alternative healing – Beyond the Breath Online Magazine

In Breath of Business

Launching a magazine …. with Mercury as my guide

13/11/2024 No Comments

It was early in August

“Take a look at where the Sun meets Mercury Retrograde in your chart, that will give you a clue as to the cosmic invitation or potential theme for your project. For all of us this is in the sign of Leo (Creative Self Expression), and in my chart 26*35 of Leo it’s in the 11^th house (Community, groups and friendships)”

I’ve worked with Mercury as a project guide for many years. The cosmos gifts us with 3 invitations a year to give focus and attention to something for about 4 months, which from my experience as a project manager, I know is a great timespan to do something significant whilst still maintaining momentum.

Sometimes I’m passive in the invitation, aware of Mercury’s cosmic invite and holding it lightly, allowing and responding to what unfolds, and sometimes I’m more active and engaged.

As Mercury began to turn retrograde on the 5^th August 2024, I realised that the new project invitation would come about on the 19^th August 2024 (when Mercury Retrograde met with the Sun), this would be just 2 days after I left a rather toxic job. The synchronicity was not lost on me, and I knew that this would be especially powerful for me to engage actively with this cycle, especially as I moved through the grief process and reintegration into a life without a job for a while. So, I took my own advice (how often do we forget to do that?!) and I consciously tuned into what was waiting to be birthed.

The fact that you are reading this, is a testament to the outcome of that Mercury Project. Beyond the Breath Magazine.

I’ve had the idea of a Breathwork Magazine for some time. A place where Breathwork Facilitators could share their experiences with breathwork, bringing together all their knowledge and wisdom in life and combining it with Breathwork. I was also aware that as Breathwork became more popular, there were several courses and workshops popping up, that promised to teach Breathwork Facilitation in the blink of eye. I wanted to create a space where the Breath Curious could come along and explore the breath, and their own relationship with the breath, in a place that was supported by high quality training.

I’ll be honest here too; this was not just altruistic. I knew that I needed a community, a place where I could freely express myself, where I could surround myself with people that I would like to spend time with, and a place where I could share my skills and purpose. I knew I wouldn’t find this on any of the social media platforms that I knew of, and so I began to explore creating my own community steeped in my own values. One that didn’t rely on algorithms, wasn’t controlled by a huge corporate business, and could be handled by me – with my hubby working in the background on some of the tech things!

In short, I needed to find my voice and I needed a community, everything Mercury was inviting me into.

All of the planetary cycles give us 8 invitations to engage with the ebb and flow that cycle. The moon is the most obvious to us, as she waxes (grows) and wanes (contracts) in the sky for us to see, she’s a great example of how life is not meant to be lived at full throttle all the time. We are supposed to ebb and flow, inhale and exhale. When I began to engage with the dance of Mercury and the Sun, I chose to work with just 4 of those points in the cycle, akin to seasons.

So around about the middle of August this year, as I became acquainted with my own home office again, and the Winter of the Mercury Cycle began. It’s a time to go within, and the seed is planted. It’s a quiet reflective time, used to explore and define our project intention or mission. During this phase I let the idea of a Magazine percolate. I rested, I started to chat about the project, and to see how it sounded and felt as I discussed it. I let the seed of the idea find roots.

We moved into the Spring energy of the cycle at the end August. The Spring is where we explore possibilities, test, research and measure the outcomes. What works, what doesn’t. To use the seed analogy, we are pricking out some of the shoots to allow space for the plants that are left to grow strong and vibrant. In this phase we are planning and preparing as we establish the outcome. During this phase we researched technical platforms, began to map out the site directory – playing with the menus and layout. We researched article topics and began to gather scientific research, and I began to consider my voice. What I wanted to stand for and who I wanted to be as I grew into this new role of Curious Curator. At this point it still felt ethereal, and I didn’t do much real planning, although now I think it might have been helpful to!

The Summer of the cycle came around at the end of September. Summer is where we are full steam ahead. We have decided on our direction, our plans are in place, and we are taking regular action towards making it a reality. To continue with our little seed, we are now going from a bud to a flower in full bloom, attracting the bees and other pollinators to bring life and colour to our project. At Beyond the Breath, we now had a prototype and could start to talk to people about contributing. I created an area in my members site where I could capture the articles and the biographies of new authors, and I found lots of blogs and writing of my own that I wanted to include (I’m still uploading these bit by bit!) and most importantly I began to speak to Breathwork Facilitators about the project, inviting them to contribute. First within Breathing Space, the school where I trained to be a facilitator and I now teach.

I soft launched the magazine on astrological Samhain the 6^th November. It marks the anniversary of my first ever public breathwork in 2020 and felt fitting. We still have some tech issues to sort and of course we need more contributors and a readership, the growing of which will continue now as part of my every day work life, but it’s thanks to Mercury’s cosmic invite and the willingness to listen, to respond, and to act that you are reading this article and hopefully many more in the months and years to come.

And so, you find me here now, nearing the end of the summer cycle, knee deep in social media ironically, as I work out how to expand the readership and to expand the offer to other Breathwork schools that are also accredited by the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance, our closest thing to a regulatory body.

We are again about to enter the Autumn of this Mercury cycle, when Mercury goes retrograde on November 26^th 2024, where the invite is to put on the finishing touches, we are tidying up loose ends, gathering the fruit of our labours in seed terms. We are reflecting on our journey with Mercury as our guide, we are celebrating our accomplishments, and we are bringing the project to a close before we enter Winter again and a new project begins. At that point I will begin to systemise what we’ve created so I can manage it going forward as part of a normal work day.

There is still a way to go, but I am immensely proud of what we have birthed, and I smile daily as someone new submits an article, or I meet someone in the Writers Circle I launched alongside the magazine for those who need a bit of coaching and support, to begin or to continue to write and creatively express themselves.

Our new cosmic invite starts on December 6^th 2024. I will consider a new project, as I’m writing this I’m wondering what it will be. I have loved engaging with Mercury in an active and conscious way to harness the energy of the cosmic invite and create something that I hope will last for a very long time.

Would you like to join me in running a project for your life or business in line with the cosmos? Pop along to my free Zoom session on 26^th November at 7.30pm UK time and I’ll take you through the process. I’ll give you all the key dates for each season in the cycle. I’ll talk you through the cosmic invitation depending on the house in your chart where Mercury and the Sun will meet, and we’ll discuss the flow of the cycle through the project so you can begin to vision the outcome. And of course we’ll breathe together.

You can sign up by visiting https://members.sharyn-with-a-why.co.uk/mercury-project-workshop

Sharyn with a Why – Founder and Curious Curator of Beyond the Breath Magazine.

Astrologer, Breathwork Teacher, Cosmic Coach – a supportive guide for Soulpreneurs in life and business – May you remember your true nature and live in stress-free alignment

To find out more about Sharyn with a Why, take a look at her Profile in Practioners Corner

In Breathwork Reflections

The beginning

10/11/2024 No Comments

I attended my first conscious connected breathwork session early 2023 not really knowing what it was all about. Led by our very own weaver Shakti Tracy from Diamond Heart Network, I was blown away by the experience.

Having always been a seeker of ‘altered states of reality’ specifically in my younger years, I was fascinated by the concept of something as simple and accessible as our breath being able to support my journey of healing deep rooted wounding.

At first when I tried the continuous breath I struggled. I got a very dry mouth and was convinced I was ‘doing it wrong’. Imposter syndrome being a close companion of mine (we all know that one right?). We were journeying that day to meet our guides – divine masculine and divine feminine. I don’t remember who came through as my divine feminine in the first session (that I believed I was doing wrong!) as I was more concerned by ‘feeling silly’ and ‘getting it wrong’.

Before the second journey I sought out technique advice from my peers (whom I saw as much more knowledgeable!) I do remember thinking….’this wont work on me because my brain has been way too altered before by chemicals’ Self limiting beliefs were strong and I was resistant to allowing the natural flow.

We started the second session and I positioned myself more towards the corner of the room as I’d felt exposed in the first session being in the middle of room. I must add that the noises people were making during the session slightly baffled me. Screaming, crying, laughing, howling….what was going on that I just didn’t get? Nevertheless, I began breathing in earnest wiling myself to surrender and trust.

I can’t really describe what happened for the next hour. I was faced face to face with Thor and his mighty hammer along with a Minotaur. I came round a the end of the session wondering where the hell I was and what the heck had just happened. Pretty much like my first acid trip back in the 90’s. Just WOW! We all sat and shared and I was just so excited that I’d ‘got it right’ rather than focused on what the messages were for me. That processing came much later when in my own space.

My giddiness at my success overpowered the actual healing pathways it had provided for me. I knew then….I knew I needed more breathwork in my life.

My mum has raised me talking about how as humans we don’t breath properly and I’d often mused over her words but not really thought deeply about it. Having raised a son with chronic asthma, I knew he needed to breath deeper and I had often led mini ‘breathwork’ sessions with him when he was in hospital but suddenly all the pieces were coming together.

That summer I attended 5 wellbeing festivals leading Forest Bathing workshop sessions for folks in the conscious community and I made sure I attended as many breathwork sessions as I could. I paid for a 1:1 session with the amazing Julie Ann Horrox at LoveHerder “Getting High on Life” 2024 and she led me to shift some huge and painful blockages. She supported me with such love and nurture and the connection to her, her story and her presence filled me with joy. This consolidated my yearning to train as a breathwork facilitator. At Stone Cold Sober festival I was blessed to attended 6 sessions all with different facilitators and wow – this expanded my experience of how many ways there are to practice breathwork. I was hooked.

I became one of those people rolling around screaming, laughing, crying, chanting, howling and ultimately…releasing the stuff that wasnt even mine to begin with. Pure relief washed over me.

Early in Jan 2024, the universe served me another dose of health curveballs as my heart started to cry out with pressure. I listened but didn’t know what to do. Then I was released from a work situation that I hadn’t even realised had become very heavy on my shoulders (even though my neck was bad again needing surgery and I’d just had shoulder surgery – wakey wakey Lix!)

Once released from this time consuming role and with a long period of healing ahead – I had space open up in my life to again recreate and hone in on what I was being called to do. 1 week after my spinal surgery – I heard the call. I’d been growing closer with Shakti Tracy chatting about life, love and the universe and she mentioned that she was running a special April start course. She had felt the call to do an extra course this year and I took the sign. I signed up. Leapt hoping the net would appear. My finances being the worst they have been since I was young having had to surrender paid work because of my health.

I had been mediating hard on abundance, prosperity and more specifically doing a breathwork course for some time. My net appeared. Ok yes, it went more like ‘Dad? Please can you help me out?’

He has watched me since I had to leave my teaching career 3 years ago try to rebuild my life after my life changing injury at work and I know he chuckles at my ‘witchy’ ways but he had recently read about Breathwork in his daily paper and so he was ‘on board’ with this direction I wanted to take. He had only recently read this when I asked my favour….big ups universe.

So here I am now. A new neck, space in my life for a new venture, time and motivation to pour into the course and a really supportive network of wonderful authentic woman cheerleading me on.

2024 so far has been a wild ride of panic, fear, rejection, pain (mental and physical), confusion, challenges and heartache….but for each of those feelings it has brought authenticity, love, support, opportunities, huge joy, loyalty, progression, treasure and a vast wealth of excitement, growth and passion as all of it is a perfect sign of divine timing and absolute trust at the organic flow of our bloody beautiful universe!

Here I go with the truly transformational journey with my breath, your breath and the life with the universe breathes into us.

Lix from Elixir Breathwork – breathing is medicine for the soul.

To find out more about Lix take a look at her profile in Practitioners Corner

In Breath and the Mind

Breath is the Bridge, Breath is the River

22/10/2024 No Comments

‘Become aware of the breath, the sensation of the air passing in and out through your nostrils. As you focus in on this sensation, let everything else in your mind slowly fade away. Let all the things that have happened to you today and all the things that you have to do, all your cares, all your worries, all your troubles, slowly melt away. All you become aware of is the in and out of your breath. In…. and out…. in….. out….’

The journey from Meditation to Breath

I was sitting cross-legged in a Buddhist Gompa, listening to my teacher give instructions. It was very comforting; a still and quiet refuge from the craziness of the outside world. Whenever I stepped into the temple, the thick red carpet and scent of nag champa incense burning made me immediately relax.

While my teacher was speaking I found it very easy to concentrate. Her steady voice had a certain authority, and my mind naturally did as she asked. I focussed in on my breath, its slow steady rhythm and the in–and-out of air on my throat. My concentration narrowed, tightened, focussed. In…. and out…. in….. out….. .

I felt I could really train my mind in such a space, tame my monkey mind by improving my concentration. Make it like a smooth still lake, untroubled by ripples. Make it like the clear blue sky, untouched by clouds. Meditating on my breath was working on becoming enlightened – just as Buddha had – and that was definitely a goal worth striving for.

‘There is the outside world,’ my teacher said, ‘and the inside. Your breath is the bridge between them. You know what the outside is like; full of suffering and delusion, but do you know what the inside is like? What wonders lie inside? Remember, your breath is the bridge between them. In… and out…. In… out….’

And indeed there were wonders inside. Oceans of stillness, of peace, of strength, of love and compassion for all living beings. Big mind and big heart. Buddha mind, buddha heart. Enlightenment.

But when my teacher stopped speaking and let me meditate in silence, my meditation ended. My concentration wandered, my focus slipped. My monkey mind was back, jumping around all over the place, going anywhere but my breath. I was on the bridge and trying to get back inside, but it seemed a titanic wind was pushing against me, and the more I pushed on, the harder it pushed me back.

It was even worse when I left the refuge of the temple and tried to meditate at home. Not only was there that same wind beating me back – refusing me entrance to my inside world of wonders – but the craziness of the outside world, drenched in suffering and delusion, made the bridge feel like a dangerous place, an untethered, flapping rope bridge to cross a raging torrent. One slip and the waters would swallow and drown me.

After a while, I stopped meditating. I stopped going to the Gompa, I stopped following my teacher. Although my lack of progress in my meditation was not the primary reason in my decision, it definitely played a part. The glimpses that I had of my inside world became just memories. Enlightenment seemed again unattainable. I stepped back from the breath, from that bridge of terror, and became immersed again in the outside world.

A few years later, by chance I found myself at Conscious Breathwork in Bali, Indonesia. My experience of Buddhist breath meditation had left me cynical yet longing for something to happen. I wanted to try and cross the bridge again, but I had lost the faith that I – or even anyone else – really could.

For those of you who have experienced a Conscious Breathwork, you will know that it is nothing like a Buddhist breath meditation. There is no concentration, no focussing, no mental component at all. Just breathing, Conscious Breathing. Within a few breaths of my first session, amazingly, magically, without any effort, without even really listening to the teacher, I found myself back at the bridge, staring towards my interior world of wonders. The wind was as strong as before, perhaps stronger, the bridge more unstable, and the waters below more akin to a deluge than a river, but I was back, looking at something I thought lost to me forever.

This time though, standing at the start of the bridge, I felt strangely calm. With a flash of insight I knew what I had to do. Rather than force myself across, I took a different path. For a moment, I stood up tall and faced the wind, feeling it wrap and buffet my body. Then I let myself fall backwards into the river, letting the waters engulf and sweep me away.

You see I realised that my breath was not just the bridge, my breath was also the river. And if I just let myself go, if I abandoned my fear and followed my breath it could sweep me away not just to my inside world of wonders, but to places that I could not even imagine. A place where there was no difference between inside and out, where there was not any difference between suffering and enlightenment.

If you have the opportunity to try a Conscious Breathwork, and if you then find yourself standing in front of the wild elemental rivers of your own being, then you might find yourself letting go as well.

You could even go there right now, if you are brave enough. It’s easy. Just breathe. Consciously breathe.

In…. and out…. in….. out….

Benedict Beaumont – Founder of Breathing Space

To find out more about Benedict, take a look at his profile in Practitioners Corner

In Questions and Answers

Are there any side effects to breathwork?

31/10/2021 No Comments

Apart from radical self acceptance .. I think the question is probably better answered along these lines!

While breathwork is generally safe, some potential side effects can occur:

Lightheadedness or dizziness: Especially with rapid breathing techniques.
Tingling sensations: In hands, feet, or face due to changes in blood chemistry.
Temporary anxiety: Some may experience increased anxiety, particularly during intense sessions.
Hyperventilation: Over breathing can lead to symptoms like numbness or muscle spasms.
Emotional release: Intense emotions may surface, which can be overwhelming for some.
Fatigue: Some may feel tired after certain practices.
Headaches: Particularly if practiced incorrectly or too intensively.
Dry mouth or throat: From prolonged mouth breathing in some techniques.
Altered perception: Some intensive practices can lead to altered states of consciousness.
Potential exacerbation of certain conditions: e.g., people with respiratory issues should be cautious.

Most side effects are mild and temporary. They can often be avoided by starting gradually, practicing under guidance, and listening to your body. It’s important to consult a healthcare provider before starting any intensive breathwork practice, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.

In Questions and Answers

How does breathwork relate to meditation?

31/10/2021 No Comments

Breathwork and meditation are closely related practices that often complement each other, my breathwork ‘grandfather’ describes Breathwork as “Meditating without meditation”!

Meditation actually comes from the Latin word meditatio, which is derived from the verb meditari meaning “to think, contemplate, devise, ponder”. it was originally practiced as a form of focus, imagine choosing a leaf and spending a considerable amount of time just contemplating that leaf.

Somewhere in history Meditation has translated to ‘clearing the mind’ which I think is impossible and unnecessary .. but that’s maybe a full article for another day rather than just a Q&A. For now here are some more popular thoughts:

Shared focus: Both practices involve focused attention, often using the breath as an anchor.
Mindfulness: Both encourage present-moment awareness and observation of thoughts and sensations.
Relaxation: Both can induce a relaxation response in the body.
Stress reduction: Both are effective tools for managing stress and anxiety.
Mind-body connection: Both practices strengthen the connection between mental and physical states.
Complementary techniques: Many meditation practices incorporate specific breathing techniques.
Preparation: Breathwork is often used as a preliminary practice to settle the mind before meditation.
Altered states: Both can lead to altered states of consciousness, though breathwork can be more active.
Spiritual aspects: Both have roots in spiritual traditions, though they can be practiced secularly.
Accessibility: Both can be practiced without special equipment, making them widely accessible.

While meditation often involves a more passive observation of the breath, breathwork actively manipulates breathing patterns. Many practitioners find that combining both practices enhances their overall benefits and provides a more comprehensive approach to mental and physical well-being.

In Practitioner's Corner

Benedict Beaumont – Founder of Breathing Space

25/01/2002 No Comments

What do you enjoy about breathwork and how has it helped you?

Breathwork changed my life and it gave me my mission, to light up the world with Breath.

Where did you complete your training (or where are you still in training)?

Graduate Facilitator of Alchemy of Breath in 2018
Founder of Breathing Space

Are you trained in any other modalities?

Yoga

What is your personal journey?

The classroom felt suffocating. Teaching had been a dream, but somewhere along the way, it turned into a nightmare. Every day, that resignation letter burned a hole in my pocket, a desperate reminder that this wasn’t sustainable. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I finally did what seemed impossible: I walked away. Grabbed a few belongings, hopped on a motorcycle, and disappeared into the vastness of India.

Nepal called me next – the mountains, the clarity of the air, felt like a lifeline. It was there on Everest Base Camp that I met my incredible wife, Jennifer. But change doesn’t come in neat little packages, does it? In 2014, I stumbled on a breathwork session that turned my world upside down. With just a few breaths, I found something I’d spent years searching for: clarity, connection, and a deep sense of purpose.

I knew I’d found my calling. I did the training…but now what? I was frustrated as hell! Where was the support? Mentorship? Community? So typical, isn’t it? We’re taught these incredible techniques, but nobody teaches us how to thrive in the real world. Not wanting others to face that same isolation, I decided to create what I was missing.

Back in the UK, at one of my lowest points and with very limited resources, I was desperate not to return to teaching.

I started small. “Pay-what-you-can” classes in a local Quaker Meeting House, attracting a group that was small in number, but huge in heart. That was just the start.

Soon I was organizing retreats, and as people experienced the power of the work and the warmth of the community we were building, things took off organically.

Breathing Space evolved from my own need for transformation and belonging, fueled by my conviction that everyone deserves to step into their potential with strong support at their backs.

I’m Benedict Beaumont, proud founder of Breathing Space.

My mission? To help you master the life changing art of breathwork, elevate your business, and create a ripple effect of positive change.

What do you stand for, and what do you stand against?

For : – Community and Connection, Empowerment, Opportunity, Support

Against :- Keeping ourselves small

What is your greatest wish for your clients

That the light inside them turns in a blazing beacon that shows the way for others and gives them permission to light up too.

Contact Details

website :- Benedictbeaumont.com

website :- Makesomebreathingspace.com

In Practitioner's Corner

Karen Berry

26/04/2001 No Comments

What do you enjoy about breathwork and how has it helped you?

The breath is everything. This simple statement spoken by the amazing founder of this space, has taken on so many meanings, from the obvious, we cannot survive without it, to the exponential transformational potential in each breath. So the truth in this moment, is the breath really is everything. I have walked a path of many truths, some old, some new, some rediscovered, some lost forever. the breath is woven so intimately, so integrally through my life now that i do not imagine a time without it. It has been a shelter, a sanctuary where i can rest from the storms in my life. It has allowed me to rise into the sky and beyond.
Creating a collection of poetry inspired by my experiences with breathwork was a wonderful way to channel and express newfound insights and emotions. Poetry can be a powerful medium for capturing the essence of inner experiences and transformations. As I embarked on my journey with the breath, I allowed the words to flow freely, letting them express the depth of my experiences and the richness of my inner world. I built up a trust in my intuition and the creative process. Allowing it to guide me to explore themes, emotions, and imagery that resonate with my breathwork journey. My writings are not just about the final product but also about the process of self-expression and discovery. Allowing myself to be vulnerable and authentic in my writing provided a supportive and safe space for me to feel into these vulnerabilities. Safety and security are recurring themes I have been working on, as I walk my own path towards wholeness through healing.
If I ever feel stuck or uncertain, I return to my breathwork practice, as this will serve as a source of inspiration and grounding, helping me reconnect with that creative flow within and support my expression in the outer world.

Where did you complete your training (or where are you still in training)?

Karen Berry. I graduated as a breathwork facilitator in July 2024 with Breathing Space. I attained my level 3 in Reiki in 2022 but I usually just say I work with energy as that is what it is to me but reiki is an accepted modality title.

Are you trained in any other modalities?

Yes, i am a trained in holistic massage, reiki – level 3, Indian head massage. and i am a qualified and registered adult general nurse

How do they integrate with breathwork?

Breathwork will weave throughout all modalities. It is present in each moment. I use the breath to support spiritual journeying and connection to other realms of existence.

What is your personal journey?

Throughout my life I have struggled, I was bullied as a child, I struggled to form lasting relationships, I was consumed by the need to fit in, to be accepted. This drove me to clip and change to suit those around me and I became less me, and not even really like them, I just seemed to fade away. Throughout my adult life people have abused my very soul. They have taken the love I gave so freely and used it against me. I’ll not dwell on that as this blog is about my journey in breathwork. So for the past 20 Years I have searched. I have searched for me. I have explored holistic therapies and trained in various modalities of healing. I qualified as a nurse and supported people for many years, physically and emotionally. My path took many twists and turns. I left one abusive relationship, straight into another, this one worse. I eventually found the strength to leave. During these times I left my spiritual development and self care behind. I no longer practiced my craft, I hid it all from the world and from myself. I was consumed with being accepted.
Now breathwork where does this fit in. Well over the past four years I have taken myself on a journey of healing, initially I thought I was ok, but then when I took a course on mental health resilience, I realised that I was not ok, the truth then was that I felt broken. Not it a I can’t function way, I worked, I provided for my family, but I was definitely not living my life the way I wanted or in a way that served my highest good, I didn’t really understand who I was so how could I live how I wanted when I didn’t knew myself. So I took a trip down the rabbit hole and I discovered a lady in America who does witchcraft and shadow work. OO I thought this sounds good so off I went, like Alice, down the hole deeper and deeper, until I started to come across the term breathwork. Now here’s me thinking wtf is that all about, sounds kinda hippie to me but also I found a little voice saying go have a look, go see what this hippie S678 is all about. Furthermore you daft sod you’re just a little bit hippie with all your reiki, crystals and witchy spell work so maybe, just maybe you’ll fit right in.
So off I do down another rabbit hole, and further and further I went, searching on the internet talking to friends, to see what it is all about. And I start to build this picture in my mind of what this breathwork might actually be about. Of course I saw some lets say very interesting interpretations of what breathwork was and some vast differences in practitioner training. I knew I was looking for something more, something that felt less wishy washy and more substantial. Then I found Ben and Breathing Space. I attended a zoom call to find out more. Now there I was, trying to get the children ready for bed, whist cuddling the snake and listening to Ben talking about his work and this programme. I suddenly stopped what I was doing, this was it, I found what I was looking for. The energies of all those people on that call were amazing, old students, current students, facilitators, curious people like me and of course Ben. One lady made a comment of how the breath is everything. As I have travelled along this path, read more books, attended more sessions, the truth of this statement transformed, I came to understand just what she meant. The breath is everything, no more no less, it just is. If you are reading this thinking this woman writing this is mad, she is bonkers what is she going on about making such a daft statement? Hang in there, walk a little further along the path into breathwork and you will see. The penny will drop, you will just know.
Breathwork has helped to change my life. I am calmer, more resilient, happier because I know how to breathe. I know what I need to do to open my sub conscious, so I can connect on a deeper level to discover my truth. I can stay calm in the moment, and now I am ready to support this for others.

What do you stand for, and what do you stand against?

My mission is to combat the feeling of being alone. I have been there and it is not a very nice place. I am not saying i don’t relish my own company nor am i unhappy on my own. But feeling alone is something very different. I wish for communities to come together, to support one another, where we are now. Building spaces where people can just be present and loved. What do i stand against? well tyranny, oppression, and feeling alone, feeling no one is there and not knowing which way to turn. Above all i stand for being kind and nice, these do not come without boundaries but let us all just be kind.

What is your greatest wish for your clients

To find a space of respite. A space of safe refuge as they navigate the storms in their own lives. A place of connection, a place of compassion and a place of love.

My Bio

Creating Safe Spaces to Navigate Life’s Storms: Breathwork & Energy Facilitation to Build Your Centre of Wellness

Contact Details

email :- safehavenwellnesscentre@gmail.com.

In Practitioner's Corner

Tim Johnson is fine and dandy, thank you

18/07/2000 No Comments

What do you enjoy about breathwork and how has it helped you?

Breathing is our most primeval instinct, without it we would not exist. I reference many times the energy created by our breath, how this relates to the Universe, planet earth, the tides, the waves, the cycle of day night day, these are all elements of breathing. I really enjoy the fact conscious breathing helps me to connect to the planet and keeps me rooted.
When I teach tai chi, the first thing we do is to gauge our respiratory rate, to gain a sense of how the day is treating us, whether any stress or agitation has crept into our bodies. If it has, that person can reference this during the class and allow them to focus on their breathing before each exercise.
Gaining the knowledge of breath work has enabled not just me, but the people I work with to gain an insight as to how our breathing can change how we feel, how it can empower us and balance us.

Where did you complete your training (or where are you still in training)?

I am a Buteyko & Oxygen Advantage breathing instructor having studied with Patrick McKeown

Breathing Space – Mentor – I already run my business as a breath work facilitator, I am on the second year of the course, however, as we say in tai chi, I am a fool who knows nothing and will approach the Breathing Space course with the wide open eyes of the child.

Are you trained in any other modalities?

From a breath work perspective, only Buteyko & Oxygen Advantage, I am also a wellbeing coach with Dr Claire McGuire at Raw Horizons Academy and have been studying and teaching tai chi & qigong for the past 20 years.

How do they integrate with breathwork?

This is the holistic approach which runs through everything and everybody I work with. It goes back to the values of simplicity, compassion and balance. How do we achieve those and how does that make us feel. The key to life is breathing, it is where everything begins and how we build a foundation strong enough to withstand the travails of our lives. I find it impossible to envisage teaching wellbeing or tai chi without involving breath work. It would be like teaching tai chi or wellbeing without the why. It can be done, however, it leaves an emptiness.

What is your personal journey?

For many years, I created an artifice, well several actually, creating a mask to be liked, to be seen to do what’s right, to be able to fit in, when I didn’t feel that I did.
This began to change when I began to study tai chi.
After a couple of months I found myself getting to the bottom of the steps to enter where we were holding the class and not being able to go in. This lasted several weeks and initially I could not understand as to why this was happening.
After considerable thought, which of it itself was hard work, as I tended to gloss over introspection, I came to the conclusion that the tai chi classes and the philosophy of Taoism was forcing me to look at myself. I did not like what I saw and realised I had to make a decision. If I carried on, I would have to embrace everything, or I could stop and carry on with how I was and more importantly how I was feeling. As I was a fairly new Dad, I did not want to pass on those neuroses to my son and in a very flippant way, the tai chi was less expensive than seeking therapeutic help. So I decided tai chi was the moonlit pathway to follow. This led me to wellbeing and to the fundamentals of breathing. Whilst I still felt out of step with the role I had in the corporate world I found myself in, I was able to work releasing my real personality and thoughts, very slowly and found myself helping more and more my clients within the company with their mindset and more particularly their breathing.
This eventually gave me the strength to leave that world and stride out into the living breathing world of which I now feel so much part of, along, of course, with the residual ephemeral imposter syndrome trails still saying hello every now and again.

What do you stand for, and what do you stand against?

The values of my company are the values of myself, which are, simplicity, compassion and balance. I have only ever so slightly pinched and adapted these from the Tao the Ching by Lao Tzu. The change being patience from Mr Tzu to compassion from me. They help to remind me everyday how I should be and how I wish the world could be. I feel they create a solid foundation from which to live, work and be.

As for what I stand against? Ultimately authoritarianism in all its forms, whether politically or religious. I fail to see how people and societies are able to grow and flourish when the ego’s of man are constantly behind motives.

What is your greatest wish for your clients

To see them progress and to empower them to see what they are capable of. I work with some very vulnerable people, who have been very severely reduced in their sense of capability. Working with them to slowly unpick these strictures is profoundly gratifying, as you can physically see the difference they are able to make within themselves. There are sometimes bouts of giddy delight from them and me when barriers have been knocked over. Ultimately if I can leave a client in a better state than when we started, then that is a wish fulfilled.

Contact Details

website :- www.i-qi-coaching.com

facebook :- @i-Qi-coaching

instagram :- @iqicoaching

linkedin :- Tim Johnson

tiktok :- @tim.johnson173