No. 18 – Body Voices Advanced Weekend 2: Breathwork and a Community That Carries Us
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The second Body Voices Advanced weekend is now behind us. It was intense in every way, inwardly and outwardly, and sustained by a community that once again surprised and moved us.
Breathwork at the Core
Debora Tassone and Brigitta Vos have been guiding five participants throughout the year and worked primarily with the group on breathwork this weekend—the methodological focus of this year’s Advanced Program. Breathwork is a powerful method for integrating emotions, trauma, and stress stored in the nervous system. The breath activates the body down to the cellular level and facilitates the integration of experiences, leading toward individual goals such as lightness, authenticity, and connectedness. The breathwork was complemented by restorative yoga with Noe Toscanini, in keeping with our diverse array of methods that reinforce one another.
Five survivors of sexualized violence. A space filled with courage, honesty, and trust. Add to that: 38 degrees and very long days—inner and physical work at the same time. What happened during these hours is hard to put into words, and yet the participants themselves have put it into words:
“With every breathing session, my body understands a little more that it’s safe to keep breathing.”
“Breathing is like when streetlights come on and you can see where to put your next foot.”
“I’ve never been able to exhale properly before—I just couldn’t breathe all that crap out. During the session, I finally had the strength to exhale deeply. That’s the most beautiful experience for me. Thank you so, so, so much.”
We Were Supported
While we were working with the participants, we were supported and cared for.
Four women from the Inner Wheel Club Reutlingen-Tübingen cooked for us this weekend. With love and dedication, they provided us with incredibly delicious meals that nourished and strengthened us. Especially during intense moments, it’s a gift when our physical needs are taken care of so that our inner selves can work freely. A heartfelt THANK YOU to Hanna, Inga, Stefanie, and Ingrid.
But that’s not all: on the Thursday before the weekend, Carlotta Schumacher from Tübingen reached out to us. She and her team, “Four Women for Women,” just completed the Race Across America, one of the toughest ultracycling races in the world. They spontaneously launched a fundraising campaign for Body Voices: while we were working with our group, they were raising funds for us on the other side of the world. A heartfelt THANK YOU to Carlotta for the initiative, to the entire team, and to every single donor.
Women supporting women — locally and across the ocean
If you’d like to support our work and Carlotta’s campaign, you can find it here:
This weekend has shown us once again: Healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in community. It’s sustained by people who cook, who ride bikes, who donate, who breathe, and who are there for one another.
The third weekend of the Body Voices Advanced Program will take place this fall. Until then, we’ll continue on this journey together, step by step, connected through video calls for sharing and practicing together. Grateful, grounded, and full of excitement for what this journey still has in store.
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