The Australian breathworker contingent at GIC (Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay and Perth)
*Breathing life into all my cells and even the spaces between them*
That is what I am reminding myself as I allow the dust to settle - after time away at a breathwork conference in Joshua Tree National Park, California. Being at a conference with such a strong emphasis on the breath and meeting breathworkers from around the world was a delight. The experience left me with so many insights, learnings and inspirations about the power of breath and its transformational potential for our bodies, minds and worlds. When I first heard about this event (the Global Inspiration Conference, GIC) it seemed strange that a conference with such a strong focus on breath would be run in a desert, especially during the height of summer. But after a week at this desert gathering I became surprisingly appreciative of the piercingly hot sun and expansive dusty landscape. The stillness, beauty and subtle life beneath the harshness helped me to develop a different type of relationship to breath and breathwork, and to notice subtle details I hadn’t before. It helped me to more easily drop into discomfort, and to find the exquisite beauty and power held within that experience. It also helped me learn how to be more gentle with myself in dropping into nuances of those spaces, and to be more open to inviting life into my body even when it was difficult. The spaciousness of the landscape enabled me to tap into an expansiveness I hadn't experienced before in my body and which I deeply appreciated. A valuable aspect of the conference was learning how to take my explorations of breath into more joyful and playful realms, and finding deeper pleasure in breath.
I’ve come away from the conference more inspired about breathwork, and involved in several projects, including a program designed to help support people holding trauma, especially those from Refugee and Asylum backgrounds, and another program designed to teach Conscious breathing education programs in schools globally. I'm also very excited to be part of a committee that is forming to focus on Art and Breathwork.
After the conference I went on a week long road trip mostly through Arizona with two breathwork friends and then stayed with a dear friend in Sonoma. This trip was amazingly helpful in integrating learnings from the conference and allowing them to land within me. We travelled to Sedona, Grand Canyon and Monument Valley and reflected on the complexity of the social, cultural, physical and political aspects as we navigated this part of the US together. A kaleidoscope of memories from this trip have stayed with me. Above is a slide show that shows some glimpses of the road trip.
Over and out – with love, Lisa.