My path into breathwork began through Yoga and Pranayama (the yogic term for breath regulation). The practice of Yoga opened a new world for me. Even though I didn't like my first Yoga class, more than fifteen years ago, at all - the repetition and stillness almost drove me crazy. Through practice, time, and great teachers I met along the way, I came to love exactly this: the quietness, the going inward, the time with myself, the practicing of the same Asanas and discovering a new detail even after doing the pose for the 1000th time.

Reading the book “Breath” by James Nestor, as well as my father’s chronic lung disease, is what sparked my deeper curiosity about the breath. After finishing the book, my father began practicing simple breathing exercises regularly (which he still does to this day). As they seemed to bring him real relief, I started to wonder how he hasn't learned any of these simple yet powerful breathing techniques in the hospital or rehab. I found it fascinating how versatile breathing can be. It felt both fascinating and obvious: something we do more than 20,000 times a day must have an impact on our lives and can be used to our advantage. What followed was a journey to explore the breath with regulating and functional breathing techniques, freediving and my first experiences with Transformational Breathwork which eventually led me to the Intesoma® Teacher Training.

Through my daily breath practice and every Transformational Breathwork session, I’ve learned to come back into my body, and actually listen to it and trust my intuition more — and to give my analytical mind space to rest. I appreciate how much it helps me dealing with the daily ups and downs life throws my way. The challenges don’t disappear — but how I meet them and move through them changes.

The first time I heard the phrase, “In the space between stimulus and response lies your personal freedom,” something deeply resonated with me. (It’s loosely based on a quote often attributed to Viktor Frankl) I’m on a mission to explore that space of personal freedom more deeply. And I want to inspire others to discover and get to know that space for themselves. Breath is the tool that helps me dive a little deeper every day — and I hope it will help you too.