Dakota's Story

Perhaps you’ve been wondering what Dakota, a 27 year old young mom of two, is doing as a breathwork facilitator! Well, buckle up. If you’re intrigued by people’s stories, this ones for you!

If you don’t care about my story and just want the personal experience, I’m here for you to! Don’t keep reading , just book a session instead!

But I know you're curious so let’s dive in …

I never knew I lived in a heightened state of fear. I didn’t realize that my tension and stress was a result of past experiences. But mostly I didn’t know that it was something that could be changed.

The Temper

You see, I always thought my temper was just that: mine! I thought it was something that couldn’t be controlled. Something I was simply born with. Something I’d just have to deal with the rest of my life. I had seen those around me have a temper my entire upbringing and it was just a part of life. Or so I thought …

It was in 2018 and I remember the moment clear as day. It was a warm spring evening and I was sitting on my mother-in-laws porch reading As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. It was in this moment that the idea was presented to me for the first time that I might not HAVE to have a temper my entire life. That it was something I could control, something I might have power over, something I could change. 

This was SHOCKING to me. It was also perhaps the most exciting moment of my life. Have you felt that before? The realization that you’re not a total victim of life?

It’s empowering, to say the least. 

The Mindset

Long story short, I embarked on a healing journey. I found the mindset piece first and I dove in DEEP. I learned everything there was to know about how to THINK better. I read book after book, many of which I will also label as having “changed my life”. Books such as:

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

• Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz

• How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell

• The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV & Desmond Tutu

• And many others!

The mindset piece got me a long way! During this time I also started a business as a freelance graphic designer and brand strategist. IN ADDITION to becoming a mother two times over. And well ... there’s nothing quite like running your own business AND being a young mother when it comes to the healing journey. Every trigger under the sun will come forward in both roles of life!

And they did. I went from having a “healed temper” to loosing my temper again with my second child. I went from having a pretty good handle on my business to making almost nothing each month. All of the progress I had made seamed to disappear overnight when I had my second child. And thank heavens it did! Because I learned something even more profound:

I may have learned how to manage my mind, but my body was still holding on tightly to every ounce of trauma and fear that I had experienced in my youth. I may have had my thinking down tight. I had all the tools - I was even certified as a life coach 2x over. But it wasn’t enough, because my body was still holding on for dear life.

Of course, I didn’t realize this at the time. Divine timing is perfect in its unfolding! I was simply searching for solutions to the typical problems: Anger, Stress, Depression, Not making enough money…the usual...

The Somatics

But the searching led me to breathwork. In perfect time, I was introduced to the EXACT thing that would connect all the dots together. It was late december in 2021. I was roughly 6 weeks postpartum and I had my first hour-long breathwork session with my life coach. Having no idea that this was even a possibility, I was SHOCKED to discover that by the end of my session, my intense sciatica pain that I had been dealing with for MONTHS up until that point had completely vanished. 

Say what!? How was that even possible!?

I didn’t understand it…honestly, there’s a lot of me that still doesn’t fully understand it. But it was my experience, and my truth, and I was hooked.  

It became my #1 tool. I subscribed to a breathwork channel and practiced almost every single day in 2022. 

The effects are still ongoing. I have not perfectly processed all of my traumas - and I never will. Because healing is a life-long journey. What breathwork HAS given me is the tool that I can access at any time, in any moment, and in any place to manage WHATEVER comes up.

Anytime I am triggered - for whatever reason - I now have the tools to be WITH what arises. To have self-compassion as I allow my natural responses to run their course with love. I get to meet myself where I’m at, nurturing the inner child within me that’s acting up. 

It has made me a better wife. It has made me proud of who I am as a parent. I am attuned to the unique needs of my girls. I am confident and fully capable of holding the intense emotions and experiences of those around me. And best of all - I am able to live out my unique purposes and gifts, because I did the hard thing of taking that first step down my path of healing.

Now, my mind and body can work together like the teammates they are. I trust my body. I trust my intuition. I trust myself. I trust God.

All because I chose to breathe. 

I’m not perfect, I’m practicing. 

I’m not healed, I’m healing.

It’s a way of life.

And it’s a good one. 

So what'ya say? Wanna breathe with me?

Click here to book a session!