“I filled every breath with noise, until I forgot how silence sounded.”
City lights, crowded rooms, and endless events filled every breath, running on adrenaline. I built spaces where others could lose themselves — while I quietly lost touch with myself.
I used alcohol to self-medicate, masking the weight of unprocessed trauma and the strain on my nervous system. My inhale was constant — more doing, more giving, more running. There was no pause.
“Breathing is the bridge between body and mind.” — Wim Hof
My nervous system lived in constant fight-or-flight.
Trauma doesn’t always appear loudly.
Sometimes it shows up as:
• overworking
• constant movement
• emotional numbing
• difficulty resting
• needing noise to avoid silence.
Alcohol became my way of softening the edges of those feelings.
It worked for a while.
Until it didn’t.
Eventually the body always asks to be heard.
Breathwork became the first place I allowed myself to listen.
Breath Practice: Nervous System Regulation
One practice that helped me begin was extended exhale breathing.
Inhale for 4 seconds
Exhale for 6 seconds
Repeat for 3 minutes.
Lengthening the exhale signals safety to the nervous system.
When the body feels safe, healing can begin.
There was a time when my life moved quickly.
Cities.
Music.
Events.
Crowds.
I loved creating spaces where people could connect.
Community has always been at the centre of who I am.
But my life during those years was mostly inhale.
More doing.
More giving.
More movement.
I didn’t yet understand the importance of the pause.
Breathwork taught me that expansion is beautiful — but without balance it can also become exhausting.
Breath Practice: Energising Breath
A simple energising breath:
Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds
Hold gently for 2 seconds
Exhale for 4 seconds
Repeat for 10 breaths.
This builds awareness of how energy moves through the body.
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