APR 5

    From Burnout to Breath: Trauma Healing, Business Growth & Finding Your Style

    In this episode of The Dark Side with Verity, we go deep into what it really takes to rebuild yourself from burnout, anxiety, and trauma… to clarity, creativity, and business. Trina from @james_boutique shares her journey of: Starting a boutique and designing her own clothing lineNavigating anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and burnoutThe truth about trauma work (and what actually changed everything)Letting go of perfection, control, and what people thinkFinding your personal style (in life + fashion)Creating space in your body to actually live, create, and growThis is a raw, honest conversation about healing, identity, and doing the thing anyway, even when you’re not ready. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re “too much”… this episode will hit. 🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it. Connect & Train with Verity ● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification ● Join Breathwork & healing ⁠APP @vidya.app ● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity

    50 min
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About

The Dark Side with Verity is a raw, real podcast about healing, transformation, and the moments that change everything. Hosted by Verity Coonan, founder of VIDYA Breathwork™, this show dives deep into Breathwork, somatics, and Nervous System healing. Through personal stories and expert insights, we explore grief, trauma, resilience, and the power of rewriting your story. No fluff, no sugarcoating—just real conversations about what it takes to rebuild from the inside out. Breathe deep, tune in, and step into your next chapter.

Information

  • Creator
    Verity Jo Coonan
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Verity Jo Coonan
  • Show Website
    The Dark Side with Verity