Breathe to Heal: How Breathwork Transformed My Life and Helped Me Find Peace

Breathwork changed everything for me. It calmed my nervous system, gave me the courage to leave an abusive marriage, and helped me rebuild my life with peace, purpose, and love. Today, it’s the foundation of everything I teach through Dance to Uplift, because when you breathe with intention, you invite healing into your body, mind, and soul.

The Moment Everything Changed

There was a time in my life when I couldn’t breathe, at least, not deeply. Every inhale felt tight. Every exhale carried the weight of anxiety, fear, and self-doubt.

I was trapped in a marriage I knew, deep down, wasn’t healthy. But I stayed because the programming in my nervous system, shaped by years of trauma and conditioning from my past, kept whispering lies:

“You’re not strong enough.”

“You don’t deserve better.”

“You won’t survive on your own.”

When you’ve experienced deep trauma, especially from something as dark as satanic ritual abuse (SRA), your body learns to live in constant survival mode. It doesn’t matter how much your mind knows things could be different; your body holds the score.

Your breath becomes shallow.

Your heart beats faster.

Your nervous system stays on high alert, waiting for the next threat.

That’s where I lived for years, frozen between fear and exhaustion. Until the day I discovered breathwork.

Finding Breathwork, and Finding Myself Again

My first breathwork session was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Within minutes, I could feel my body begin to soften.

My shoulders dropped.

My chest opened.

My mind quieted.

For the first time, I wasn’t fighting my body; I was listening to it.

I realized I had been holding my breath for years, both literally and metaphorically. Breathwork gave me permission to exhale, to let go of the pain I didn’t even know I was still carrying.

Over time, this practice became my anchor. It wasn’t just about “breathing deeply.” It was about rewiring my nervous system to know safety again.

When we intentionally slow our breath, we signal to the body that it’s safe to rest, release, and receive.

And from that safety, true healing begins.

How Breathwork Helped Me Leave an Abusive Relationship

Breathwork didn’t just calm me, it empowered me.

Through consistent practice, I began to feel strength return to my body. I started making decisions from peace, not fear. I could see the truth of my situation clearly, without the fog of trauma running the show.

That’s when I found the courage to leave.

Breath by breath, I began building a new life, one grounded in self-trust, compassion, and healing.

It wasn’t overnight. But each inhale gave me the courage to keep going, and each exhale helped me release what no longer served me.

Breathwork became my bridge, from surviving to living.

Breathwork and the Nervous System: Why It Works

Many people think of stress as something that starts in the mind, but the truth is, it begins in the body.

When we experience trauma or prolonged stress, the autonomic nervous system shifts into fight, flight, or freeze mode. Over time, that becomes our baseline.

Breathwork works because it directly speaks to the nervous system. When you slow your breathing, especially through controlled exhales, you activate the parasympathetic system, the body’s natural relaxation response.

Here’s what happens when you practice intentional breathwork:

• Heart rate slows

• Mind becomes clearer

• Cortisol (stress hormone) decreases

• Body re-enters a state of calm and safety

  
  

It’s one of the simplest yet most profound healing tools we have, and it’s available anytime, anywhere.

From Survival to Serenity: Life After Healing

Today, breathwork is part of my daily spiritual practice. It’s how I start each morning, with gratitude, stillness, and breath.

It keeps me centered, grounded, and connected to my truth. It helps me stay aligned as I continue to grow Dance to Uplift, guiding others to reconnect to their bodies through movement, mindfulness, and heart-centered living.

Because breathwork didn’t just help me leave an abusive relationship, it helped me believe I deserved love, peace, and joy again.

Now I have a loving husband, a career built around passion and purpose, and a nervous system that knows peace is its natural state.

How Breathwork and Dance Work Together

At Dance to Uplift, I teach classes and workshops that begin with breath. Before we move, we pause. We ground ourselves in stillness.

Because movement without breath can become performance, but movement with breath becomes medicine.

Through somatic dance and mindful breathing, we release stress stored in the body and allow emotions to move through us, rather than stay trapped inside.

This is how we begin to heal through movement. This is how we regulate, reconnect, and remember who we truly are.

Try This: A Simple Breathwork Practice for Stress Release

If you’re new to breathwork, start here. Find a quiet space. Sit or lie down comfortably.

1. Close your eyes.

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4.

3. Hold gently for a count of 4.

4. Exhale through your mouth for a count of 6.

5. Repeat for 2–5 minutes.

Notice how your body softens with each exhale. Your breath is your reminder:

You are safe.

You are present.

You are enough.

A Gentle Reminder

Healing takes time. Some days you’ll feel open and expansive; other days you may feel heavy or tired, and that’s okay.

Every breath you take with intention brings you one step closer to peace.

If you’re in a season of stress, heartbreak, or transition, remember this: Your breath is always there to guide you home.

Final Thoughts

Breathwork changed my life. It gave me the strength to heal from deep trauma, release toxic patterns, and create a life filled with joy, love, and meaning.

It’s the same practice I share through Dance to Uplift, where we combine movement, mindfulness, and heart-centered breathwork to create space for healing and transformation.

Live in Love. Move with Meaning. Play Passionately.