In 2023 I decided to retrain so that I could introduce breathwork to others. I was particularly interested Conscious Connected Breathing – the merging the inhale and the exhale – after some powerful personal experiences. After looking at a number of schools, I came across AIR School of Breathwork. which teaches Rebirthing Breathwork, using conscious connected breathing to induce deep relaxation and an expanded state of consciousness. I spoke to Brigitte, one of the founders, on the phone. She talked about the gentle approach used by AIR and the importance of not re-traumatising people. She did not talk to me about marketing funnels or push me into signing up. I could feel her genuine love for this work in her voice and I knew instantly that I was in the right place. I have loved the week-long modules with other trainees, trainers and graduates. I have loved the opportunity to support others in their breathing and to continue to explore my own internal world, really noticing what is happening inside my body and gaining subtle yet powerful insights into my subconscious. I look forward to continuing to be part of the learning and the incredible community offered by this well-established school.
I am also extremely interested in how our moment-to-moment functional breathing affects our physical and mental wellbeing and have recently trained in the Buteyko Method (awaiting accreditation from the Buteyko Clinic International). Through breathing exercises and changing how we breathe in our daily lives, we can reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and boost energy. This method is often a game-changer for people suffering from many chronic illnesses, including chronic pain, asthma, high blood pressure. It has also been used to help people with long Covid and symptoms of the peri-menopause.
I have always loved water and sea swimming, so it was only a matter of time before I explored everything cold water exposure can do for our mental and physical health. When I came across Kevin at Breatheolution, I knew I had to train with him. He has taken more than 4,000 people into the cold using scientifically proven methods that look at how we can use this hormetic stressor as a therapeutic tool – to increase our ability to respond to life, rather than react to it. This approach is aligned with the low and slow breathing I have learnt through the Buteyko method and pays particular attention to the nervous system. I have completed a certificate in Cold Water Therapy with Breatheolution.
I am fascinated by internal systems in the body and a currently studying for a diploma in holistic myofascial release with ???
In the late 1990s, after graduating from Newcastle University with a 2:1 in Politics and Philosophy, I trained as a journalist and started my career in local newspapers in Kent. I visited the Gurkhas in Brunei when they relocated to my home town of Folkestone and also travelled to Albania during the Kosovo war on a local truck delivering aid to refugees in camps near Tirana. In my late 20s and early 30s, I worked for various national charities running media campaigns to raise awareness of the needs of children in the care system, cancer patients and people living with severe mental illness. I trained senior staff for television and radio interviews and ghost wrote many articles on behalf of various chief executives for national and specialist newspapers and magazines.
In my spare time, I write creatively and have found breathwork helpful in accessing flow states. Last year I came third in an international short memoir writing competition for a piece about the sudden death of my mum when I was pregnant with my first child. It was published in the 2024 Fish Anthology.
In 2024, at the age of 48, I was diagnosed of ADHD. My school reports, my strengths and the things I find challenging, suddenly all made so much more sense!
Creativity, grief, inter-generational trauma, menopause and perimenopause, early life experiences, neurodiversity, the nervous system and chronic illness are all areas of particular interest.