Podcast Summary: Mindful Mondays With Ashley Bentley – “The Breath Between Worlds”

Podcast: The Neurodivergent Experience
Hosts: Jordan James, Simon Scott
Special Host: Ashley Bentley
Date: November 9, 2025

Main Theme and Purpose

"The Breath Between Worlds" is a special Mindful Monday episode led by breathwork practitioner Ashley Bentley, continuing the November Neuroscience series focused on the neurodivergent nervous system. This episode delves into the transformative power of breath as the only autonomic function we can consciously control—a bridge between body and mind, logic and emotion. Ashley shares scientific insights and personal narrative, guiding listeners through the importance of breath for presence, regulation, and healing, especially within neurodivergent experiences like Autism and ADHD. The episode culminates in a guided meditation structured to bring listeners back to equilibrium through mindful breathing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Breath as Bridge and Lifeforce

• Duality of Breath: Breath is both involuntary and voluntary, connecting the physical and metaphysical (Ashley Bentley, 01:08).
  • “It is the bridge between the physical and the metaphysical, the logical and the emotional, order and chaos.” (01:40)
• It’s described as “medicine we carry within us, invisible, immediate, and infinitely wise.” (Ashley Bentley, 09:14)

2. Burnout and the Neurodivergent Nervous System

• Personal Relevance: Ashley relates burnout experienced by herself, Simon, and Jordan, as well as the neurodivergent community at large.
  • “Burnout... the fog that settles over your mind, the heaviness in your chest… These are not failures. They are signals, sacred telegrams from the wisdom of your body, whispering, slow down and breathe.” (Ashley Bentley, 02:46)
• Burnout and shutdowns are reframed as understandable outcomes, not failures of control (Ashley Bentley, 03:24).
• Regulation is rooted in recognition—using the breath to navigate states of safety and overwhelm (Refers to “polyvagal ladder,” 04:12).

3. The Science and Mystery of Breath

• Breathwork, such as holotropic breathing, can induce profound states of awareness—altering consciousness and emotional states (Ashley Bentley, 06:12).
• Physiological effects: deep breathing massages organs, aids the lymphatic system, regulates the heart, oxygenates the brain, and signals safety (Ashley Bentley, 07:55).
  • “The breath is both pharmacy and prayer, the most accessible medicine we have.” (08:56)
• Alan Watts is quoted: “Breathing is important in the practice of meditation because it is the faculty in us that is simultaneously voluntary and involuntary… a bridge between the voluntary world and the involuntary world, a place where they are one.” (Ashley Bentley quoting Alan Watts, 09:31)

4. Breath and Sensory Processing in Neurodivergence

• Drawing from past episode discussions, breath is presented as an anchor during sensory overload, helping to “turn down the volume just enough to stay present without shutting down.” (Ashley Bentley, 11:03)
• “The mind follows the breath. Control your breath and you control your thoughts. Breathe unconsciously and life happens to you. Breathe consciously and life happens through you.” (Ashley Bentley, 11:38)

5. Techniques for Nervous System Regulation

• Lengthening the Out-Breath: Calms the body by activating the parasympathetic system (Ashley Bentley, 13:11).
• Physiological Sigh: Double inhale, single exhale—quick calm in moments of overwhelm (Ashley Bentley, 13:27).
• Breath of Joy: Three inhales, one exhale—for energizing (Ashley Bentley, 13:44).
• Ocean Breathing: Exhale as if fogging a mirror—soothes heightened states (Ashley Bentley, 13:59).
• Mindfulness of Breath (Buddhist Anapanasati): “When one knows the breath, one knows the body… and when one knows the mind, one knows freedom.” (Ashley Bentley, paraphrasing Buddhist teaching, 14:50)

6. Meaningful Reflections & Microdosing Meaning

• Anecdote: Ashley recalls a teabag tag stating, “the voice of your soul is breath,” which became a lifelong touchstone (Ashley Bentley, 15:26).
• Listeners are encouraged to notice small, resonant moments as seeds of meaning—“microdosing meaning” (Ashley Bentley, 17:12).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-----------|---------|----------------| | 01:40 | Ashley Bentley | “It is the bridge between the physical and the metaphysical, the logical and the emotional, order and chaos. It can energize us and it can relax us and it can send us into totally different realms similar to psychedelic experiences. What is this thing? It is our breath.” | | 02:46 | Ashley Bentley | “Burnout... The fog that settles over your mind, the heaviness in your chest... These are not failures. They are signals, sacred telegrams from the wisdom of your body, whispering, slow down and breathe.” | | 09:14 | Ashley Bentley | “It is medicine we carry within us, invisible, immediate, and infinitely wise.” | | 09:31 | Ashley Bentley (quoting Alan Watts) | “Breathing is important in the practice of meditation because it is the faculty in us that is simultaneously voluntary and involuntary… a bridge between the voluntary world and the involuntary world, a place where they are one. And isn’t that extraordinary?” | | 11:38 | Ashley Bentley | “The mind follows the breath. Control your breath and you control your thoughts. Breathe unconsciously and life happens to you. Breathe consciously and life happens through you.” | | 14:50 | Ashley Bentley | “When one knows the breath, one knows the body. And when one knows the body, one knows the mind. And when one knows the mind, one knows freedom.” | | 15:26 | Ashley Bentley | “The voice of your soul is breath.” (from a teabag tag) | | 17:12 | Ashley Bentley | “And tending to those seeds within your soul will bring forth a bounty of presence and purpose in your life. And that, to me, is the perfect definition of microdosing meaning.” |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:08] – Episode introduction; framing the breath as bridge and backdrop of all regulation
• [03:24] – Reframing burnout and emotional experiences in neurodivergence
• [06:12] – First personal breathwork experience; holotropic breathing
• [07:55] – Practical science: how breath impacts body and brain
• [09:31] – Quote from Alan Watts; breath as bridge between voluntary and involuntary
• [11:38] – Breath as anchor amid neurodivergent sensory processing
• [13:11] – Concrete breathwork techniques for regulation and energy
• [14:50] – Buddhist wisdom—breath as gateway to freedom
• [15:26] & [17:12] – Reflections on microdosing meaning through breath awareness
• [18:04 – 31:12] – Guided meditation (see below for a condensed walkthrough)

Guided Meditation Overview (18:04 – 31:12)

Ashley leads listeners through a carefully layered meditation, focusing on:

• Settling into the Body: Encourages comfort, relaxation, and simple awareness of breath’s natural rhythm.
• Visualizations: Imagining a candle flame at the navel, spreading warmth and light throughout the body, representing vitality.
• Energy Flow: Breathing visualized through palms and along both arms, balancing left/right, solar/lunar energies.
• Third Eye Breathing: Drawing awareness to the “mind’s eye,” visualizing breath entering and clearing the forehead center for clarity.
• Closing Centering: Returning to the internal flame, embodying presence, vitality, and peace—ending with gratitude and integration.

Notable closing lines:

• “You are the breath between worlds, the still point where body and soul meet. The voice of your soul is breath.” (Guided Meditation, 27:14)
• “Thank you so much for joining me today on the Breath Between Worlds. And remember, your breath is not something you do, it’s something you allow. You are the witness and the wind.” (Ashley Bentley, 31:12)

Tone & Language

Ashley Bentley’s delivery is poetic, compassionate, and grounded in science as well as personal experience. The language throughout blends the mystical (“the original prayer”) with the practical (“breath presses gently on a large cluster of lymph nodes…”), encouraging a holistic, non-judgmental approach to self-care and neurodivergence.

Closing & Next Steps

• Listeners are invited to further explore the science of breath with Ashley’s “14 Day Nervous System Regulation Mastery” course on Insight Timer.
• Next week’s episode will explore "From Survival to Flow: Repatterning Old Responses" using bottom-up techniques for nervous system transformation.

Takeaway

“The Breath Between Worlds” gracefully bridges neuroscience, self-compassion, and practical tools, providing neurodivergent listeners (and allies) with both understanding and actionable strategies for regulation, presence, and meaning. The episode stands as both a stand-alone resource for guided mindfulness and an ongoing invitation into the inclusive, supportive ethos of The Neurodivergent Experience.