Breathing has been applied in practices to change one’s physical, mental or emotional state for as long as humans have existed, it is only since recent times that the popularity of breathwork has taken off.

NB. This is the English version of the interview, klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie.

Every day, more people are discovering breathwork as a tool for more relaxation, a more healthy and conscious lifestyle, for healing and transformation, for personal development and spiritual growth. Along with alternative techniques like NLP, hypnotherapy, and bioresonance, breathing and mind coaching too are coming into the forefront of wellness and healing. As the popularity grows, so does the number of breathing coaches, tools, training, retreats, platforms and devices, to guide and inspire you on your way. An amazing movement.

Amanda Laine, co-founder van Inward Breathwork

Whenever I discover beautiful products and services that assist you with better breathing and personal growth, it makes me curious: who is behind the idea, what’s the story? I’ve found out that there’s always a great and noble story to tell.

This also counts for Inward Breathwork (now: Otherhip). I discovered this platform a while back and it immediately clicked. Both with the sessions that Inward Breathwork offers, and also the connection I felt with the founders: Harry, Amanda, Emily, Robbie and Myles. All wonderful people who, from their hometown Toronto, send breathwork into the world in a beautiful, inspiring and refreshing way.

Curious about the story behind Inward Breathwork, I spoke with Amanda Laine, one of the five founders. How one intense and overwhelming breathwork session at Burning Man set everything in motion to move from their spa / icebath studio Inward towards an awesome online, on-demand breathwork platform. Discover the full story behind Inward Breathwork (now: Othership).

Amanda, would you like to introduce yourself?

“Sure! My name is Amanda Laine, I was born in Canada, My family is from Finland and Ireland. I have lived in Toronto for seven years previously.

Before, I lived in Manhattan NYC for four year where I was working full time as an International high fashion model. But I was born and raised in a small town called Orillia.

I am now one of the co-founders of Inward Breathwork (now: Othership). An on-demand breathwork platform featuring guided classes with science-backed breathing techniques and incredible music guaranteed to help you feel great every single day.”

Can you tell us about your first breathwork experience?

“My first exposure to breathwork was two years ago, at Burning Man. A friend of ours, Jay Hamilton, was putting on a breathwork class for our camp. I decided to attend, not knowing what it was.

We all lied down, the music started and we were guided through an hour session of intense breathing, vocal releases and a deep meditation.

I went very deep with the breathing, before I knew it I had an out-of-body experience and was exploring visions, breaking free from these red chains around my wrist.

I know it sounds insane, and it was. It was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had. The feeling of breaking free of something or someone holding me down was so freeing.

Coming out of the session I could barely collect myself, I was crying very intensely because the feelings were so true. After this experience I knew that I had to learn about breathwork and understand the healing potential behind it.”

How did this led you to start Inward Breathwork?

“After my Burning Man experience I returned back to Toronto and was telling the team about what I went through. The ‘team’ is the team of our sauna / ica bath studio Inward in Toronto, Harry and I are both co-founders, together with Robbie Bent, Myles Farmer en Emily Hunter.

A few other members of the team had also experienced breathwork, so we decided to explore it more: learn, take courses, read countless books, speak with the experts and offer this to our community.

At that time we had built a sauna and Ice bath studio in Toronto and were about to build a 15,000 sq ft bathhouse, our dream. But alas COVID shut that down. So we decided to take our breathwork learnings online and offer virtual classes. For 15 weeks straight we led breathwork classes for 20 then 30, then 50, then 100 people.

Near the end of the summer our community was asking us for the recordings, in different styles and lengths. We therefore took a pause and created an on-demand platform focused on making breathwork effective, beautiful, and fun.

Our mission is to gather a community of the best facilitators in the world, across all the popular breathwork styles, to give you on-demand access to programs for stress, performance, managing emotions, altered states and productivity.”

What do you do yourself as it comes to breathwork, do you have a daily ritual?

“My favourite time to do breathwork is before bed. It really helps to put me into such a deeply restful, almost trance-like state.

But I also love to do the up-regulated styles when I am feeling stressed, it helps release built up emotions and puts me into an altered state of consciousness.

I love the Countdown to Deep Sleep and Minimally Guided Inward Method. The music and guidance is perfect for these sessions. They are very relaxing and really allow me to quiet my mind.”

What would be your advice for someone who is new to breathwork?

“For someone who is new to breathwork I would recommend that they follow our 10-day intro program on the site. It gives you an overview of many different techniques, so it is a great place to get your start.

I would also recommend they read the book Breath - The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. This book will explain how important it is to breathe right, and how 90% of us are breathing incorrectly and keeping our bodies in an elevated state of stress.

I would then ask a newbie to pay attention to how they are breathing throughout the day, becoming aware of your breath is the single most important step. Are you holding your breath while at your computer or when driving? Do you sleep with your mouth open? Are your breaths short, shallow and frequent? After understanding how it is you breathe, then you will be able to make the proper changes that will truly make an impact on your overall health.”

What books have inspired you, next to James Nestor’s Breath?

“Firstly: The Secret, this book changed my life. I read it while I was living in NYC, and it changed my entire outlook on how life can flow and the law of attraction.

Another amazing book is The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer. Easy to read, and filled with really powerful teachings. About how to say YES to all that is happening in your life and then watch it unfold.

Then I also should mention A New Earth, Eckhart tolle is a genius. Anything he writes blows my mind wide open.”

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