Healing through breathwork

GINA is also a wife and mum who, in between school runs, extramural activities and early morning lifesaving training with her tween, Grace, takes charge of household chores.

“I am often asked what it is I do; I use my understanding of the integration of body, mind and voice to help people overcome communication problems, psychological inhibitions, emotional difficulties and some physical complaints – ultimately to heal. I’ve been researching, developing and sharing my approach locally and abroad for more than 20 years, so I truly believe this is my calling.”

Gina says her childhood experiences steered her to this ground-breaking expressive arts therapy that includes breathwork – many are unaware of their breathing and how to breathe.

“I’ve always been athletic. From the age of seven, I did speech and drama and a big part of this is learning to use your voice and breath effectively.”

When Gina was 16 she developed exercise-induced asthma. Through drama studies at university she learnt more about how the breath influenced voice, the body and its movement. And how breath was a key aspect of self-expression and emotion.

“I realised there was more going on than inhaling and exhaling and that there was a deeper connection between breath, emotion and self, as well as breath and one’s psychological state. I also realised that my asthma had disappeared … all of these breathing techniques had helped me.”

Gina went on to study Voice Movement Therapy in the USA and is internationally registered. “Here my understanding of the body, mind and breath and the relationship between these and emotional states deepened. I believe my training in drama and life experiences gave me a solid foundation when it came to me pursuing the therapeutic value of movement and self-expression, and ultimately practicing Voice Movement Therapy.”

Read the full article here – Breath, Voice & Thrive