You may or may not have noticed but I have been quieter on instagram and the blog. I have been resharing content but I haven’t been doing a lot of “content creating.” Truthfully, #Momlife is just so freaking exhausting.
Having three kids is an absolute BLESSING. But navigating the everyday life of three kids, two toddlers an a newborn, requires some sort of patient, strength, slowing down (while balancing chaos), that I didn’t have/working on.
Not to mention – I didn’t grow up in a family where we did gentle parenting – so it doesn’t come natural to me. But I am trying REALLY hard to tackle a gentle parenting approach. Imagine trying to food shop in a busy supermarket with three kids and one has a tantrum/meltdown. The baby starts to cry. Then the toddler starts climbing out of the cart. I won’t lie – most days I feel like I am going to lose my mind.
So when my friend Ali Levine, offered me a breath work session, I took it! And in that one short session, I learned so many techniques on how to calm and regulate my emotions so that I can work with my kiddos. It has truly been a game changer.
Long story long, Ali is certified with breath work and I asked her to elaborate on what exactly breath work is below. Enjoy!
BYOK: Okay let’s start with some basics, what exactly is breath work?
Ali: Breathwork is consciously breathing with certain exercises. It’s anchoring the breath into your body. It improves mental, spiritual, physical and emotional well being. Overtime will help your immune system and gut as well.
BYOK: How did you find yourself interested in breath work and how had it transformed you
Ali: I feel and believe the Breath found Me. Long story short I had gone on quite a meditative journey and meditation I truly feel saved my life in more ways than one and brought me back to myself and God after going through heavy postpartum depression. Meditation was how I grounded myself and truly went inward. Then 2020 came around and I couldn’t get grounded anymore. I had my toddler, was pregnant with my second daughter and the world was spinning and I was feeling the waves of postpartum in a new form come on. That’s when the breath found me. I was offered different sessions from different people I knew. I started having breakdowns from one breathwork session that would lead me to a break through! I realized that can’t be a coincidence as it kept happening and then it clicked, it made sense to me! We are given this sacred life force to come home to ourselves. God gave us the breath to breathe to be alive, but what if you switch from surviving to thriving. So you go from shallow breathing to consciously breathing, and then you THRIVE.
That’s when I realized I had to become certified in breathwork to share this amazing gift within us with others!!
BYOK: Not sure how to word this other than how do you recommend studying breathwork are the resources that you advise?
Ali: Breathwork is becoming so “trendy” right now that you can honestly google, go to YouTube for free breathwork exercises and to learn a little more.
Two apps I recommend for breathwork, guidance and good vibes all around is :
($10 off the app for the first month after free trial)
www.SOAAK.com use code ALI70 for 70 % off first month, sound frequencies and my breathwork offerings are on there
Also, when you’re doing the breathwork feel into your body, what feels good to you. Your body is the messenger and will tell you if you listen.
BYOK: What Is the purpose of breathwork and what are some of the benefits you have seen from it?
Ali: There are soooo many breathwork benefits. Right away is coming back to a rest and digest place, where our parasympathetic nervous system wants to be. After that, it’s more calmness, relaxing, shifting the energy you may be stuck in. Enlightening moments for many. Longer term, strengthening our immune systems, lowering stress overall in the body, improving our gut health, sooo many benefits!! Coming from a true rest and digest place when making decisions or being around others. You become an observer of life instead of activated and triggered by it, finding that inner peace in my opinion is everything !!
BYOK: What are some simple breathwork techniques to try for a newbie?
Ali: Absolutely. Three breaths in the nose, three out the mouth. Six counts in l, hold, six counts out.
BYOK: what coursework did you have to complete in order to be certified?
Ali: Months of being trauma informed, working with emotional psychologists, neurologists, relationship coaches, other breathwork mentors, breathing other facilitators in the container as well as many in the outside world for 60 hours to be certified.
BYOK: Whoare your breathwork gurus that guide you?
Ali: Samantha Skelley my mentor and coach,
Kurtis Lee breathwork friend ( episode on my podcast Awakening with Ali)
Wim Hof ( different type of breathwork but also amazing)
Richie Bostock too
BYOK: Any other info we should know about Breathwork?
Ali: Be open, let the breath guide you, expand you, shift you and truly heal you!
When we consciously anchor in and embody with the breath, the body truly shows us up for US and gives us the message of what we need.
Our nervous systems know more than our minds.
Our bodies hold everything, allowing that release, that shift is so powerful.
We are energetic beings and we tap into our own energy, our sacred life force, the breath, we can change it all.
In my opinion, all 4 four pillars of health ( mental, emotional, spiritual and physical) are important and the breath let’s us connect with all of it.
Come breathe with me and let me show you how powerful you are! I will empower you to be your B.E.S.T. ( Breathe Embody Surrender Transform)
