Pneumorphosis

Feeling Naked!

As mentioned before, for years I have been hiding! Hiding behind a facade or a role, a false identity I put it to protect myself from society.

I was always afraid to be seen, to be heard. Afraid to be naked, vulnerable and identified for who I truly am?

Afraid of judgment, criticism and failure!

I was so good at hiding, that I completely forgot who I am, therefore living a LIE. Not being authentically myself, not aligned with my heart and unable to tap into the potential that I truly possess!

Worst of all, I was not feeling worthy! I felt like I don’t belong.

Today! I own who I am and I am not afraid to show the world who I am!

In fact, I truly believe that it is my responsibility to show the world who I am. And to stand up for what I believe and for those who feel small, suppressed or not worthy!

And to shine a light for those who are lost in the darkness and can’t find the way out!

Today I had a flashback! After I cut off my beard I looked in the mirror, saw myself, wondered who that is and …. felt naked!

Although I am not afraid to be seen any longer, I felt some discomfort.

It’s the change, the unfamiliar that can lead to discomfort, therefore leading to avoidance of the unknown.

However, there is no growth, no satisfaction and no fulfillment of dreams and desires when stuck in the zone of false comfort.

In order to embrace the new, sometimes we have to drop the old ... .And the beard was getting old. Cutting my beard symbolizes change, drastic change, transformation.

It symbolized the transformation I have gone through since I started my journey with meditation, breathwork and plant medicine as well as the transformation that is about to come.

Looking in the mirror I wondered, who am I? This unfamiliar face, skin that I haven't seen in 7 years! But deep inside, I still feel the same.

And deep inside, I feel worthy, I feel like I belong. There is knowing, there is certainty, trust, love and respect!

And for those who wonder: No, I will not shave my face again anytime soon!

ADDICTION comes in many forms,

Addiction has a quite destructive potential, many lives have been affected or destroyed.

Alcohol, ci******es, drugs, work, p**n, sport, food, internet and many more. Even suffering is a form of addiction. Some people suffer for no reason just because of the brain's addiction to the familiar.

And it is not only those who are addicted who suffer but also those who care for them.

Parents, siblings, partners, children, friends, employees, coworkers, even the supermarket clerk, hairdressers or mail delivery person can be affected by this destructive energy.

The insidious nature of addiction is that one may not even notice that there may be problems until the addictive patterns have a strong hold over one's will.

Then there are these lies. There are two form of very tenacious lies:

The most obvious: I am not addicted, I don’t have a problem, I can stop whenever, I just like doing this, it is my reward, I deserve to. When I need to, I can stop, or even worse.

Then there are the less obvious LIEs, also called Limited Ideas Entertained!

I am addicted, I can’t help it, it is not my fault, I am a victim, it’s the drugs fault, or society, I am not strong enough, the substances have too much power over me.

The good news is, there is a way out! Due to the law of polarity, there is a truth to every lie. The key is to be brutally honest. Identify the LIE and dissolve it!

There are a few very simple steps out of addiction.

Success leaves evidence or as Zhen(Kung Fu Panda) says: Every step leaves a footprint, no matter how small”

All you have to do is illuminate the darkness and the steps will become visible.

I am not saying it is easy. As I know and understand how hard it can be at times. It can be quite a struggle and lead to setbacks, disappointment and frustration.

However, for those who are dedicated to sobriety, embrace the challenges on the way, see failures as the step towards success, and find gratitude for the struggle, the rewards will be invaluable.

As Jim Kwik says: When you do the easy thing, life becomes hard, however when you do the hard thing, life becomes easy.

But first, you need to let go of everything you believe to be true and open your mind!

Then, you can reclaim your power and you notice, NOTHING in life has any power over you other than the power you give to things!

Join is on Monday the 13th at 5pm for a Breathwork and Singing Bowls sessions with Amy Smith

60 minutes of breathwork followed by 30 minutes of Singing Bowls allows for deep relaxation, the regulation of the nervous system and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The more time we spend in heart coherence, the more natural this state becomes for our subconscious mind. When we open our heart and our mind, we attract more and more of what we love. We learn to live from a place of gratitude instead of expectations.



Reserve your spot by following the link below:

https://app.10to8.com/book/ucwwolnomsyhmnmtfk/1892050/

THE PARTS IN ME, THE PARTS I DON'T SEE,

Are the parts that create havoc, anger and rage in me.

The more I pay attention to what is really going on, the more I catch myself doing all the things that I judge in others. It is quite astonishing. But it is true, the world as I see it is a mirror of who I am.
Most of the time I am just too blind and ignorant to notice it, admit it and do something about it

Everything that I judge in others, everything that makes me angry, frustrated or mad is a part of me that I refuse to, or am not willing to see in myself.

My shadows, amplified by other peoples’ behavior. What a gift is that? A crystal clear reflection once I am open to see it, allow myself to see, and commit myself to change.

Breathwork has been a tremendous tool to support me in bringing light and awareness to those shadow parts of me. And God only knows, there are many.

To bring presence to the moment, so I can focus and not run on autopilot.

It’s quite a beautiful gift walking around the house and suddenly noticing how I did just what I told my children the other day not to do. Realizing why my lecture wasn’t effective. Because I did not lecture myself.

Or I find myself causing the same situation that I judged my wife for the other day.

Presence and awareness is the key, free from the distracting thoughts of the thinking mind.

Gratitude is the antidote. Instead of dwelling in anger and frustration or whatever my favorite of suffering is, appreciating the event that triggered those addictive emotions.

Because I always like to go back to the known, the familiar.

By showing and experiencing gratitude instead of the familiar emotions, I can break the cycle, interrupt the patterns and get a glimpse of the unknown.

Free from the comfort of the familiarity, I can open my mind to new possibilities, find new solutions and therefore create inner peace.

I can change my approach to life and feed what I want rather than what I always attempted to push away.

Instead of fighting hate, I learn to feed love.

I am delighted to announce another Breathwork and Crystal Bowls session together with Amy Smith.

May 13th from 5.00p - 7.30 pm, Crystal Coast Unity

Both Amy and I are extremely passionate about the work we do and are really excited to share this beautiful gift for healing.

As you know, breathwork by itself is extremely powerful and so is the mesmeric vibration of the singing bowls. End of 2023 we decided to combine the two modalities and both of us were deeply touched by the whole experience and the transformation we witnessed. The shares after the session were some of the most profound I have witnessed. So, we decided to offer this combination again.

This combination creates a deeply healing and restorative space for you to relax, receive, and connect with your innate self.

Being able to relax and surrender into the vibrations of the crystal bowls is a powerful way to deepen the experience of breathwork, maintain a deep sense of inner peace for an extended amount of time, start integration and gently return.

SUPPORT FROM SOCIETY INSTEAD OF PROSECUTION BY LAW,

Is what addicts need. Everybody knows that!

Why is it thought that people who suffer, are still being punished for their suffering?

Expelling kids from school or firing an employee due to a positive drug test paves a fast road to prison.

What can anyone do with a stigma that still prevails in society? What options do they have?

The truth is, no drug addict wants to be addicted. All they want is to feel better. To heal inside what is broken.

To fill that void, the part that is missing in life. Feel Connection, experience love! Being accepted for who they are.

To be honest, there is something broken in most of us. Some people just know how to deal with it better than others, have more resources to find support or are blessed to be in an environment that empowers them.

How many lives could have been saved, if those who witnessed an overdose wouldn’t have been too afraid to call 911 due to fear of legal consequences?

Or if they had not been too afraid to speak up and find support before it was too late. Due to fear of criticism, fear of judgment, fear of not being good enough, fear of not being loved and accepted or fear of punishment by the law?

How many people would have healed if they were given a chance? A chance to continue education, a chance to earn money, a chance to heal?

A bad choice should not take away someone's ability to grow, learn and ex[and.. Our past doesn’t define who we are today, Our past doesn’t define who we might become tomorrow.

But a stigma or a criminal record will significantly reduce the chances of being accepted and giving a chance to do anything else than walking the path towards prison.

Each and everyone who reads this has made a bad choice in the past. But you are who you are today because of that choice, not despite.

"Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you
resist, persists.” - Eckhart Tolle -

Healing is available to all of us. Once we fully accept who we are!

What is the solution to end the drug addiction pandemic?

Everyone who has recovered knows it I believe.

It is simple.

Stop the war that created it in the first place!

THE GREATEST GIFT!

The biggest gift I received from breathwork is to see my past lifestyle choices from a different angle.

Gratitude for decades of drug and alcohol abuse!

For years, I was blaming drugs, in particular op**tes for all of my failures and my dissatisfaction in life.

Instead of feeling regret, guilt and shame for that period of my life, breathwork taught me how to find gratitude instead.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful healers we have inside. The key is to find gratitude for those things that we judge, that we reject and resist.

When I found gratitude for the darkest period of my life, my whole life changed.

I was suddenly free!

Drugs lost the immense power they had over me, because I stopped blaming them! And that is true to all my addictive behaviors.

As long as I blamed my addictions for my suffering, for my pain and for my failures, I was willingly giving my power away.

The truth is, nothing in life has any power over me other than the power I give to it.

During my struggles with drugs, I managed to stop many times. Stopping is relatively easy. The challenging part is not to relapse, to fall back into old habits once an outside event or a person triggers negative emotions.

I learned that as long as I am judging, blaming and criticizing I am not free. As long as I am feeling guilt, shame and regret for who I am I am rejecting life. I am not accepting what is. I have not opened myself up, failed to surrender.

Most importantly, I have not accepted myself for who I am.

That is why most people relapse or fall back into negative or self destructive behaviors after making changes in their life.

I had to learn to laugh about that episode in my life, openly talk about it in public, without hiding, without fear of judgment and criticism.

Once I started showing the world who I am, the world started perceiving me in a totally different way.

There is something powerful about being vulnerable, about being authentic. Without hiding and pretending. It creates trust and connection.

When I was pretending to be strong, I became weak. When I started to show my weaknesses, I became strong.

Sure some people look at me shocked when I start talking about my drug abuse, but eventually they open up and start showing me where they are broken or hurt.

You’ve heard me say this many times before:

"Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you
resist, persists.” - Eckhart Tolle -

As long as I was resisting my drug abuse, it persisted. The more I fought it, it got stronger.

Because I was beating myself up, creating more negative feelings that I needed to run away from me.

It is much more beneficial and motivating to acknowledge my tiny wins than making myself feel bad for my failures.

Only through surrender did I reclaim my power. I took responsibility for how I feel inside instead of blaming others or any “outside” circumstances.

I would love to hear from you, what are you resisting in life? Where are you giving your power away through blame? Which part of you have you not fully accepted?

Pneumorphosis now has an event calendar showing all upcoming local events. Check it our here:

Events Archive - Pneumorphosis April 19 @ 8:30 am - 10:00 am Regular Breathwork session Grow Fitness and Wellness 410 Live Oak St, Beaufort, United States Book here:        

I CAN RELATE TO THAT STATEMENT SO MUCH!

This quote is an excerpt of an email I received from one of my breathers!

Breathwork always strives to bring to a place of:

- Harmony
- Equilibrium
- Homeostasis
- Balance

The breath knows what is best for us, what we need in order to heal.

ONE OF THE BRAVEST THINGS I HAVE DONE IN MY LIFE!

Two years ago, this would not have been possible,

Even one year ago, I did not believe I could do such a thing.

Talking in front of people, especially Rotary Club.

It would have never crossed my mind to do such a thing. Me, no way. I can’t do that!

Especially the topic I was talking about:

More than 20 years of drug and alcohol abuse, 8 years of op**te addiction!

And how ayahuasca in Peru and a regular breathwork practice freed me from all of my addictive habits and helped me find gratitude for the darkest period of my life.

The gratitude I found, changed my entire life! I realized that in any situation we have a choice!

Either to focus on the pain, the darkness and find the bad or, to focus on the positive, the light and find the true gift that the situation is trying to give you!

This was one of the bravest things I have done in my life. Talk about this topic in front of people who I generally do not associate with!

In fact, before breathwork, talking in front of people was one of my biggest fears. The #1 thing that I avoided all my life!

Running away from fear is an exhausting race. Fear will always catch up! You cannot hide!

Going towards my fear, facing my fear and doing the one thing that I avoided in my life lifted such a huge weight off my shoulders.

There is so much more freedom when I train myself to step out of my comfort zone! There is no fulfillment in life without growth, and no growth can happen within the zone of comfort!

My main message was: How I turned my biggest fear/weakness into my strength and how I turned the guilt, regret and shame of my darkest day into gratitude.

Instead of hiding those parts that I rejected most of my life, showing them to the world and embracing them!

Inner Silence

Have you ever experienced moments of complete inner silence? It is the most peaceful state I have ever experienced. Inner silence equals freedom.

Freedom from the mind.

After all, depression, anxiety, or stress are mind made. They don’t exist outside of the thinking mind. Fear is imagination undirected or as others put it, Fear is the misuse of imagination.

Often I hear people say: “I can’t meditate, my mind just won’t shut up.”

The goal of meditation is not to quiet the mind, as this is a mind made desire by itself. The goal is to become aware of the endless flow of thoughts and of the pause in between. It is estimated that we have up to 60.000 thoughts a day, the vast majority recycled thoughts from the previous day.

Does that sound familiar? Are you even aware of the huge number of thoughts or do they happen predominantly in the subconscious mind?

Awareness is the key. We cannot change what we are unconscious of. However bringing a light to the subconscious mind can reveal a lot about who we are.

The more we become aware of our thoughts and the silence in between thoughts, the pause gets longer and longer. It starts to stretch. Focus is a muscle we can train through intentional practices.

Once I experienced prolonged inner silence, I realized this is something I can always tap into.

The beauty and power of a silent mind,

There was no more depression, fear or anxiety. All gone. Like someone just erased a whiteboard.

However, due to the way our nervous system is wired, it is easy to get triggered and lose control. it is important to direct the focus before we get flooded with undesired thoughts.

Before the sympathetic nervous system is engaged and takes over our logical mind.

That is why awareness is key. Awareness of the triggers and awareness of arising negative thoughts.

Again, it is a muscle that can be trained. Focus and awareness is not something we have, it is something we do. And the more we practice, the better we get. But it does require daily practice, consistency.

What are some ways to practice? My favorite techniques are:

- Meditation
- Simple breathing techniques
- Breathwork
- And more, ….

For me Breathwork has been the most powerful tool. It directly connects me with the subconscious mind and trains me how to get out of the thinking mind.

By letting go of what is standing in between me and my freedom.

Every time we practice, we create new neurological wirings to find back to that place of inner peace. It gets easier and easier until we start doing it subconsciously. That when it becomes a part of who we are.

What is preventing you from finding inner peace and freedom from the mind?

Connect with me to learn how to access the Power Within in one of my upcoming Breathwork offerings.

If you want to transform your life, first change the way you breathe.

Then, change your focus and challenge the internal narrative you hear all day!

What are the two or three things you know you should be doing but have avoided them all of your life?

BREATHWORK AND CRYSTAL BOWLS

I am delighted to announce the second Breathwork and Crystal Bowls session together with Amy Smith.

Both Amy and I are extremely passionate about the work we do and are really excited to share this beautiful gift for healing.

As you know, breathwork by itself is extremely powerful and so is the mesmeric vibration of the singing bowls. End of 2023 we decided to combine the two modalities and both of us were deeply touched by the whole experience and the transformation we witnessed. The shares after the session were some of the most profound I have witnessed. So, we decided to offer this combination again.

This combination creates a deeply healing and restorative space for you to relax, receive, and connect with your innate self.

Being able to relax and surrender into the vibrations of the crystal bowls is a powerful way to deepen the experience of breathwork, maintain a deep sense of inner peace for an extended amount of time, start integration and gently return.

YEARS AND YEARS I HAVE BEEN HIDING MY TRUE SELF FROM THE WORLD.

I was so good at hiding, that I totally forgot who I really am.

When I stopped pretending to be someone who I am not, the world started to perceive me in a totally different way.

There was an authentic connection that I had not experienced before!

I learned to respect myself for who I am.

Sharing my past lifestyle choices in a vulnerable way, the ones I had been hiding from society, lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders.

While I was pretending to be strong, I became weak. When I began to show the world my weaknesses, I became strong.

And inspired those who are going through the same as I did....

How often do you notice silence between the train of thought? Does the train of thought ever stop?

Thank you Kevin Baker for sharing. I really appreciate it.

How has fear and/or self doubt prevented you from achieving you wildest dreams ?

How often do you hit the snooze button before you wake up?

How many wake-up calls do you need?

Suddenly, the grass is no longer greener on the other side! It’s freaking green and bright right here.

Has anyone noticed that or is it just me?

The art of suffering - the art of happiness.

Life, it’s such a beautiful gift.

At the same time, quite mysterious. All these fantastic roles that we get to play.

We are all actors on the stage of life, we get to play and act.

Creating our own reality.

We learn the art so perfectly well, that most people don’t even realize they are playing a role.

Just as I mentioned in my post, “Identification with a suffering ego“ we start identifying with the role we play, put on a mask and hide who we are.

And although pain is real, I don’t deny that some people go through massive amounts of pain, suffering is always a choice.

Suffering is an art, just like the art of happiness.

And for most, the more people suffer, the better they get at it.

It’s an art, a skill, a talent. It takes practice and consistency.

Whatever we do every day, we become.
It's a habit, a cycle, identification with a false identity.

It’s about taking oneself too seriously, taking everything personally, blaming others or events that are out of our control.

Finding faults in everything,

Expecting and demanding vs appreciating and giving.

Language is powerful, there’s a strong energetic charge attached to the words we put in our mouth and the thoughts we create in our mind.

Using strong language, negative adjectives, painting a negative picture is part of the art.

Pain only leads to suffering when we resist it.
When we hold onto it. When we live in the past or worry about the future.

When we identify with it, when we focus on it and try to escape.

Finding the negative in all things is really an art, a practice.

And that is why the unhappy become unhappier and then blame the happy for being happy.

A conspiracy.

But it is never too late to break the cycle. The vicious circle of suffering.

The art of happiness, finding beauty in all things. No matter how dark the times may seem, there is always something positive to be found.

And once that little light of hope is found, focus shifts, the beauty, the mystery of life reveals itself.

All it takes, the willingness to change the mindset, to set out to find the Light without focusing on what is wrong.

Are you aware that the language you choose greatly effects how you experience life?

LIFE, WHAT A PRECIOUS GIFT!

Most of my time here on earth, I have taken life for granted, without ever seeing the beauty and the miracle that it really is.

The more inner work I do, breathwork, meditation and other practices, the more I start appreciating the beauty of it all.

I spend so much time with anger, frustration, fear, depression and other negative emotions that really burn and waste energy.

Sure those emotions were absolutely valuable and important.

But at the same time, the things that caused these emotions are so insignificant compared to the grandiosity of it all.

Daily gratitude has become part of my ritual.

Gratitude for all the things that I get to do. The whole human life experience.

With everything it has to offer.

Isn't it truly amazing?

To be able to feel the whole range of emotions. To allow myself to feel them, good or bad. Encouraging and challenging.

I get to love, laugh and cry.

I was born and I will die.

I get to burn in the sun and dance in the rain. Sweating, freezing, joy and pain!

I used to get lost in the dark, and enjoyed finding the light!

I get to Hike mountains, swim in the ocean, rivers and lakes.

Snowboarding down a steep mountain of powdery snow, kiting in the ocean, harnessing the power of the wind, God's breath!

Music, I love music, so many different genres, unlimited tunes. Sad music, happy music, energizing music, healing music! Always bringing me back to the present!

Art, what an enrichment!

And food, oh my God, I get to taste so many different flavors to taste and enjoy. Bitter, sweet, sour, salty, spice, juicy, burning hot.

And chocolate, who wouldn’t want to live just to get a taste of good chocolate, my biggest weakness.

Not to mention s*x, when truly performed as a sacred act. The power of creation, how magical is that?

And all this while spinning on this gem, Mother Earth, in the middle of nowhere!

Surrounded by nothing, the Universe, a whole lot of nothing, and yet that nothing is everything!

Contrasts: they make the whole experience of life full and meaningful. How important it is to appreciate the dark in order to find the light, to endure the pain in order to find joy! Bliss!! Ecstasy!

There can never be one without the other. All one or none!

Life, the most precious gift ever! Death, an inseparable part of life!

The whole experience. How could I not see that earlier?

Why was I so blind and ignorant?

Why are so many people complaining about things that are absolutely meaningless? Focusing on what is wrong instead of what is right?

Gratitude instead of expectation! A truly life changing practice!

And there it is, right here, right now!

Breathwork To Be Mandatory In Schools - Why? This week New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Education Chancellor David Banks make an education and mental health-related announcement on the l...

The importance and power of self love and acceptance!

A paradox?

Life is always perilous whereas death is completely safe!

Who can see the beauty all around?

Attached is the breathwork schedule for December.

As the days are continuing to get shorter and colder, many people turn inside, reflect on this year that is about to end and find themself wondering if they achieved all of their goals. Some people are glad that the year is coming to an end as they can start the new year with new intentions.

During a breathwork session one can experience the power of gratitude, feel the love that inside all of us and learn to shift our focus and energy towards the light. Once we focus on gratitude and love, we will be able to bring more things that we love and are grateful for into our lives.

Why not end the year with a powerful journey deep inside your subconscious mind, clear out anything that was holding you back from achieving all of your goals this year, form loving more and receiving more love? Discover the true beauty that you are and end this year with more gratitude than ever?

Join one of my upcoming breathwork sessions in order to tap into the power within and get out of the thinking mind.

Sessions can be booked at: Pneumorphosis.com

In addition I may open up another session on Tuesday the 20th at 7pm EST if there enough interest. This will be free for everyone who participated in one of my previous breathwork sessions in December and free for everyone who has never participated in a breathwork session before. Email me if you are interested.