(A chapter of) my story

After endless searching, I finally found it. And turns out, I had it within reach my entire life. The breath has the power to transform our inner and outer worlds, and for me, it did that and more.

It felt like years of on and off stumbling in a sea of darkness, and that I had reached a dead end. I remember coming to a halt and whatever gnawing void that I was unintentionally trying to escape caught up with me. It was late October, and I was in one of the most beautiful places, surrounded by deep canyons and majestic arches when it hit me. I feel so alone. Not alone in the sense of not having community- I am eternally grateful and treasure those precious gems in my life- but alone in a different way. A more existential way. It was a feeling of not belonging here, of feeling disconnected, lost, and most alarmingly, like my light had been extinguished.

About a month later, still feeling directionless, but knowing something had to change, I stepped away from my life’s regular scheduled programing to immerse myself in the inner work. I attended holistic health and wellness workshops and experimented with alternative therapy techniques. One of these sessions was called “Shamanic Breathwork.” I was the first one in the studio and greeted by a petite Japanese woman with bright, warm eyes. I listened carefully as she instructed our group how to breathe. Still unaware of where this was all leading, I skeptically surrendered to the process. The music started, and we breathed. Quickly, I realized this was not box breathing or pranayama, but something else entirely. With each inhale and exhale, I dropped into another world- a world I could only access with my breath and filled with messages from deep within. Tapping into that world gave me the freedom and power to release what was not serving me, connect with what was, and receive messages from within my soul. I was finally home; in fact, home had been inside me all along. And most importantly, I could feel the warmth of my light again.

Breathwork helped me to remember. Remember who I am, why I am here, and where I am destined to go. While I will likely always be questioning and seeking and have moments of stumbling in the darkness, this one session and the many that followed have been more transformational than anything else I’ve experienced thus far. Ever since discovering this practice, I’ve felt a strong calling to share it with my community, hoping to empower others on their healing journeys. I believe our breath is more than just a means to fill our lungs and oxygenate our bloodstream. It is a gift that delivers our life force and the spirit of the universe to every fiber in our being. Our breath empowers us to access our inner light, healing ourselves from the inside out. It has been with us from the beginning and will stay with us until the end, in service always to our highest good.

Thank you for being here. Let us breathe together.