David Procyshyn — founder of Do Yoga With Me and creator of the Freedom From Anxiety program — shares his 30-year journey from chronic back pain and debilitating anxiety to building one of the world's most trusted online yoga platforms. In this deeply resonant conversation, David reveals the counterintuitive practices that changed his life: doing less, leaning into discomfort, using rapid breathing to induce panic-like states (as exposure therapy), and developing a compassionate relationship with anxiety rather than fighting it. From rejecting outside investment to honor wellness over revenue, to the "knot of pain" in his belly that finally began to release, David offers a raw, practical roadmap for anyone whose nervous system is stuck in overdrive.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why chronic anxiety is the nervous system being stuck — not a character flaw
How rapid breathing can heal panic attacks by changing your relationship with the sensation
Why "doing nothing" requires active practice: structuring your day around wellness over productivity
How to ask your anxiety what it's here for — turning powerlessness into agency
The conscious business path: rejecting outside investment to stay values-driven
Why moving anxiety through you (instead of holding onto it) changes everything
LEARN MORE
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February 5, 2026
David Procyshyn
Freedom From Anxiety: How To Cultivate Calm, Courage, and Self-Awareness
"Control comes with letting go of control. The more you think you need control, the more it's going to control you."
TIMESTAMPS
06:08 – Walking the path: If you're uncomfortable frequently, you're leaning into life rather than avoiding it
09:54 – "Doing nothing" and structuring your day around wellness, not productivity
12:35 – The two roads: Chronic back pain at 18 led to yoga; anxiety normalized for years until yoga showed him baseline calm
13:49 – Finding a meditation circle in the Yellow Pages (and the cat with healing powers)
19:00 – 2008: Founding Do Yoga With Me with his brother — filming himself in the park, hoping the footage was okay
22:17 – The most important business decision: Rejecting outside investment to honor values over financial returns
26:45 – Freedom From Anxiety: 30 years of experimentation (silent retreats, extreme sports, hot-cold therapy, pranayama)
29:20 – High ventilation breathing: Inducing panic-like states as exposure therapy (counterintuitive but powerful)
SHOW NOTES
Dr. Dan interviews wellness leader and founder of DoYogaWithMe, David Procyshyn about anxiety, presence, living well and his personal story. As a leading voice in the world of wellness –David is yoga and meditation teacher, speaker, and founder – David helps people heal from chronic anxiety and live a calmer, more resilient life.
During this conversation with Dr. Dan, David shares his own personal journey from chronic pain, high-performance anxiety, and burnout to discovering a grounded, compassionate relationship with his nervous system. Together, Dan and David explore how anxiety is not a personal failure, but a physiological pattern that can be understood, worked with, and softened over time.
Finally, Dan explores David’s Freedom From Anxiety approach which blends neuroscience, breathwork, meditation, and lived experience into practical tools that foster resilience, empowerment, and connection.
LINKS & RESOURCES
David Procyshyn
Personal Website — davidprocyshyn.com
Do Yoga With Me — doyogawithme.com
Freedom From Anxiety Program
Sign up for David's newsletter to be notified of next info session
"A Do Less New Year's Resolution"
Key Practices & Concepts
High ventilation breathing (rapid breathing) — Exposure therapy technique that induces panic-like sensations consciously to change relationship with anxiety
"Doing nothing" — Active practice of structuring life around wellness, rest over productivity, connection to body over revenue
Walking the path — Leaning into discomfort rather than avoiding; being true to yourself in every moment
Moving anxiety through you — Developing a relationship with anxiety where it passes rather than holding on
Asking anxiety what it's for — Rob's suggestion that flipped the script from powerlessness to agency
Peeling the onion — Gradual unraveling of anxiety's grip, layer by layer over time
Baseline of calm — What David discovered in first yoga class that he'd been unfamiliar with for years
Breaking points as motivation — Periods of "I am done with this" that led to dedicated daily practice
The knot in the belly — Chronic physical manifestation of anxiety (pain, tension) that David normalized for years
GUEST BIO
David Procyshyn is a yoga and meditation teacher, speaker, and founder of Do Yoga With Me, one of the world's most trusted online yoga platforms. With over 20 years of teaching experience and a deeply personal understanding of chronic anxiety, he has guided thousands toward calmer, more resilient lives. He blends ancient practices with modern science through mindfulness, breathwork, and somatic awareness. His Freedom From Anxiety program integrates evidence-based practices developed through 30 years of personal experimentation with anxiety and nervous system healing.
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