Breathe… We hear this all the time. What does it mean? Breathing deliberately with intention helps us grow, be healthier and simply put overall better at life…

Breath literally saved my life. Having experienced physical and emotional abuse, abandonment and volatility as a child my nervous system were conditioned for pain and tension.

As an adult, some years ago when my life as a man spearheaded, separating from a relationship, being extremely unfaithful, losing friendships and my businesses, experiencing massive financial debt and when much of life was falling apart in all the ways (in order to be put together in a different way) breath found its way to me.

For the first time in my life, I had chosen to look at my actions, fears, traumas and pains. I was consciously choosing to heal it all and it felt overwhelming and intense. I felt suicidal and like death almost every day. I chose to go deep and do “all the things”. I recall where for hours daily I would be on my lounge room floor crying, screaming and in such tension and shaking as I was dealing with suppressed memories.

Breath saved me. It provided me an outlet to allow my nervous system, body and cells to release repressed pain and emotions that had been stagnant within me for so long. It gave me reprieve, intelligent hope and structure.

It helped me gain clarity, forgive myself and others and grow into the version of myself that carried intentional self-worth, not insecurity and unworthiness. Today, I breathe daily and I clear what doesn’t serve me. I won’t lie to you, it’s been a long road and at times “old stuff” bubbles to the surface…

However, I deal with it from a place of empowerment, confidence and humility. I turn around quicker as opposed to either internalizing with self-loathing and self-hate or vomiting the unprocessed emotions I loved ones.

I trust in the process of breath. It has probably been more powerful and insightful as an ally than plant medicines and hallucinogenics. It has opened my heart to shamanic practice and other modalities, whilst giving me strong foundations for the esoteric exploration of plant medicines also.

One is glad to be of service.

STEFANOS SIFANDOS

Relational Alchemist, Speaker & Author