I’d like to take us back to an overcast, chilly day on the South Island of a beautiful country called New Zealand. I had just taken a been on a boat trip through Milford Sound, then driven with my bestie to Wanaka where we were chilling nearby the mystical Wanaka Tree. I like to call it my epiphany but essentially something switched in my brain, my psyche, my story and I realised I absolutely did not have to subscribe to countless social narratives I had allowed to run my life for my entire adult existence.

When I was 2 years old, I got sick. A virus, out of the blue, could have happened to literally anyone (on a human level - but I now know this was the only path for me baby!). My body didn’t fully recover and I grew up in the medical world and with it came a whole heap of self-esteem crushing beliefs, patterns and thoughts. See when you live your life seen as something to be fixed, you absolutely can start to believe it on a cellular level. To my core I believed I was broken, unworthy, unloveable, I was ashamed of my body and how it moved and if I could ask you to reflect for a second about what society tells you about disabled people? Less than, burden, inconvenience, unaccommodated for, excluded, problems, troubles, pity, can’t do xyz, shouldn’t do abc.

It was at that moment, by the Wanaka Tree, I realised I absolutely defied all of this. Here I was, travelling the world, living my best life, disabled body and all. So why did I have to believe all those other things.

From here I went on a radical unlearning spell, really deep diving all of the systems and influences that had hidden from the world. I posted the first ever picture on social media of me in my wheelchair - obviously was self deprecating pulling a ridiculous face with a cigarette hanging out my mouth but with a heartfelt caption sharing my desire to be seen the same in a wheelchair as I was walking around. 

This unlearning really stripped me back and was undoubtedly essential for my everything I’ve learned as a whole. 

So, Breathwork?

A few years ago, as I was watching a Jake Paul YouTube video (absolute guilty pleasure) I saw this heavily tattooed man and thought, who does be this? Good old Insta provided the goods and I was introduced to Lukis Mac, Hellè Weston and Owaken Breathwork. I had never heard of or done anything like this before but the universal breadcrumbs lead me here, and after much delberation about the price of a session (hi money story) I signed up for 2 classes. 

Let me tell you, the rest is history. Breathwork is a somatic practice. This means we get out of the head and into the body to start to find, shift and release the energetic charge of everything we go through in life. Having done, and got really far, with unlearning, I didn’t have the knowledge that this is a form of intellectual healing. It’s all processed by the brain and we need to make sense of it consciously. Even from my first Breathwork session I had such a huge shift, I had no idea that these things I believed I had processed and moved through still could have an energetic imprint and be stored in my body. 

I’ve done countless Breathwork journeys now and am living proof that this works. From a broken, anxious, zero-self worth wee babygal to a freaking blooming world traveller, business owner, wearer of the damn shorts, taking up space - mobility aids and all. Fuuuuuuuxxx it feels so good! 

I’ve also experienced a huge amount of grief in this lifetime. It’s another part of my journey in this lifetime that allows me to hold deeper space for my clients. One of my favourite areas to work with clients is limiting beliefs, shaping so much of our life and we can be so unaware. Unlocking these thoughts, beliefs and behaviors is the key to so many areas of life - self worth, healthy relationships, anxiety and mood, achieving goals and manifesting your dreams - to name a few.

The beautiful thing about my job as a Breathwork Facilitator is I am a space holder. I curate and guide our sessions to create a safe space. This means you absolutely don’t need to resonate with my story, we don’t need to have been through the same experiences and we can still come together in session. The power of your own breath will guide you to your own insights, just like it did for me and I would be honoured to facilitate the space for your breakthroughs!

If you have any questions or would like to chat, please reach out. The world needs your shine! 

Love, Lauren

Darlin’ Breathe