My journey with BREATHWORK

We live in a world that often pulls us away from our bodies. We push through tiredness, ignore hunger, override pain, and keep moving—rarely giving ourselves the time or space to fully process what we feel. Over time, this can leave us disconnected, relying more on the mind while losing touch with the body’s signals and wisdom.

For me, breathwork became a way back.

After having children, I was already engaged in talk therapy, but I felt like something was missing. I wanted a way to work with what I was experiencing not just cognitively, but physically—something more embodied. That search led me into yoga, and eventually to breathwork. I later trained in conscious connected breathwork with my mentor, Nicole Cargakis from Ritual Movement.

What I found was a practice that didn’t rely on analysing or fixing, but on experiencing. Breathwork invites you to meet whatever is present—without judgement. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Just the breath, and a willingness to stay with what arises, whether that’s ease, discomfort, emotion, or stillness.

Over time, the shifts weren’t dramatic, but they were real. I felt more connected to myself, more regulated, and more able to sit with my internal experience. It gave me a sense of safety in my body that I hadn’t always had before, and a deeper understanding that the body holds insight the mind alone can’t reach.

That experience is what led me to train as a facilitator. After attending both group sessions and one-on-one work, I felt strongly about learning how to hold space for others in a way that felt safe, grounded, and supportive.

While research into conscious connected breathwork is still developing, the lived experiences of those who engage in it are often meaningful and impactful. It’s a simple practice, but one that can support real change over time.

There is something about this work that’s hard to fully explain—it’s something that really needs to be experienced. What I’ve seen, both personally and in others, is that it becomes an embodied way of building awareness, regulation, and connection. It starts within, and gradually shapes how we relate to others and the world around us.

At the same time, breathwork has become increasingly popular, and is now offered widely. What matters most to me within that is safety.

Working with the breath can open up deeper emotional and physical responses. Without the right support, this can feel overwhelming. That’s why the role of an attuned facilitator is so important.

With nearly two decades of experience in emergency healthcare, I’ve developed a strong capacity to attune to people in real time—responding to what’s happening, recognising when to guide, and when to slow things down. In breathwork, this means creating a space where you’re supported to move at a pace that feels manageable for your system, rather than being pushed beyond your limits.

Being alongside someone as they navigate their inner world is something I don’t take lightly. It’s a privilege to hold that space, and one I approach with care, respect, and responsibility.

Carly

'And if you are able to sing from the very wound that you've worked so hard to hide, not only will it give meaning to your own story, but it will become a corroborative voice for others with a similar wounding' Toko-pa Turner, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home.