My Breathwork Journey
Breathwork is absolutely the most profound thing I've ever learned or experienced. That's a bold statement but is 100% true.
My dad had asthma. I watched him suffer all his life with this debilitating condition. It affected all areas of his life and at one point I wondered if I may have it too. I had been born with a "bird chest, meaning that I had a weird protrusion in the center of my sternum which was visibly noticeable and I wondered if it affected my breathing. I had started playing sports and didn't feel like I had much stamina or energy. I doubled down on my cardio training, thinking that would do the trick but it didn't. This went on many years throughout high school. collage, and even the military. I got by but never felt very strong with breathing.
Years later when I trained to be a stress management counselor I learned breathing techniques. This was mainly for relaxation and to tap into the parasympathetic part of the nervous system. I taught breathing and guided imagery to patients as part of Duke University Health system's cardiac rehab and wellness program. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching this type of breathing as well as using it myself to slow down, relax and "center" myself. It was a very useful tool and I still use and teach it today. However, there's a lot more to breathing than the relaxation part.
Through a podcast interview, I met Dr. Bellisa Vranich, author of BREATHE, and founder of The Breathing Class. She taught me about performance breathing, and how it can vastly improve one's athletic/sport performance and have a profound effect on one's energy and vitality. I used these techniques in my own practice of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and can say without a doubt it was my secret weapon during the Masters World championships in Las Vegas, where I won a gold medal in my division. I completed instructor certification in The Breathing Class method (private lessons and masterclass) with Dr. Bellisa have have used this methodology extensively.
My journey continued with studying the work of Stig Severinsen, founder of Breatheology, as well as completing an additional instructor certification in The Oxygen Advantage (the work of Patrick G McKeown).
In May 2023 I completed the WIM Hof instructor program (in Spain). I use various aspects of all of the breathing techniques and strategies I've learned and tailor it to the needs and goals of my clients.
Breathwork can have a profound impact on all aspects of your life. Maybe you are stressed and need to be able to manage it better. Maybe you want to be able to calm your nerves before presentations. Perhaps you'd like to take your athletic performance to a whole new level, or be able to regulate your breath better while practicing your favorite sport. Or maybe you just want to have a healthier, more balanced life with a higher quality to it. Functional breathing/breathwork can help with any and all of these.
It's the simplest, most basic way to add years to your life and life to your years.
Talk with me today about how to get started with Functional Breathing.
I always wished I could’ve helped my dad but I just didn’t have the knowledge or skill at the time. But this has motivated me to help as many others as I can. I want to give people the help that I couldn’t give him.