Today’s edition is a classic one, including recommended resources and what’s been going on in my universe. Enjoy today's breather issue! My wife and I at a lake South of Munich / Germany (Tegernsee) a couple weeks ago I've noticed something cool happening over the last few years - my inner critic has gotten reeeeeal quiet. Like, so quiet, I sometimes get worried about her lol. She really only shows up very rarely and even then I barely notice her. Now you have to know that this inner critic...
7 months ago • 4 min read
After spending 6+ weeks in Germany teaching our breath lab retreats as part of our teacher training and spending time with family, we finally made it back home to Portugal yesterday. So good to be home!! 🥳 I wrote this letter to you from the road somewhere in Spain. Enjoy! This is Hossegor lake in France How do unprocessed and unexpressed show up in your life? For me, it can be indigestion and bloating, sore throat, increased reactivity and frustration, anxiety, headaches and tension in my...
11 months ago • 7 min read
Why your body’s just trying to feel safe (even when it’s binge-watching Netflix at 1am) You might think your decisions are based on logic, values, ambition, or desire. But let's zoom out a little and you’ll notice: Most of what you do - scrolling, eating, texting, zoning out, working late, canceling plans, saying yes when you mean no - is driven by something way more primal: Regulation. We’re constantly trying to find our way back to feeling okay. Safe. Settled. Or at least…less un-okay....
about 1 year ago • 4 min read
I used to think I was doing the deep inner work by analyzing my emotions and learning about trauma and the nervous system. If I could understand my issues and emotions, dissect them, categorize them, maybe - just maybe - I could outthink my suffering. I was reading books, following lots of trauma and nervous system specialists on Instagram, watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts. It was very helpful for a while, but after a while the truth was: I was really just intellectualizing...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
My wild guess is that 60-70% of you reading this are unconsciously breathing in a way that keeps your nervous system stuck in a stress response. The way you breathe - whether fast or slow, deep or shallow, through your nose or mouth - directly impacts your nervous system. And your nervous system? Well, it shapes your entire experience of life. When you breathe in a way that signals stress to your body, your brain follows. Your thoughts get more anxious, your muscles tense, and your ability to...
about 1 year ago • 6 min read
I talk about somatic therapy a lot. I integrate in my work work with clients, it’s part of our teacher training and it changed my life profoundly. So today we’re going to answer the question: What is somatic therapy, really? Before we do, a little sidenote: While breathwork and functional breathing make up a big part of my work, my approach brings together several more modalities in which I’m trained in: Somatic Experiencing Attachment wound healing IFS parts work Pain Reprocessing Therapy...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
It's safer for your system to create physical symptoms than it is to feel certain emotions. If you think about it for a moment - isn’t that wild? Your body would rather feel physical pain than emotional pain! The jaw tension. The back pain. The gut issues. Even chronic illnesses. (Also add on anxiety and depression) These are all ways our system tries to distract us from feeling things that are "unsafe" (aka painful) to feel. It’s all safer than the anger or sadness you had to swallow as a...
over 1 year ago • 5 min read
This is officially our last letter in 2024! I'm excited about everything that is to come and all the things I plan to share with you in the coming year :) See you in 2025! Enjoy today's slightly shorter edition. Big love from Portugal🩵 Recovering from trauma isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. It might look like that on social media, where every therapist and coach promotes their amazing approach. And sure, I'm all about breathwork and somatic therapy - that's my jam, that's what made a huge...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Breathwork is more than just a set of techniques. It’s about understanding the why and how of breathing, so you can use it effectively to regulate your nervous system and overall well-being. When you understand the principles behind breathing, you empower yourself to make informed decisions and you will be able to analyze and evaluate any breathing technique you come across.THIS in itself is a gamechanger.Suddenly, you are not a sheep blindly following instructions anymore, but an empowered...
over 1 year ago • 5 min read