I am a Breathwork Facilitator with a foundation of Kundalini Yoga and Tantra. I facilitate breathwork classes and private breathwork sessions online and in-person in Los Angeles: Mar Vista, Culver City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Hollywood and Venice.

Are you stuck in self-destructive patterns? Struggling with stress and anxiety? Somatic breathwork (somatic means body; we go into your somatic psyche) takes you on a deep journey into your subconscious. The therapeutic goal is to connect with suppressed memories and emotions, and create new neurological pathways through release of energy.  

The term breathwork itself is as broad as telling someone, “I practice Tantra,” I am Religious,” and “My favorite thing to eat is food.” I teach a specific type of breathwork that is effective for trauma healing, creative energy awakening, and enlightenment for clarity and life direction.

According to all ancient yoga traditions, pranayama (working with the breath) and meditation are the most effective pathways to reaching Samadhi / Nirvana / Truth / Source / God. In Sanskrit, “Prana” means life-force energy. When we inhale, we pull in new life-force energy, creating a chemical reaction; allowing cells to renew and release waste; as we exhale, waste flows out. 

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If you Google breathwork, you see modern terms such as breathwork for emotional release, holotropic breathwork, ecstatic breathwork, psychedelic breathwork, and transpersonal breathwork. Different names, same style: rapid rhythmic breathing to engaging music that puts you into a trans-like state. 

Dr. Grof Stanislav was the first psychiatrist in the West to do clinical research on non-ordinary states of consciousness as a therapy model to heal traumas in the early 1970’s. The therapeutic results were profound. The first clinical studies involved using psychedelic substances; later, his studies demonstrated that adding substances to reach the same results is not needed. Dr. Grof and his wife Christina Grof developed a new breathwork modality, which they trademarked as Holotropic Breathwork. 

How Does Breathwork Heal Traumas? 

Rapid breathing patterns create hyperventilation in the body. The activity in the frontal lobe brain (analytical) slows down, and the smaller part of the brain (amygdala) which stores memories and emotions, becomes more active. We are working back and forth between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

The physical manifestations that develop during this breathing method have complex psychosomatic structures and unique meanings for each individual. The release of blocked emotions can manifest in crying, screaming, coughing, vomiting, etc. These expressions in relation to breathwork are described as catharsis, a term named by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Catharsis means purification.

Is Breathwork Safe?

First of all, breathwork is very safe. Neglecting aspects of your true self is more detrimental to your health than anything. Many of us are taught from a young age not to express ourselves fully. We learn to suppress certain emotions and experiences. We are not allowed to be the way we are. This is how addictions and other self-destructive behaviors develop.

Secondly, the body has a phenomenal self-healing ability. The difficult emotions that emerge from the subconscious during a session get automatically resolved, and the breathers end up in a deep, relaxed meditative state. We are given only what we can handle, and you are not alone. A skilled breathwork coach will help you dive deeper or pull back as you are being carefully monitored during a private breathwork session. 

A Happier Fulfilled Life

Many of us grow up thinking there is something wrong with us. When it is the opposite, there is something very right about you. You do not need to change or be “fixed.” Somatic breathwork is a rediscovery of the essence of your true nature. All you need to heal and flourish is within you. 

A regular breathwork practice can change your life rapidly. When we remember who we are and connect with truth, we open up new pathways for clarity and a life in full aliveness. This is a blessing and a curse at the same time because it cannot be returned. Your new path can be scary, but I dare to assure you that it is going to be worth it.

Please reach out to me with any questions! Find upcoming events and workshops here.

Much Love,
Isla

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