Danya Shults' Technique for Staying Grounded in Stressful Moments

Danya Shults is an executive coach, early stage startup advisor, and a Partner at Evolution.

After 15+ years of building brands, businesses, teams, and communities at companies like Spark Capital, Patreon, and Teach For America, Danya now coaches leaders who want to live and lead in a more healthy, creative, effective way. Danya offers 1:1 coaching, as well as team retreats and training. She uniquely combines strong strategic know-how with ever present warmth, curiosity, and incisiveness. This makes her an adaptable coach who can respond to the practical and immediate concerns of leaders while also supporting their personal unfolding and development.

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"It takes awareness and courage and also a lot of practice to be in alignment with our values. And when we are in a moment of challenge where our values are being tested, that requires us to find a way to be centered."

Danya Shults in her Masterclass session introduced a breathing and grounding exercise during her session to help participants stay aligned with their core values, especially during moments of stress or challenge. This exercise is inspired by practices from the book Leadership Embodiment, and it’s designed to connect the body with the mind, helping leaders stay grounded, confident, and present.

Here’s how the exercise works:

Breathing and Lengthening the Spine: Begin by taking a deep breath, while simultaneously lengthening your spine from the top of your head. This action helps create a sense of expansion and confidence, stimulating testosterone levels, which are linked to feeling empowered and assertive.
Exhale and Soften: As you exhale, focus on breathing deeply into your core, not just your lungs, and softening your body. At the same time, bring a light smile to your face, which helps to stimulate oxytocin, the “love hormone,” associated with warmth and connection.
Expand Your Arms: Gently extend your arms slightly to your sides, as if you’re opening up to the space around you. Look all around, making sure to glance up and behind you as well. This step encourages inclusivity, openness, and awareness of the environment, while also claiming your space.
Settle and Relax: Finally, relax the tightest parts of your body—whether it’s your shoulders, jaw, or chest—by at least 2%. This helps ground you and releases tension, making it easier to act from a place of calm and centeredness.

Shults emphasized that this exercise can be practiced almost invisibly, making it useful for everyday moments of stress, such as before meetings, presentations, or difficult conversations. The physical alignment mirrors the mental alignment, helping leaders reconnect with their values and approach situations with confidence and composure.

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