I first came to breath work in 2014 when I attended Bali Spirit Festival and experienced different schools of breath work. I train in Clarity Breathwork (qualified in levels 1-5 in 2018) in Costa Rica under Dana Delong and Ashanna Solaris. Later that year I trained in and BBTRS with Giten Tonkov. Over the years I found that a gentler form of breath work was as effective and now use drumming and a more organic style of teaching.

There are many styles of Breathwork and each has it strengths. It is important that the person holding the session feels how they are called to guide a session. My experience of yoga has shown me that the body responds best when it is allowed to open and release in a gentler way. Sometimes in the West we feel that the best results come when we push ourselves and we have an expectation of an outcome. Our bodies have taken years to store the information of our experiences and so it may take some time to access this. If this is done is a very supportive environment and with gentleness and compassion, then there is a trust. Breathwork supports the clearing away of old energies, patterns, conditioning, negative thoughts and emotions and opens the doors wide for new life and greater consciousness. Most of us don’t breathe fully, we hold back the breath and have been doing so for most of our lives. When we start to breathe fully and consciously we find a way to release what we have been holding and open to an expansion of consciousness, including greater forgiveness and self-love. As a result, this inner change shifts and improves our outer life. When we feel supported and we are with a group where everyone has come to begin to look within, then very powerful changes and realisations can occur. We can release stress and tension, heal and resolve trauma, gain deeper insights into current life issues, and access our own internal healing energy, creativity and greater knowing.

My preferred way of working is in a group. This is because the energy of the group can be a catalyst for opening up - we are all in our own process but knowing others are too can give us strength and confidence to keep going as everyone becomes present to the moment and a collection field is created. Breathwork is called this for a reason. Its work. Breathing continuously and deeply through the mouth can be an effort to begin with. We want to check out as our minds try and divert our attention but if we keep with the breath then the body begins to release its truths.

In childhood experiences, there may be no rational understanding of what happened. But looking at it as an adult, you can take a conscious approach to that memory.This supports self-awareness and gives the possibility to step out of the “negative behaviour.” Nothing is really negative – it is just a pattern that keeps us from living our full potential.