Growth through the breath…..

We’re still deep in the month of May, and this week, I’m celebrating my birthday. I always see that as a time to reflect on my life and what’s happened in the last year.

One of the most significant events of last year was a Holotropic Breathwork retreat in Kansas City that I attended with a group of complete strangers. It would be the first time I would be back on the mat since COVID with a group after several years of attending breathwork workshops several times a year.

So what is this Holotropic Breathwork and why do I do it? Sometimes you’ll hear us call it Transpersonal Breathwork, and it’s the same thing. Maybe you know of breathwork in yoga where you move your breath in an intentional way.

This is different and here’s some more information if you are interested. This was the focus of our retreat in Costa Rica last year.

I make time and space in my life for these experiences for one reason—to grow. Life has milestones, joys, and challenges. Adapting to all of these takes time to process and sort through. Sometimes this is work I want to do on my own. These experiences allow me to meet new people and feel connected with others in a safe group container.

It is within these experiences that I have met the people who today are my very dearest friends. They remind me of the mile markers I have passed and guide me to the safe shores when I am lost in the tides of despair. Within the warmth of their care, my tiny shoots of growth find the energy to push up through the compost of my past struggles. It is with deep gratitude that on my birthday, I will savor the hills and valleys of this past year and my good fortune to be on this journey of life with them.