“The issues are in the tissues.”
Have you ever felt just utterly overwhelmed and exhausted by all that is happening in your life? You may be perfectly fine one day, but from one moment to another, everything changes and becomes too much for you. Sadness crests over you in waves, making your heart heavy with the weight.
Love, we’ve all been there. Even a short time of experiencing this much sadness can make you feel like there is no turning back to who you once were, that you are forever damaged by whatever has happened. If only you knew how freeing it could be if you just allowed yourself to really feel the sadness and then let it go.
The good news is there is a way to do just that with breathwork.
I remember very vividly the first time I got to experience this fantastic breathwork session during a day retreat with my friend. I was in tears when I came out, all thanks to Kurtis Lee Thomas, a certified life coach and breathwork facilitator, whose solid presence I love and remember most.
In this interview, Kurtis and I will talk about his journey to discovering breathwork, a little science behind it, and its power as a healing modality. I believe that it is a powerful tool in one’s self-development repertoire that could help every one of us in our journey to self-care and wellness.
Who Is Kurtis Lee Thomas?
Kurtis is a world-class keynote speaker and corporate mindfulness trainer who has spoken at the largest consciousness expositions globally, some of the top colleges, Fortune 500 companies, and the world’s most prestigious casinos such as Foxwoods Resort and MGM Grand Casino. He has been seen in photos with celebrities such as Beyonce, Oprah, Kanye West, Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Sir Richard Branson, and Steve Forbes – the founder of Forbes Magazine.
He has also written the book, THE WORLD IS YOURS, THE AWAKENING – The Secrets behind “The Secret,” which is all about the Law of Attraction and how to live a life full of happiness and abundance. He recently released the book entitled Breathwork Detox: How to Thrive in the Age of Anxiety, which is all about breathwork and how it can help us have a healthier way of life.
Kurtis is a celebrity mindfulness mentor who has dedicated his career to the workplace’s powerful communion of mind, body, and spiritual healing. He can definitely command attention and light up the room with his spirit and energy. I am glad that he has decided to share his personal journey towards breathwork with us.
Discovering Breathwork
Breathwork has helped me deal with a childhood trauma I had with police brutality. It has been life-changing for me. This is similar to the case of Kurtis who was involved in life coaching, holistic health, and wellness, but also found breathwork as a means of healing.
“I had a stomach condition where I had this weird pain sensation in my stomach. The doctors I went to couldn’t tell what was wrong with me. It wasn’t until I took my first breathwork exercise that I realized something else was happening inside of me. I was sitting in with two persons next to me – a 90-pound lady and this six-foot-five dude. A few minutes into the session, the lady beside me started crying. Then 15 minutes later, the big dude started bawling, too. In the end, I was shedding tears as well. It wasn’t until I got home, went to bed that night, and woke up the next day that I realized my stomach pain was gone.” – Kurtis Lee Thomas
This experience made Kurtis realize that his stomach pain wasn’t physical. It was emotional. It was energetic. He also realized that many of us aren’t taught how to heal emotionally. In his reflection, he learned that even he didn’t know how to deal with his own trauma.
Was there any similar scenario in your life wherein you had to deal with your own trauma? How did you deal with it? You may have tried methods like mediation, mindfulness, and other calming techniques, but have you tried breathwork and explored its power as a means of healing?
“Deep breathwork was the secret sauce for me. The results are immediate, and they’re undeniable. … It’s the most profound thing besides drinking a gallon of Ayahuasca.” – Kurtis Lee Thomas
Kurtis was lucky enough to discover that deep breathing could also act as an alternative way of healing. It has been one of the most beneficial and accessible methods he has used to help grow on his spiritual journey. From that first experience, Kurtis told himself that he was going to lead with it. It’s an experience worth sharing with everyone.
A Little Science Behind Breathwork Detox
I 100% agree that breathwork has been significant in healing my emotional trauma. However, I know a lot of people don’t believe it. As someone who has written a book on breathwork’s power, Kurtis has a lot of insight into why breathwork has been his most effective method.
“The foundational information everyone should know is that we store trauma in the body. We don’t have the intelligence and capacity to process these traumas and emotions at a young age. What usually happens is they get compounded and stored inside the body. … The first place people gain weight when they’re going through something is the belly or the hips. This is our body’s “Time Square” where all these emotions and energies intersect.” – Kurtis Lee Thomas
Kurtis thinks that through breathwork detox, all the emotional baggage stored in our bodies can be removed. This is why it is vital in this day of the health crisis, as it helps us unload all these emotions we are holding inside us. He also shares a study on how powerfully destructive keeping all our negative emotions in can be:
“There was this experiment where effects of condensed molecules of the verbal expression of anger, jealousy, and rage are observed in guinea pigs. Just for an hour, those energies accumulated enough to kill 80 guinea pigs. … When we choose to bite our tongue, it hurts, but we truly need to speak up sometimes and get this stuff out. … Lack of expression creates depression, and all unexpressed love turns to pain. So if we don’t express ourselves, it manifests in us, and it creates all these issues.” – Kurtis Lee Thomas
When we start a breathwork detox, we breathe into our centers and product channels and cleanse our bodies from all these feelings. That’s why many cry after breathwork as it’s a massive emotional release.
So if you’re looking to cleanse your body and mind spiritually, breathwork detox can be the best option for you. It might break you into tears or make you feel tremendous pain, but it’s worth the discomfort if you genuinely want to break away from old traumas and let them go. From there, you can lead a more focused life full of positivity.
How Breathwork Can Heal Your Life
We’ve come into this human experience with breath. This breath is our healer. It is our friend. All these crystals and all these things can bring nature to us and help us, but our number one best friend, tool and healer is the breath.
Also, in our lives, not only do we get to experience trauma, but we also undergo stages of grief and anxiety, which we often fail to process in the right way. This can lead to pessimism and being negative about people. Sometimes, it can also mean difficulty in being happy or connecting with others. In the worst cases, it can manifest in panic attacks, just like what happened to Kurtis.
“My house caught on fire. Then I lost my brother, and eventually, my job. I had my first panic attack, and I felt like I was going to die. It was so bad that I was living in the basement of my mom’s house, and I had a bell on the counter to call her. My throat would close up and I couldn’t breathe or scream.” – Kurtis Lee Thomas
Kurtis turned to where any person might — pills — to relieve him of these attacks. There was even a point in his life where he was taking three times his prescribed amount of medicine. Thankfully, he took his doctor’s advice and decided to try breathing exercises.He hasn’t had a panic attack since. He also realized that he is fully equipped with a source of healing. Through our breathing, everyone is fully equipped with everything that they need.
From there, Kurtis was able to turn around and take control of his life. He made use of what he went through to be more compassionate of others’ shortcomings. He was also able to come out of this dark time with an unwavering belief that everything will work out. He was even able to build a stronger connection to the source.
“Everything is going to turn out for the better in the end. If it’s not, then it’s not the end… And it doesn’t really matter who or what you think your source is. Whether it’s a person, the sun, energy, the emotion of love, whatever it is, do what you need to be connected to something higher and more powerful than you.” – Kurtis Lee Thomas
I’m genuinely amazed by how breathwork can truly heal our bodies and minds and by the transformation it brought to Kurtis. He has been able to release so many pent-up emotions in a way one had never thought of. Through this, he has become a happier, more positive person who knows he has the strength to face whatever obstacles come next in life.
Remember: It doesn’t matter who you are.If you’re willing to try something new and heal yourself through your breath, I commend your courage.
Get Loved Up with Kurtis Lee Thomas
This interview with Kurtis Lee Thomas was compelling and revealed many new things that we hadn’t known before. Everyone can learn from his insights about breathwork and his journey towards positivity and becoming more open-hearted. He still has so much more information to share, so make sure to listen to the entire interview and discover more about how breathwork can truly heal your life.
If you want to learn more about Kurtis and his work, you can also visit his website or get in touch with him through Instagram. Don’t forget to grab a copy of his latest book as well, Breathwork Detox, where you can learn more about the power of breath and how you can make it work for you.
You may also tag him, @manfromthestars, and me, @koyawebb, if you find this conversation inspiring. For more inspiring tips and stories about breathwork, wellness, health, and embracing a new life full of happiness and positivity, you may also join our Get Loved Up University today.
I had so much fun speaking to Kurtis, and I think it’s beautiful that he could share his experiences in a way that can benefit others. He’s genuinely a wonderful person, and we need more people like him in the world. I hope you learned a lot from this interview, and I also hope you try breathwork to see how it can truly change your life for the better!
Love, thank you so much for tuning in today. Love yourself, love others, and love the world one day at a time, one breath at a time.
Until next time,
- Pain as motivation 2:40
- Healing trauma with breathwork 5:15
- Emotions grow extra fat 6:45
- All unexpressed love turns to pain 10:53
- Lack of expression causes depression 12:18
- Wisdom is healed pain 13:02
- Why you decided to share breathwork 17:17
- We have to feel it to heal it 18:43
- Breath hack 21:15
- Rock bottom will teach you more than mountain tops ever will 30:20
- Connecting with higher power 34:52
- Breathwork Detox: How to thrive in the age of anxiety
- The way out is in 44:30
Links mentioned in this episode
Order Koya’s book Let Your Fears Make You Fierce
Follow Kurtis
Follow Koya
Koya on YouTube
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