Breathing Through the Healing: Why I Became a Certified Breathwork Facilitator
Tami practicing breathwork during facilitator training
If you had told me a few years ago that something as simple as breathing could change my life, I would have laughed. But that’s exactly what happened.
Earlier this year, I completed a three-month Breathwork Facilitator Certification through The Stretch Space in Vancouver, BC: the same place where I first experienced the incredible power of breathwork myself. And honestly, it’s one of the most transformative things I’ve ever done, both personally and professionally.
How Breathwork Found Me
A few years ago, after being laid off from my corporate job during a company restructure, I found myself in grief therapy. I thought I was there to process one kind of loss: the sudden career change, the fear of what was next, the feelings of betrayal and abandonment.
But what unfolded in those sessions went so much deeper.
Through breathwork, I began to release grief and trauma I’d been holding onto since my teenage years: the unresolved pain from my relationship with my mother, the lingering wounds from childhood, and even the grief tied to my hair loss journey.
It caught me completely off guard. I thought I was just there to deal with job loss, but instead, I found myself healing the parts of me that had been quietly asking for attention for decades.
The Power of the Breath
Breathwork showed me something I’d never experienced before: how much emotion, fear, and tension the body can hold; and how powerful it is to finally let it go.
It’s not just about taking deep breaths. It’s about learning to release trauma stored in the body, regulate the nervous system, and reconnect with yourself in a way that feels safe and freeing.
I realized that this practice wasn’t just helping me cope with change; it was helping me transform.
Why I Chose to Get Certified
When The Stretch Space opened up a training opportunity to become a certified facilitator, I knew I had to do it. It felt like a full-circle moment- to train in the same place where my own healing began.
I wanted to learn how to hold space for others the way my facilitator had held space for me. And I especially wanted to bring this healing modality into the hair loss community, where I know firsthand how heavy the emotional burden can be.
Because while the physical side of hair loss- shaving your head, using fibers, choosing wigs or toppers- can be addressed fairly quickly, it’s the emotional and mental healing that takes time.
The shame.
The fear.
The isolation.
The belief that we don’t measure up to society’s beauty standards.
Breathwork offers a way to start releasing all of that; not by fixing our hair, but by reconnecting with our hearts.
Bringing Breathwork to My Clients
Now that I’ve completed my certification, I’m working toward finishing my volunteer hours before officially offering breathwork sessions through Hair Loss Pride.
And I can’t wait, because I know how it feels to live in a body that’s been through trauma, and how powerful it is to finally breathe it out.
In my own daily practice, breathwork has helped me become a calmer, more patient, more grounded version of myself. It’s helped me let go of pain, regulate my nervous system, and reconnect with who I am beneath the fear and stress.
And I want that for you, too.
Curious About Breathwork?
If you’ve ever wondered what breathwork is or how it can help you, I’d love to share more. Whether you’re navigating hair loss, grief, or simply want to feel more at peace in your body, this practice can help you release what’s been holding you back- one breath at a time.
Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about when I’ll begin offering breathwork sessions here in Vancouver. I hope to be able to also offer this virtually in the future.
Until then, take a moment today to pause… inhale deeply… exhale fully… and remember: healing begins with one breath. 💜
