The Power of Breath
☆ Interview with Phia Z. ☆
Let’s jump into a verrrrryy important wellness topic, shall we?! THE POWER OF BREATH!
Breath can take me out of an anxious moment and into a calmer one. Consciously reminding myself to take deep breaths throughout the day has been a major source of stress and anxiety relief. Of course our body naturally tells us to breathe, but actually coming into the moment to take a big, long, deep breath(s) is so valuable. Deep breathing can calm the nerves, lower blood pressure, increases energy, bring awareness to posture and spinal support, and more!
I have always been interested in meditation and breathwork. But during this quarantine time, I have been doing a deeper dive into the two.
Phia is a Breathwork Practitioner and Singer/Songwriter. She leads virtual meditation classes every Thursday and Friday, and she just launched “heal your sh*t!” breathwork + journaling classes. She has been a go-to resource for me on my mindfulness journey. I took a virtual breathwork workshop with Phia at the beginning of this time and it was LIFE-CHANGING. So much came up and out...and I felt lighter for days afterwards.
I took some time to interview Phia about her practices.
Who are you, Phia Z.?
Hi, hi! I’m a Singer-Songwriter, Breathwork Guide, and early 2000s Pop Culture Aficionado ;) All of this makes quite a lot of sense when you look at my birth chart as I’m a Cancer Sun, Pisces Moon, and Rising Sagittarius!
What the heck is breathwork?!
Breathwork is a three part active meditation technique where we move stale and stagnant emotions, energy, and tension. When we begin this practice, we are activating the parasympathetic nervous system allowing us to move into the state of recovery and digest so our bodies can heal.
How did you get introduced to meditation+ breathwork?
I was introduced to meditation through my mom as I was raised a bit more holistically due to her being a Chiropractor. I was aware of the benefits of mindfulness meditation for at least a decade before I stumbled into a breathwork class. With absolutely no idea of what was about to happen, I trusted my gut and signed up. And ohhh, did that class and each breathwork class after, rapidly and intensely shift many aspects of my life.
What prompted your desire to dive deep and heal your shit? How has that journey changed since you began?
Intuitively, I knew that I was not in the best place mentally, physically, and emotionally. I was raised in a way that was very much about constantly bettering yourself in a healthy manner, so I am always looking for new healing modalities and tools. I really dove into my shit a little over four years ago when I made the decision to transition to a vegan lifestyle in hopes of it helping my health, as I suffer from two invisible illnesses: Endometriosis and Vasculitis. Both requiring a lifestyle that helps lower inflammation in your body, which is what I found eating vegan did for me. After developing more of a relationship with the food I eat, where my money goes, and sustainability of our planet, I dove more into the meditation world. That’s when breathwork arrived at the most divine time. The journey is…rough [as fuck] to be honest, haha. It’s never fun to dive into the deepest parts of yourself and try to move through them, but I think that a big part of life is doing this work! I learn more about myself weekly as I make the conscious choice of healing my shit.
What do you suggest for people who are new to meditation and breathwork? Where is a good place to start?
What I love about breathwork is that we’re not focusing on clearing the mind or silencing any thoughts. We don’t have to focus on keeping a still posture, although I absolutely love meditations that do involve stillness. Breathwork involves moving stale, stagnant stress, tension, energy, and emotions and it’s an active meditation so it gives your brain a breathing pattern to focus on. I do believe that you can start meditating just by taking deep breaths, starting at the belly and working up into the heart center. Every exhale, softening the body a bit more. It helps to choose an intention as well and imagine yourself breathing that word in and every exhale, releasing a little more tension from the body.
Who inspires you irl and on different platforms?
My friends truly inspire me. I’m grateful to have so many dear friends that share the similar drive of evolving every single day and acknowledging our fuck ups to each other along the way, haha. The other constant inspirations in my life are Maryam Hasnaa, Lalah Delia, Chani Nicholas, my dear friend, Chandresh Bhardwaj, and my other dear friend, Leeor Alexandra. I could write a novel about how much each of their words have impacted me, but I’ll save that for another time.
What do you personally practice to stay at peace throughout your days during this anxiety-inducing time?
Breathwork, breathwork, breathwork! Now more than ever, I must drop into moments of practice for my body and give love, gratitude, and care to myself. The emotional toll this time has taken on our bodies isn’t entirely understood or widely discussed yet, but I believe we are all physically putting on a tough face to move through each day while we internally store the overwhelming emotions of all of this. Journaling allows me to acknowledge and process what emotions are present as well. And for fun! I’ve been watching allllll of the old Disney channel movies, as my Cancer sun nostalgic self absolutely loves remembering the joy these movies brought me in my childhood. I would highly recommend!
