21 Jan Lovelee Storytime | BREATH

The first time I experienced a big breathing extravaganza, almost 10 years ago, I was being guided by a qigong teacher who was inspired by Wim’s work. 

The room was huge and it was packed. There were close to 1000 people laying on mats side by side. I found myself lost and curious in a sea of breathing bodies, taking bigger and more rapid breaths than ever before. I felt hot and then cold, tingly and then crampy, energized and then exhausted.

I was ‘informed’ of these possible ‘side-effects’, nevertheless I was still surprised and a little concerned. I kept going, doing the best I could with this challenging breathing rhythm, or for me, what seemed like my off-beat rendition. 

I started feeling emotion – big, turbulent, sad, heavy, sticky, sappy, challenging, emotion. I felt it bubbling up, soon to overflow into what I considered at the time, an ‘inappropriate’ external expression. I fought to suppress it. I could control it. This mentality, this suppression of these freshly surfacing emotions, created more tension and chaos within me. 

After a few more minutes of this increased breathing volume and pace, I lost it and spun out into the chaos. I lost all sense of space and time. The thoughts went away, and the feeling came fully in. Then, the next thing I was aware of, I found myself alone on my mat.

I was in the fetal position, with tears and snot streaming all down my face, chest, and shirt.  

I had experienced an altered state of consciousness, and without the use of illegal or prescription substances. Compelling! This was new to me. After a plethora of tissues, a pause, and a few soft smiles of assurance to my breathing neighbors, I tuned into myself in a new way. 

It’s as if I had just unloaded a large dump truck full of my personal energetic shit. I felt weightless, like gravity had shifted – physically light, mentally clear, and emotionally more spacious. Like a huge weight had been taken off of both my body and mind. It was as if my internal eye was more able to see, I could sense a new quality, the quality of the heart, clearing, opening, expanding.  

“This is some real shit..” I thought to myself.. 

It was after this experience that I sought out the man himself. Wim’s work came into my life like the birth of a baby star. My whole lifestyle made a drastic shift, my day to day experiences were more full. (More on that in another Lovelee Storytime). 

In short, the practice of Breath is powerful and effective. I am an avid breath facilitator and practitioner. I relate my practice to increased energy, enhanced immune system, more regulated emotional waves, and more mental focus and clarity. 

Our Lovelee Practice community is a gem of a safe container for breathing exploration. You are very welcome to join us. Click here for details.

Wishing you wonders in this wild and wonderful world, 

Elee