Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1297495
PERSONAL STRESS AND OVERWORKING in her job as a brand analyst in the beauty industry are the two catalysts that led Jasmine Marie to discover the power of breathing. "e pastor of my church was a big believer in breathwork and launched free breathing classes for the community," she recalls. "I started taking them and realized how much they helped me navigate the challenges I was going through." Fast-forward a few years later to 2018, when Marie decided to get trained in breathwork and make teaching it to Black women her full- time career. "I wanted to offer this transformative and inexpensive tool to people who looked like me," she says. Her pre-pandemic group classes happened in person and, in 2019, she went on a six-city breathwork tour. Today, she's pivoted to twice- monthly virtual breathwork circles that last 90 minutes. "We open with checking in with each other and talking, and then I lead the breathing. "e circles are about connecting with people and yourself." Your healing journey began when: e day I took my first breathwork class. On top of work stress, I was in an abusive relationship, and breathwork is what got me out of it. What are the physiological benefits of breathwork? After going through something traumatic, especially over a long period of time, your nervous system is on edge—and you feel the effects of that in every part of your life. In breathwork, you learn to really listen to your body, which helps restore a nervous system that's overworked and stressed out. How does breathwork change our state of being? e practice calms a wandering mind and relieves symptoms of anxiety. Your day begins with: I don't have a set routine. Instead, I give my body what it needs that day. It could be a walk in the park, reflective journaling or a short breathwork session. The most important thing we can do for ourselves each day is: Ask your body what it needs. e answer isn't the same every day. Secret to a great night's sleep: Winding down your senses by dimming the lights, playing relaxing music and turning off your phone. The greatest lesson learned in quarantine: Go with the flow. It's impossible to plan anything. JASMINE MARIE, founder of Black Girls Breathing, which offers breathwork sessions for Black women. Hometown: Atlanta WELLNESS PORTRAIT BY GERALD CARTER BAL HARBOUR 97