Shining Our Diamonds ~ Discovering Our True Selves with Breathwork
An Interview with Emily Ray Henderson, Kula Facilitator
Tell us about your journey?
I have spent the last 9 years on what one would call the Hero’s Journey. Traveling, experiencing, diving deep within myself to heal, let go and shift my vibration. This is a continuous journey but it gets a little easier. Moving through old patterns faster to ultimately release them…and with lots of laughter. ;)
I’ve explored a lot of different healing modalities and they all have had their purpose as a way of experiencing myself in a new way. My favourites are the ones that have surpassed my rational mind so that I can access the magic underneath. Breathwork (the topic of this interview) & Plant Medicine (topic of the next interview in this series) open portals to a new potential.
Yoga, meditation and mindfulness are important practices on a daily basis to remain aware, grounded and to shine!
What does it mean to shine our diamonds?
The diamond body is a tantric term from Hatha Yoga. To shine our diamond is the process of letting go of all the accumulated stories we tell ourselves about who are…and healing pain we may carry. It is a process of restoring ourselves to our true radiance so that offer our best selves to the world. The Diamond is our heart and the light and shining is love and happiness. Like the Care Bear Stare ;)
We all are diamonds…we just need to shine away some of the dirt and grime. This implies that we are already whole and not something that needs to be fixed.
Breathing consciously and also in yoga and breathwork all shine our diamonds. It is our biggest super power and we didn’t even know it.
What is conscious breathing and what are the benefits?
It is when we are aware of our breath. It is our greatest medicine and it is available to anyone.
Mindfulness research has shown that when we are aware of our breath it lights up all three parts of our brain and increases the neuroplasticity (ability to create new pathways/neural connections in the brain). It is a way of training our minds.
This is why meditation on the breath and yoga is also such a beautiful system for transformation. When we bring awareness to the breath there is so much potential …a strengthening and stabilizing of the mind.
From here, we can see that we have a choice. This choice is freedom and helps us to be the calm in the storm.
Conscious Breathing helps us with anxiety, PTSD, and depression – rebuilding the circuits of the mind.
What is a conscious breathwork session? In a conscious connected breathwork session (typically one hour), the intention is to bring in as much o2 and prana (which is the life force energy all around us) to stimulate the flow of energy.
As a practitioner, I guide people to keep breathing throughout the whole process. The journey is set to music to motivate, stimulate and inspire shifts. Often, at the end of a session, people feel connected, peaceful, and clear.
What physically happens when we increase the amount of O2 and Prana?
Physically 70% of toxins leave our body through the lungs. Breathwork creates a biochemical situation (prana moving through energetic pathways) that allows old emotional and physical tensions associated with unresolved psychological and physical issues to surface …it offers a unique opportunity for healing. The process brings things to the surface that are ready for processing.
This release creates a sense of lightness, and space is opened for more connection to the self and something greater. The shining.
What are you currently offering that assists in shining our diamonds?
Discover Your True Self – A Journey in Peru (July 28th – August 5th, 2018) Sacred Valley
Use the code: KULASTAR to receive a discount.
We follow the Medicine Wheel with daily intentions: letting go of limiting beliefs, societal/familial conditioning and releasing anything no longer serving us to lighten to accessing our joy, gifts, and manifesting infinite possibilities.
The retreat includes working with traditional local shamanic practices including:
Plants Baths
Coca Leaf Readings
Sound healing
Breathwork
Temazcal (sweat lodge)
Plant Medicine ceremonies with Cacao & the Master Plants (Ayahuasca & Wachuma)
Most days will include a guided yoga/meditation practice to align, center and integrate. We will also take a day trip to the nearby city of Pisac to explore it's Incan ruins and local market!
We will conclude our time together with a 2-night trip to the breathtaking sacred city of the Incas, Machu Picchu! Check out this website for all the details and a sample itinerary.
Emily Ray Henderson is a trained Counselor, Reiki Master, MassageTherapist, Shamanic Yoga Practitioner/Teacher, Ceremonial Space Holder; Breath Practitioner who uses a compassionate and intuitive approach to help you integrate your mind, body; spirit to make change, create balance and find joy and passion in your life. Connect with her on Instagram @emilyrayhenderson!