Girls Don’t Get Angry, and Boys Don’t Cry – Biggest Educational Misconceptions Ever Created
- Jan 16
- 5 min read
Karol Krupa is a certified Breathwork Therapist and Functional Health Coach specialising in nervous system regulation, stress resilience, and peak performance for athletes, leaders, and everyday individuals.
Welcome back, my friends. Let’s cut to the chase. The first article was fast and straight to the point. This one is different, more personal, more raw. This is me and my ADHD. Maybe not the best opening, you might think. But this is exactly how my brain works, fast, scattered, intuitive. So instead of fighting it, let’s zoom out and look at things from a timeline perspective.
Why am I here, talking to you about breathing?
Many people have spoken about it before, that’s true. Breathing isn’t new. But maybe my way of telling this story will resonate with just a few of you. And if you feel my flow and energy, I invite you to stay.
The best therapists are often those who have been through something themselves. People who, due to a lack of help from the outside world, were forced to look inward, into their bodies and minds.
My story is no different
For years, I experienced unexplained dopamine spikes. I constantly started businesses, shut them down, started again, without understanding why. Each cycle led to more debt, more pressure, and more chaos. So I pushed harder, faster, and kept getting the same result.
Eventually, the consequences became obvious, no sleep, poor concentration, weight gain, chronic stress, snoring, sleep apnea, and more.
I tried meditation and mindfulness first. Today, I know why it didn’t fully work. My mind was never really there. Then I discovered breathwork, pranayama. And suddenly, eureka.
I found something calming. Something powerful. Something we all have access to every single day, for free.
My mind finally went quiet. I began regulating my stress levels instead of being ruled by them. That alone was life-changing, although it would’ve worked even better if I had changed my environment too. Still, this was step one.
Then came the issue of snoring and light sleep apnea. Pranayama felt a bit too meditative for me, so I started looking for something more therapeutic, more grounded, something my “masculine” brain could accept.
That’s when I found Oxygen Advantage
Techniques rooted in the Buteyko method. Purely therapeutic. No fluff. And they worked. My snoring disappeared. My sleep apnea was gone, confirmed by the best sleep tracker I could have, my wife.
“Karol, you’re not snoring anymore.”
One thing led to another, and I began training to become a certified Breathing Instructor with Oxygen Advantage. And honestly, the teachings are incredible.
When you realize how much control you have over your body using nasal breathing alone, on a biochemical, biomechanical, and psychophysiological level, your entire perspective shifts.
Did you know that to get more oxygen into your cells, you actually need more CO₂ in your blood? It’s real. It’s called the Bohr Effect. Don’t take my word for it, Google it.
That’s when I found my purpose
I can teach people how to breathe, and they get better. In my case, no pills. Just breathe.
Try this now:
Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.
Breathe out through your nose for 6 seconds.
Repeat this 10 times.
This is the simplest biohack in the world. Six breaths per minute signal safety to your brain. Your nervous system shifts. Your heart rate slows. A chemical cascade begins, and relaxation follows.
We may not be able to control what happens to us in life, but we can control how we respond. And once you know how to regulate your nervous system, you take your power back.
Clients, however, were a different challenge
It’s not easy to say to someone, “I’m going to teach you how to breathe for your health or sports performance.” But I did it.
I worked with everyday people like me, ultra runners, and even martial artists. And then there was one client I’ll never forget. I call him the Jewellery Man.
During one session, I noticed something strange. While doing the 4/6 breathing, he either started falling asleep or tears began rolling down his face. I panicked. I had never seen this before.
We sometimes wear masks to show the world how strong and successful we are, just to be accepted. And that’s a mistake.
I started researching what was happening. I learned that when someone carries stored emotions or unresolved trauma, breathwork lowers the guard. And when the guard drops, emotions surface.
Now I see how beautiful that is, how much can be released.
When you truly desire something, when you feel it, when you emotionally connect, "it" eventually finds you.
My desire was to help people release stored emotions because I knew where unprocessed emotions had taken me, excessive drinking, dark places, and losing myself.
But I’m back. It cost me a lot, it’s for another piece of work.
And then "it" found me, through endlessly repeated Facebook ads.
9D Breathwork
Boom. My first session was The Origin. Looking back, I would never offer that as someone’s first experience. Fifty-six minutes of deep somatic breathwork, with sound completely surrounding your head.
When it ended, and I walked back into my living room, I was in a state I still can’t fully describe, even now, more than a year later.
Since then, I’ve never looked back, especially after completing the 30-Day Mental and Spiritual Transformation Challenge inside the 9D app. I was the last person to have vivid dreams or visions. That changed completely.
I cried. I shouted. I shook. I wept, again and again.
Yes. A 44-year-old man who had spent years wearing masks and destroying himself from the inside just to live up to a toxic belief.
“Boys don’t cry”
That belief has created depression, addiction, broken families, and suicides.
For me, this is one of the deepest roots of male depression. Men are taught not to feel, not to express, not to release. So please, let your children cry. Let them get angry. Because bottled emotions don’t disappear. They wait. And one day, they erupt like a volcano.
And if something inside you feels stuck, tight, or choking, reach out. Especially if you are a man. Convincing men to try these therapies is the hardest part of my work. But if you think your children, or you, could benefit from a safe, gentle modality, click the link and see what the BBC is saying about 9D Breathwork.
See you on the other side. The side with more joy, more smiles, and far less worry.
Contact me for details about 9D Breathwork sessions.
Karol J Krupa, Breath and Transformation Coach
Karol Krupa is a certified Breathwork Therapist and Functional Health Coach specialising in stress resilience, nervous system optimisation, and human performance. Combining Oxygen Advantage, 9D Breathwork, and modern somatic science, he supports individuals, teams, and athletes in building emotional stability, mental clarity, and peak physical function. Karol delivers workshops, corporate programs, and transformational experiences across the UK and Europe, helping people unlock their full capacity through evidence-based breathing strategies. His mission is simple, to teach people how to breathe, recover, and live with stronger foundations.
