Sayulita Featured Business: Unity Breathwork

Hi! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure, I was born in Toronto but I’ve lived globally for most of my adulthood, settling in Sayulita three years ago. I am a professional wellness writer, with various healing modality certifications; however, my life’s passion and main focus is Conscious Connected Breathwork (or Breathwork for short). 

Contrary to popular belief, Breathwork has nothing to do with learning how to breathe or inducing relaxation. The term Breathwork refers to a practice where you induce altered states of consciousness using just your breath, and these altered states are conducive to deep healing, breakthrough insights, and transformation. I am a Breathwork Facilitator and a Facilitator Teacher, as well as the founder of Unity Breathwork which offers online and in-person, 1:1 and group Breathwork Journeys, Facilitator Trainings, educational resources, and retreats. 

If you live in Sayulita, you’ve probably seen me walking on the beach with my tiny black and white dog Asha, and she has likely run up to you to give you kisses and cuddles. I consider her my ‘co-facilitator’ in the Breathwork sessions now and am told she has impeccable timing in providing love, comfort, and support 🙂.

How did you first land in Sayulita?

I heard about Sayulita a few years prior to my arrival from a friend in Bali. He told me the town is full of yogis and surfers and is very warm, welcoming and charming. In 2020 the timing aligned for me to visit and the ‘Stayulita Vortex’ immediately sucked me in. The force was so strong that I finally decided to lay down some roots and call Sayulita my home.

What about Sayulita inspired you to stay and start your business here?

So many things! The locals are so warm and welcoming, the sunsets are beautiful, and it’s small enough that you can walk everywhere and yet there is always something new to see and discover. I also love all the different wellness activities, the spiritual vibes, and the vibrant energy. Plus there is great live music, a beautiful long beach to walk along, and delicious food. Finally, it is incredibly safe with almost no crime; and it’s also super convenient being so close to my family in Toronto.

How did you get into Breathwork?

I was on a 15 year healing quest seeking resolution for physical health challenges, childhood trauma, and the aftermath of abusive romantic relationships. I discovered many great healing modalities along the way and became certified in Holistic Nutrition, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Yoga, and Reiki. I also tried talk therapy, several Ayahuasca and Kambo ceremonies, and various other healing modalities but none of them produced the deep healing results I was looking for. 

While in Bali in 2018, a friend told me “I had to go to a Breathwork session”. At that point I had a strong aversion to breath practices and found myself frustrated and bored anytime I tried to focus on my breath. However, I trusted her opinion when she told me “this was different”. I showed up without expectations and had the biggest healing breakthrough of my life. I let go of a lifetime of buried grief in that session, and the next day I felt like I had been reborn. 

I knew immediately this was my calling and had joined the Breathwork training within two weeks. It is now my life’s passion and purpose and I’ve dedicated myself to helping make it as accessible and popular as yoga around the world. I strongly believe that if everyone did Breathwork, our world would become a much more positive, loving, and joyous place.

What about the way you do your work sets you apart from others?

In my sessions, you’re getting a blend of my experience, passion, intuition, and robust knowledge base. I completed two separate 400-hour trauma-informed Breathwork Trainings, leading to my current role as a Breathwork teacher. I also spent 15 years as a professional holistic wellness writer and five of those years writing exclusively for leading international Breathwork Facilitator Training schools. Each school brought its own uniquely healing approach to Breathwork, and I absorbed a wealth of wisdom from each. This accumulated knowledge provides me with a comprehensive understanding beyond many other facilitators.

However, what I think truly sets me apart is my approach. I bring a lot of passion to my classes and I truly believe everyone is their own healer and knows best what they need. I empower my breathers to follow their inner wisdom at all times and teach them how to control the depth of their journey. I explain everything very thoroughly before each session to all of my participants to ensure they feel safe and empowered, and I believe this, in combination with the level of experience I bring, sets the framework for them to let go and embark on their most vulnerable and profound inner journeys. 

Another notable feature of my approach is the generous time allocation I provide, with the majority of my Breathwork sessions lasting nearly two hours. This is important because entering altered states of consciousness takes 15-20 minutes, and you want to stay in those altered states for at least 30 minutes to truly experience all of the benefits Breathwork has to offer. You also need time before the Breathwork to learn about what to expect so you feel safe, and time after to ground, share, and integrate. The extra time I provide helps support people in getting the most out of their sessions. And believe it or not, everyone says at the end, that the time flew by too fast.

In addition to all of the above, I spend a lot of time as a ‘Breathwork DJ’ carefully curating playlists before each session that are custom tailored to facilitate the deepest releases. Finally, I offer both supportive touch and Reiki in my sessions to further support the participants in breathing fully, feeling completely, and processing and releasing deeply held tensions and traumas. 

If you read all of that, thank you! And I apologize that section was so long 🙈

What can a client expect when working with you?

They can expect to feel safe, supported, lovingly held, and empowered! They will breathe lying down, with their eyes closed and after about 15 minutes they will enter an altered state of consciousness and be fully in connection to their inner wisdom and subconscious programming. From there anything can happen!

The benefits of Breathwork are incredibly diverse and can be mental, physical, emotional, or energetic. Every session is different for every person, every time, but because it is guided by the inner wisdom, you will always get exactly what you need. 

Many of my participants have exclaimed their first session was more beneficial than years of talk therapy and more powerful and insightful than plant medicine. And the best part is that it all happens from within. I am not healing anyone. I am simply holding space and giving you the tools you need to heal, transform, and uplift yourself!  

What kind of services do you provide?

I offer private 1:1 and group Breathwork sessions online and in-person upon request. I also offer public group sessions in Sayulita, Bucerias, and the Greater Toronto area.

In addition, I offer Breathwork Retreats (the next one is in Sayulita April 12-17th), and a substantial discount for anyone familiar with Sayulita that does not require accommodations. 

Plus, I offer an Internationally certified 400-hour trauma-informed Breathwork Facilitator Training with the option to complete it fully online or with an in-person segment in Sayulita.

Any special service you highly recommend?

I recommend you try a Breathwork Journey – whether it is a 1:1 or a group, online, or in-person, it doesn’t matter. Although there will be some variances between them, the breath is the medicine and so long as you follow the breathing technique you will have a profound and potentially life changing experience. Most of all, you will discover that everything you need is already within you!

Any client memories in Sayulita you can share with us?

This is a tough one! I’ve been facilitating here for over three years, and it’s been a true blessing to hold space for thousands of amazing individuals. Each person has left their unique mark on me, and I’m sincerely grateful for every single person that has participated in my sessions.

Anything else you would like to add?

Just that I live and breathe Breathwork. When I’m not holding space as a facilitator, I am teaching students to become facilitators, or researching and writing about it for my website www.UnityBreathwork.com. I am so deeply grateful for what Breathwork has done for my own life and for getting to hold space for such profound and transformative work. I hope you will join me for a session or consider joining our Sayulita Retreat in April 🙂 

If you want to find out more about this type of Breathwork or about my offerings you can do so here.