(And Gave Me Back a Deeper Connection to Life)
Growing up, no one ever taught me how to breathe.
Even as an athlete, breath was just… automatic. Functional. Background noise.
I knew how to push. How to endure.
But not how to exhale.
It wasn’t until yoga — years later — that I started noticing my breath at all.
And slowly, over time, it became a quiet but powerful part of my life.
Breathe in tension.
Breathe out what no longer serves.
These days, breathwork is my go-to when life gets overwhelming.
When I wake up in panic for no clear reason.
When I spiral into worry about something I can’t control.
It’s my anchor — a bridge between body and mind, a tool to return home to myself.
But recently, I felt called to take it deeper.
The Invitation
As I began reconnecting with social media, breathwork was everywhere.
Videos, programs, podcasts, books.
I listened to James Nestor’s “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,”
watched Dan Brulé speak with fierce passion,
and then… something popped up:
A live event in Lisbon, hosted by The Breath Act.
It felt aligned. Physical. Real.
So I asked my friend E if she’d join me — and off we went.
What followed was a journey I’ll never forget.
The Jungle Journey
Our guide, Marta, greeted us with strength and warmth.
She made us feel safe — like we were being invited, not instructed.
The room buzzed with quiet openness.
Some people looked seasoned.
We weren’t. But we were ready to surrender.
We started lying down.
Gentle breath. Soft music. Grounding.
We were asked to set an intention — I chose trust.
And to release something — I chose fear.
Something softened in me immediately.
Like my whole body finally got permission to just be.
Then came the jungle beats.
Movement. Flow. Eyes closed.
I pulled my shoulders back and opened my chest.
And suddenly… I was there — in the jungle, walking like a warrior.
Surrounded by animals that weren’t threats — they were protectors.
I felt wild. Alive. Powerful.
And totally, fully safe.
The Breath That Changed Everything
Then we lay back down.
And the breathwork began.
45 minutes of continuous, mouth-open breathing.
No pause. No escape.
It was uncomfortable at first… and then?
My body began to vibrate.
Not a tremble — a pulsing, a wave of energy moving through my hands, feet, head.
I was completely still — and yet deeply, deeply alive.
Then came the light.
Orange. Blue. Horizon. Sun. Ocean.
All flowing like a vivid animation through my mind.
And then… I saw her.
My Angel.
Not as a baby. Not as I remembered her.
But as the young woman she would be now.
Radiant. Whole. Free.
Tears came — not from grief, but from pure love.
She was okay.
I was okay.
We were okay.
Back to Earth. Back to Breath. Back to Life.
The final hour was integration.
Returning to the body. To stillness. To breath.
To now.
And then Marta asked us:
“What do you want to feel? Be? Do? Love? Let go of?”
“What do you choose?”
And sitting there — heart cracked open, grounded in trust — I knew:
✨ I’m ready to choose trust over fear.
✨ I’m ready to let my gut guide me.
✨ I’m ready to say YES to life again — fully, wildly, soul-first.
If you’ve ever longed to reconnect — with your body, your emotions, your breath, your lost parts — this is your sign.
Take a breath.
Let it go.
Then take another.
And start again.
→ Say YES to Life Again
Or reach out: marielle@mindbreeze.ae
