What is Shamanic Breathwork: A Gateway to Heart Awakening

I still remember the first time I laid down to breathe. It was under the soft guidance of a transformational breathwork session, and I had no idea what I was stepping into. Within minutes, my whole body came alive. Emotions I had buried for years began to rise. It was wild, raw, and beautiful. I walked out of that session forever changed.

That moment sparked a lifelong journey with the breath. Since then, I’ve explored many different breathwork modalities, from gentle connected breathing to the more powerful techniques used in ceremonies and deep healing spaces. And I’ve found that each method speaks its own language. Each one touches a different part of the soul.

This blog is part of a series where I share my experience with the most powerful forms of breathwork I’ve come to know and love. Today, we’re diving into Shamanic Breathwork.

What Is Shamanic Breathwork?

Shamanic breathwork is a conscious, connected breathing technique that invites you to journey within. It combines rhythmic breath with music, energy work, and ceremonial space to open doorways into the subconscious and beyond.

Unlike traditional breathwork practices that are often used to calm the nervous system or manage stress, shamanic breathwork is a deeper, more expansive experience. It's about awakening. Remembering. Healing across timelines. Opening the body as a vessel for transformation.

This is a practice of meeting your soul face to face.

What Makes It “Shamanic”?

Shamanic breathwork draws inspiration from ancient wisdom traditions that honor the breath as a bridge between worlds. In this style of breathwork, we open sacred space. We work with the elements, guides, and ancestral energies. We invite visions, messages, and soul remembrance.

It's not about performing rituals from a specific culture but about honoring the universal connection all humans have with spirit and the Earth. We breathe with intention. With reverence. With deep respect for the unseen.

Benefits of Shamanic Breathwork

When practiced regularly, shamanic breathwork can lead to powerful shifts in your emotional, physical, and spiritual life. Here are some of the most common benefits:

1. Emotional release: Unprocessed emotions and traumas are stored in the body. Shamanic breathwork gives them space to move and clear.

2. Nervous system reset: You may feel more grounded, calm, and balanced after a session.

3. Spiritual guidance: Many people report receiving intuitive insights, visions, or messages from guides or ancestors.

4. Deeper connection with self: You come back into the body. You reconnect with your inner truth. You remember who you are.

5. Activation of your inner healer: Breathwork doesn’t heal you, it awakens your own ability to heal yourself.

What Happens in a Shamanic Breathwork Session?

Every session is a ceremony. Here's what you can typically expect:

Opening the space: We begin with grounding, intention-setting, and a short ritual to call in support from your higher self, the elements, or spirit guides.

The breath journey: You'll lie down and begin a connected breath pattern, usually in and out through the mouth, guided by music and sometimes live instruments or voice. This can last anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.

The unfolding: This is where the magic happens. Your experience may be emotional, physical, visual, energetic, or all of the above. No two sessions are ever the same.

Integration: After the journey, we allow time for rest, journaling, sharing, and gentle practices to help you land and integrate what came through.

Closing: We give thanks. We ground the energy. And we return—different than before.

What Does It Feel Like?

That’s the most common question I get. The truth is, it's different every time. But here are a few common experiences people report:

• Tingling in the hands and feet

• Emotional waves like crying or laughing

• Visions or vivid inner imagery

• Physical movements or spontaneous sounds

• A feeling of deep peace, love, or clarity

• Connection with ancestors or spiritual guides

• A sense of release or rebirth

Most importantly, it’s safe. You’re always in control. And you're held in a loving, grounded space.

Is Shamanic Breathwork Right for You?

This practice is for you if:

• You feel stuck, blocked, or disconnected from your body or purpose

• You’ve done talk therapy or personal growth work and are ready to go deeper

• You're craving a spiritual connection that feels embodied and real

• You want to heal trauma, grief, or old patterns on a soul level

• You’re curious about plant medicine or energy work but want to explore a gentler path first

If you're pregnant, have epilepsy, cardiovascular issues, or severe mental health conditions, please consult your doctor first or reach out for a personal consultation. I always recommend creating safety first.

Join us for a Shamanic Breathwork and meditation Journey

If shamanic breathwork speaks to you or if you're feeling the call to deepen your spiritual practice, expand your gifts, and learn how to hold safe, sacred, and powerful spaces for transformation, then we warmly invite you to join us for:

Shamanic Meditation & Breathwork Training in Sweden

with Isabel Rosenguld & Nina Medicina

📅 August 26 – 31, 2025

📍 The Wild Meadow, Skåne, Sweden

This Level 1 Certification is a 6-day deep dive into the healing arts of Shamanic Breathwork, Meditation, Ritual, and Elemental Wisdom. Held in the magical nature of southern Sweden, this training is both an initiation and a sacred remembering.

You will learn to:

✨ Open ceremonial space and connect to the spirit realms

✨ Guide others through transformational breathwork and journeys

✨ Work with spirit guides, angels, ancestors, and ascended masters

✨ Create potent rituals, build altars, and activate your voice as a channel for healing

✨ Deepen your own healing, energy hygiene, and spiritual embodiment

This journey is for space-holders, seekers, healers, coaches, and anyone ready to embody their purpose and spiritual leadership.

Explore All My Breathwork Offerings

🌿 Click here to view upcoming offerings and register

I also offer 1:1 sessions and mentorships for those who want personalized guidance or integration.

Frequently asked questions about shamanic breathwork

What is Shamanic Breathwork?

Shamanic Breathwork is a powerful healing modality that combines conscious connected breathing with sacred ceremony, music, and ancient shamanic practices. It allows you to enter expanded states of consciousness where emotional release, trauma healing, and deep spiritual connection can unfold.

How is Shamanic Breathwork different from other breathwork styles?

While practices like Transformational Breathwork or Holotropic Breathwork are also powerful, Shamanic Breathwork invites you into a more ceremonial and spirit-guided experience. It often includes drumming, journeying, intention setting, and calling in spirit allies to support your inner work.

Do I need any prior experience to join a Shamanic Breathwork session or training?

Not at all. All levels are welcome. Whether you're completely new to breathwork or already a practitioner, this work meets you exactly where you are. You’ll be guided safely throughout the process and supported in your personal journey.

What can I expect during a Shamanic Breathwork session?

Sessions often begin with intention setting and a grounding meditation. Then you'll lie down and breathe in a connected rhythm while supported by music and guidance. You may feel emotions arise, receive visions or insights, or connect with spiritual guides. Each session is a unique inner journey.

Is Shamanic Breathwork safe?

Yes, when facilitated in a grounded and well-held space, it is a safe and deeply healing practice. However, it can be intense. If you have a history of trauma, heart conditions, epilepsy, or are pregnant, it’s important to speak with your facilitator beforehand.

What are the benefits of Shamanic Breathwork?

Shamanic Breathwork can help release emotional blockages, reconnect you with your intuition, clear stuck energy, and create space for joy, creativity, and clarity. Many participants report feeling more grounded, empowered, and connected to spirit after just one session.

How Can I learn to facilitate Shamanic Breathwork?

My dear friend Isabel and I are hosting a certified Shamanic Breathwork & Meditation Training where you can learn how to hold sacred space, guide others through the breath, and deepen your connection to the spirit world. These trainings are both transformational for personal healing and empowering for those called to be space holders.