Hi, I'm Barron Cato!
Growing up in Washington State, physical health has always been an important part of my life. From a young age, I played multiple sports through my senior year of high school and stayed physically active throughout adulthood. I also spent more than a decade coaching my now-adult son and other young athletes in youth sports, and today I continue that commitment to health by practicing martial arts at age 50.
I have also always had an inner drive to help others. That journey began when I became a trained peer counselor in high school and continued throughout adulthood as I volunteered, mentored others, and served in multiple board leadership roles.
Yet the importance of my own mental health didn't become fully clear until I discovered the power of breath and breathwork. After taking a 21-day breath challenge, continuing the practices beyond those initial weeks, and experiencing their life-transforming impact firsthand, I realized I had found something that would permanently change the course of my life.
My Story,
I had struggled with trauma from long-term emotional abuse that began in childhood and continued into my 40s, compounding the damage over time. My abuser psychologically broke me down to be easily controlled and took credit for every accomplishment to remind me I was nothing without them. I dealt with subconscious triggers that induced anxiety attacks, and on the worst days they physically shut me down to the point that I couldn't function, forcing me to call in sick to work. Alongside the anxiety attacks, I constantly battled the abuser's words in my head, relentlessly beating me down.
I hid all of this behind a life filled with personal and professional accomplishments. No one knew what I was carrying internally, and nothing I tried relieved the trauma-based triggers, anxiety attacks, or abusive self-talk that never left my mind.
I had tried meditation and other mentally focused self-help techniques, but they only seemed to make the self-talk louder. By the time I received a 21-day breath challenge, I was willing to try anything. As a busy professional, I didn't have time for long-form breathwork sessions, but these were simple five-minute practices I could do each night before bed.
I noticed a difference after the very first session. My body naturally relaxed, and my mind became quiet almost immediately after I finished. I had never experienced that feeling before, and it motivated me to continue the challenge each night. Over those 21 days, my body began regulating the physical effects of anxiety, and for the first time in my life, I experienced the peace of a quiet mind.
As I continued practicing after the challenge, my system kept adapting, and the positive effects lasted longer after each session. Eventually, I began to see more clearly that the anxiety I had accepted as a normal part of my life wasn't normal at all. That realization led me to therapy, where I worked through the lifelong beliefs and coping patterns I had developed in response to trauma I never fully understood. While talking through those experiences with a professional was an important part of my healing, my greatest transformation came through breathwork.
I went from internal torment to internal peace and began thriving in my life. That transformation inspired me to become a certified breath coach and help other busy professionals struggling with stress and anxiety. I later unlocked the power of my intuition through a two-year certification program, started my own breath coaching business, and eventually joined forces with Nadine Tlili to co-found Breath Alkemē.
What I Believe, and
I follow Taoist philosophy, which teaches that the best way to live is flowing with the natural order through simplicity, constant change, and balance. Our breath naturally reflects these same principles:
Simple — the lungs are designed to inflate and deflate automatically.
Constant Change — every breath is a continual transition between inhaling and exhaling.
Balance — the subconscious breath naturally balances each inhale with an exhale.
This philosophy pairs naturally with my data science mindset, which values the research-based evidence showing that our breath both reflects our current physiological state and can influence it.
I see, and have personally experienced, breath as a real-life superpower. Breathwork transformed my life and continues to empower it today. One of the most rewarding parts of my work is witnessing that same realization in the clients I have the privilege of coaching.
Working with Me...
I understand the demands of a professional career through 30 years of experience, along with the pressures of high-level decision-making from leadership roles in both my profession and nonprofit and government-appointed boards. I also understand the demands of parenthood, having co-raised two adult children. These experiences shape my approach to working with people: meeting them where they are with both empathy and a realistic perspective.
I draw on my background in data science, martial arts, and intuition training to bring a balanced left- and right-brain perspective to breathwork, informed by Taoist philosophy and a commitment to flowing with the body's natural rhythms. Grounded in evidence-based breath practices, my work bridges modern physiology with timeless principles of living in harmony with the natural order.
Certifications
Breath Coach
Intuition Master Practitioner
Background
30-year career in multiple fundraising operations roles; last 13+ years as a data scientist at the University of Washington;
Founder of Natural Way Consulting LLC
Hobbies
Hiking
Traveling
Mead Making
Board & Role-Playing Games
Poetry Writing
