I first heard about David Elliott’s breathwork from my niece Katie, who practices Marma, an ancient ayurvedic healing modality. Ayurveda is a traditional Indian alternative medicine system that has a long, rich history of use. Under Ayurvedic medicine, it’s believed that the five elements of the world have a huge impact on a person’s health.
Marma points are specific anatomical locations in your body through which the energy of these elements is believed to flow. Marma points therapy is the practice of stimulating these spots through gentle massage therapy.
I did some research on David and found he was doing an in-person workshop in August of 2024 at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck NY, which is not far from my home. I immediately signed for the Lves 1-5 training.
Reading the two books – The Reluctant Healer and Healing – in preparation for the training brought full circle all the work I have done since October 2020. Energy healing not only uses the breath to heal the body, mind and soul, but it also encompasses many other modalities, such as elements of the earth (crystals and rocks), essential oils, chakra healing, sound, healthy eating, and meditation.
In this comprehensive 9-day workshop with a group of 43 people, taught by David and his assistants, I learned to first heal myself, then others, and finally to facilitate group healing. During each of the nine days, we were broken up randomly into different pairs and did breathwork with our partners. There were exercises and talks by David and his team, along with group breathing.
The simple breathing technique is as follows — laying down flat on back, eyes covered, take a deep breath through the mouth into the lower abdomen, then take another deep breath through the upper chest, and then exhale through the mouth —letting it all out. This is done on a continuous basis for about a half hour. The “release” of the participants was powerful. There were screams, laughter, and cries as the emotions were released. Sometimes, the bodies shook and the hands were frozen. Intentional breathing through the mouth, is where the magic happens! Typically, when one breathes through the nose it is the mind that is speaking, but when breathing through the mouth, the body and the heart are opened up, energy is released, and the healing begins. There is a quote in psychology that says, “the issue is with the tissues.” This is a way of saying that the thoughts, emotions, and stuck patterns live not only in the mind and heart, but also in our body! Our emotions quite literally live in the tissues of our body. Read more here
We did various exercises with our partners, David, and his assistants. On the last day, the training closed with a healing circle, led by David. We all brought elements to the circle where there was an altar, sage helped clear the energy released, and blessings were made.
Let me tell you more about my personal experience.
So, I came to the workshop thinking I was pretty well healed – after all, I have spent the last six years on an intensive journey of self-discovery and learning about the different modalities and tools to heal myself and others. I didn’t know what would transpire.
Paired off with my first partner, I took my turn breathing—not sure what I would work on.
Three and a half years ago, I ended a romantic relationship with a very special person, who I thought would be my “soul mate”. I wanted so much for this relationship to endure, but ultimately it was not healthy for me, and I had to let it go. Through therapy, many different healing modalities, I had let go. But you see, I let go in my mind, rationalizing that this partnership was not in my best interest, but the energy was still stored in my body and my heart. Through the breath work, I became vulnerable, departed from my mind into my body. I cried and cried and let go.
But wouldn’t you know, the week of this retreat, he reached out to me interested in doing one of my sound bath sessions. We tried to work out a plan to get together at the beach, a few weeks later, but it didn’t work out. I felt disappointed and sad, but I knew I had the tools that I didn’t have in February of 2021 to heal myself, and the recent breathwork training deepened my resources. While out at the beach visiting my dad who was rehabilitating from heart surgery, I met someone who told me about Kirtan chanting at a local yoga studio in the boat yard in Hampton Bays. I went there Monday evening, chanting the mantra Om Namah Shivay! This is said to be the five-syllable mantra, which represents earth, water, fire, air and ether. In exploring the signs, the number five comes up – five toes, five fingers, five senses, five elements. Shivay is said to have five activities – to create, to keep up, to pulverize, to disguise, and to effortlessly reveal. Our five faculties – smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing, and feeling – are filtered and refined. The strength of the earth, the liquidity of water, the hotness of fire, the vaporous and imperceptible nature of air, and ultimately ether. Chanting refines and cleanses these parts of our beings Chanting is another form of energy work and it was powerful.
Tuesday evening, I led a free virtual full moon sound bath for 30 people. Healing others, and giving back in turn, helps me heal. Wednesday evening back in the NYC, I received a sound bath, at my home studio The Ohm Center. Several times over those days, I did the breathing technique David taught me to continue to heal. Healing isn’t one and done – it’s a lifetime experience. So now I have this amazing breathing tool to not only help me, but others as well. I am also fortunate that I have Harmonioushealing.com – my true soul mate.
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