I have been working as a psychotherapist, art therapist, naturopath, yoga & breathwork practitioner in private practice for 24 years. Many people who come to see me with symptoms of anxiety, depression, chronic stress or burnout, trauma, PTSD, as well as other mental health conditions, often mask what they feel with a great deal of self blame and judgement for not being able to live up to the perceived expectations of their employers, colleagues, or friends/family. I have seen how many people struggle to keep their feelings a secret, showing the outside world that nothing is wrong, while internally telling themselves that they “should” be able to handle this on their own, or with just enough time, they will feel better. But usually and unfortunately, they don’t. I have also seen how untreated symptoms of mild burnout escalated into long term debilitating depression, chronic fatigue, crippling anxiety, wreak havoc on relationships and often result in an inability to return to work. 

What I did notice is that almost everyone that I worked with did not know how their  nervous system functioned, nor how stress played out in their body and psyche. They did not know what they could do to help themselves support their well being in the short and long term.

More importantly, 99.99% of the people who came to see me in therapy were not actually breathing, nor knew how important breathing was for their mental and physical health. 

I created People of the Prana because stress IS the main disease of these times, and breathing is one very accessible and effective solution. Stress is part of our daily landscape and it is not going away anytime soon. It is a systemic problem that extends out much more than the individual and let’s face it, individual therapy is limited in its scope and reach.

Real change is related to education, habits, and environment, and it needs to move outside therapy doors and into the real world, into the places where people spend the majority of their days.

The breath plays a key role, perhaps the most pivotal in cultivating resilience in the entire body, the nervous system, and the mind, as well as connecting people with one another and building a vibrant community. 

Teaching you how to breathe is my passion and my mission.

May we breathe together soon.

With gratitude,

Esther