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Your breath is doing more than keeping you alive. 😮‍💨

Breath is a bridge back to yourself.

Confession: I don’t practice breathwork regularly. I still forget to exhale when I’m overwhelmed, and catch myself clenching my jaw while replying to emails. (In fact, my dentist* just called me out on this yesterday!)

But here’s one thing I know about breathwork in a held space: that’s where the magic happens.

Two years ago on retreat, I had a transformative breathwork experience. As I focused on the rhythm of my breath, my mind quieted—and my body began to speak. A skillful facilitator helped me to connect to parts of myself I didn’t know I could access. Together, we held space for what surfaced until it softened.

It was so powerful that I went back six months later for a second deep dive. And I know I’ll return again.

Why? Because breath is energy in motion.

Yogic traditions believe that breath carries prana (life force energy). In Chinese medicine, it’s known as Qi. Across traditions, breath is more than a function of life—it’s a bridge between your physical and energetic bodies.

When we breathe with intention, we move more than air. We move energy that’s been stuck in the corners of our bodies and minds. Breathwork helps us regulate our nervous system, process stored emotions, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we’ve forgotten.

And when you pair breath with sound healing, the transformation deepens.

Sound creates a resonant container that helps your nervous system feel safe while your breath invites release. Breath opens the body. Sound softens it. Together, they make space for healing.

Try This Gentle Breathwork Practice at Home:

  • Find a quiet space to sit or lie down.
  • Close your eyes and begin breathing in a steady rhythm.
  • Inhale through the nose for 4 counts, exhale through the mouth for 8 counts.
  • Continue for 5–10 minutes. (This will feel like an eternity; that’s okay. Just stay with it. No force. Just flow.)
  • Hold loving space for whatever emotions or sensations arise.
  • To deepen the practice, play a sound healing playlist in the background. (I love this playlist on Amazon Music!)

The goal isn’t to have a big emotional release or achieve something profound. It’s simply to create space. To move. To reconnect. You don’t need to understand what you’re moving. You just need to breathe.

Want to go deeper? If you’re in Western New York, I invite you to join me for an upcoming in-person gathering. Or join me for one-on-one support via Reiki, sound healing, or energy coaching—in person or over distance.

Your energy is asking to move. Are you listening?

In Love, Light & healing,

Vera V. Chapman with smiling warmly in a soft pink kimono against a calming blue background

Vera is a Reiki Master Teacher and Energy Coach who helps women identify, clear, and heal blocked energy so they can move through grief and trauma, and become joyfully present in their lives again. She is a Board Certified Coach, Certified Sound Healer, Certified Yoga Teacher, and proud mama of two living children and one in the stars. She holds a Masters Degree in Counseling and a Ph.D in Education. She has healed from deep grief and sexual trauma using the modalities she now teaches, and has authored a children’s book and healing affirmation cards to support grieving women and their families. Most importantly, she’s on a mission to make energy healing accessible to everyone.