Oops, I Did It Again! More Experiences With Altered States of Consciousness Through Rebirthing Breathwork

In April 2023, I embarked on an epic journey—a journey to the core of myself. What began as a one-time retreat turned into a profound and ongoing transformation. Along the way, I’ve been rewarded with insights and breakthroughs that continue to ripple through my life. The journey I started was through Rebirthing Breathwork—a practice that uses conscious breathing to access altered states of consciousness, often compared to the experiences induced by psychedelics like LSD. For me, it was a way to unblock the mental and emotional barriers holding me back and to accelerate my personal growth.

You can read my earlier blog on breathwork here. And listen to a podcast about my coaching work and my breathwork journey here.

This blog is an invitation to explore my experience, lessons, and insights. It’s especially for leaders and professionals who might be curious about new tools for self-development—tools that challenge conventional coaching paradigms and offer a deeper connection to self-awareness, healing, and transformation.

The Beginning of the Journey

When I signed up for the first retreat, I intended to attend just one workshop. But that week was so profoundly impactful that it set me on a larger, unexpected path. Six months later, I joined another 8-day retreat, and a year after that, yet another. Now, I’m working toward becoming a certified breathwork practitioner, planning to complete my training planned in 2025.”

This work has taken me further than I ever thought possible. It has not only deepened my self-awareness but also unlocked new dimensions of my personal and professional life. While it’s far from a conventional coaching tool, I’m increasingly convinced that breathwork and the exploration of our unconscious are powerful tools for leadership development and personal transformation.

The Impact: How Breathwork Changed My Life

Over the past 18 months, I’ve experienced shifts that I never imagined possible. Here are some of the most significant changes:

• Deepened Self-Awareness. I’ve accessed hidden beliefs and assumptions that even I—someone with a lifelong commitment to introspection—had been unaware of. Breathwork brought them to the surface in a way traditional methods hadn’t.
• Increased Calm and Contentment. I feel more grounded and centred than ever before. There’s less internal noise, and I’ve found a deeper sense of peace and purpose. As coach breathwork has strengthened my ability to hold space for others. This benefitted my coaching as I’ve become better at creating psychological safety for my clients.
• Personal Healing and Transformation. I’ve resolved deep-seated childhood trauma—feelings of powerlessness and emotional wounds tied to my birth. One unexpected yet life-changing outcome has been healing my lifelong emotional eating patterns. I’ve lost 15kg, maintained the weight loss for more than a year now, and embraced a healthy lifestyle. Friends and colleagues frequently remark on the visible transformation, but for me, the internal shift feels even more significant.
• Greater Self-Compassion. I’ve developed a kinder relationship with myself, embracing self-care and self-regard in ways I hadn’t before.
• Transformed Relationships. One of the most profound shifts has been in my relationships, particularly with my daughter and my partner.  Breathwork has helped me approach my stormy relationship with my daughter with more compassion, openness, and courage. My relationship with my partner has deepened with me becoming less critical, more patient and more supportive of her. The changes in me inspired her to also pursue breathwork in her own development.
• Letting Go of Control. I’ve released my need to control outcomes, becoming more collaborative and less fearful of others “stealing my toys.” This shift has created more space for creativity and connection and for true collaboration in various areas of my life.
• Clarity and Confidence. I no longer seek constant advice and validation from others. I trust myself, my instincts, and my own decisions more than ever before.
• Improved Action Orientation. I’m accomplishing more with less effort and stress. My ability to focus on what truly matters has sharpened.

The Challenges Along the Way

This journey hasn’t been all smooth sailing. I’ve faced relapses and setbacks, moments when old patterns crept back in, and I reverted to comfortable habits. But the difference now is my ability to regain my balance and move forward without falling apart. Breathwork has taught me resilience—how to sit with discomfort, process it, and emerge stronger.

Insights for Leaders and Professionals

As someone who works with leaders and corporate clients, I can’t help but reflect on how this work intersects with professional development. I see so many clients stuck in unproductive patterns—avoiding discomfort, clinging to old narratives, avoiding the truth and resisting change. Breathwork has shown me the power of going inward to address these and other blockages that stops us from achieving our full potential.

I believe that for those ready to explore their inner world, breathwork holds incredible potential. It’s not a quick fix, nor is it for everyone. But for the courageous, curious and committed, it can unlock new levels of clarity, creativity, and empowerment.

Here are some key takeaways from my journey:

• The Power of “Set and Setting”. Psychedelic researchers often emphasize the importance of mindset and environment in transformative experiences. The same is true for breathwork. For me, the retreats provided a safe, nurturing space—a small rural town, a beautiful garden studio, and a group of empathetic, like-minded individuals guided by a skilful facilitator. These elements created the perfect container for deep exploration and change.
• No Shortcuts. One thing is certain, personal transformation is not a quick fix. I’ve so far spent 24 days on three retreats and the insights and transformations continue to flow.  You don’t have to go as full-on as I have, but if you cannot find an hour per week for “me time”, self-reflection, meditation or journalling, you can expect to stay stuck where you are.  Get off the treadmill and expect to be amazed.
• A Journey Not an Event. This is not my first rodeo. I’ve had profound development experiences since my twenties. What I’ve learnt is that, when we’re ready, each of these events can elevate us to the next level of our evolution. They’re catalysts for growth rather than final destinations.
• Facing Discomfort. At its core, this work is about confronting what we avoid. Whether it’s fear, pain, or unresolved emotions, “the way out is through”. Breathwork helped me access and process parts of myself that I had ignored or suppressed for years – and parts that I was not even aware of. I discovered the root causes of symptoms if experienced all my life, and sometimes in the most unexpected places.
• Uncovering the Truth. Much of personal growth comes down to telling the truth—to ourselves and others. Our minds are wired to avoid pain and discomfort and that means that we often prefer the comfort of not knowing over the discomfort of knowing what we truly want or what we need to do get what we want. This work requires radical honesty, which can be both liberating and uncomfortable. But without it, true change and transformation are impossible.

 

A Journey Toward Wholeness

At its essence, this journey has been about reclaiming lost parts of myself. I love the term “recovery” used by Alcoholics Anonymous —it’s about reclaiming what was there before. Breathwork has allowed me to welcome back these exiled parts of myself, integrating them into a fuller, richer life. The journey has also deepened my understanding of spirituality. Although I remain non-religious, I’m now open to exploring what spirituality means to me. I’m more tolerant, open-minded, and comfortable with not knowing all the answers.

 

Final Thoughts: A Hero’s Journey

Looking back, this journey feels like a true hero’s journey—one of struggle, transformation, and integration. It hasn’t been quick or easy. In fact, it’s been seven years since I first started this process of awakening, with many steps along the way: changing relationships, moving homes, experiencing burnout and depression, and eventually finding my way back to myself.

Breathwork amplified this process, creating near-instantaneous shifts in some areas of my life. The healing of my eating addiction, for example, was immediate and long-lasting. But other parts of the journey continue to unfold, reminding me that transformation is an ongoing process. The reflective processes and frameworks that accompanied the breathwork were essential for processing the insights that emerged and to continue my evolution beyond the breathwork sessions and workshops.

 

An Invitation to Explore

I’m sharing my story not to promote breathwork as a cure-all, but as an invitation. As I continue this path, my mission is clear: to bring the transformative insights of breathwork and altered states of consciousness into the professional and corporate world. To help others reclaim their wholeness and unlock their true potential. To develop grounded, ethical and visionary leaders. And to create organisations where people thrive.

If you’re a leader, professional, or seeker who feels stuck or want to make bold transformative changes in your life, there is hope.  Breathwork is not for everyone, but for those ready to look inward, it can open doors you didn’t know existed. I’m very sure that the solutions to breaking out of the mould, taking meaningful action, achieving our dreams and reaching our full potential is hidden in our unconscious. In combination with existing tools and techniques for exploring the unconscious, breathwork can provide the profound insights required for profound growth and transformation.

The only way out is through. And on the other side, there’s clarity, freedom, and connection waiting to be discovered.