Breathwork Story: How Elaine’s Eating Disorder Was Healed
I’m posting Elaine’s evaluation from our weekend retreat, “Your Authentic Life”, on April 2013 where we did two Breathwork sessions. When Elaine did her inner child healing, it yielded a surprising unexpected result. Her 20-year eating disorder was healed. Elaine gave me permission to publish her evaluation form.
THE RETREAT EVALUATION
Thank you for taking the time to complete this evaluation form. Please be candid. Your comments will be used to improve future retreats and groups.
1. List your goals. For each goal, state what you achieved or learned. Give solid results whenever possible. Use the back of the page if you need more space.
Goal 1: To become my Authentic Self, to become more centered. The inner child in me was not present. I had tried self-meditation, transcendental meditation, psychotherapy, counseling, and Christianity to break the inner child free and heal her. None of them worked. Through the breathwork, my inner child was not only set free but reborn into a new fresh loving child.
Goal 2: To develop a 10-15 year plan as to what to do next with my career and personal life. After the first session of breathwork, I felt that I wanted to continue working on my inner child and put aside my plans and goals. However, the Holy Spirit decided that I would not only start to heal my inner child but also put into action words and thoughts to start my planning my future – warmth, water, coast, sunshine.
2. In addition to your goals, what else did you learn that was significant to you?
a. Before the retreat, I had suffered for the past 20 years with an eating disorder. It did not enter into my mind to work on the eating disorder at the Authentic Self Retreat. Despite not having it as a goal, I ended up Sunday with a body that the eating disorder had been removed from. Seriously! It is difficult to put into words exactly what occurred so here goes:
Here is the best way that I can explain it. In the breathwork, I felt a warm sensation on my lower stomach. My hands moved from the initial breathing position to my lower abdomen. I felt a peace and calm about myself. I found myself inviting in the Divine One for the healing of my eating disorder. I hadn’t planned this at all or thought about it. I put my hands there allowing the Divine One to heal my stomach to address my eating disorder. The warmth dissipated from my stomach leaving a peaceful feeling there. Then the warmth was felt in my intestines. I felt moved to invite the Divine One again to heal not just my organs, but to rid me of the eating disorder. The warmth then moved up my body stopping in my esophagus, mouth and finally my head.
Each step along the way, I felt the same process: the warmth, the invitation, and the healing. The Divine One was healing my body, mind and spirit … ridding my body of the eating disorder. Since leaving the retreat, I have not had the desire to participate in the eating disorder. It seems like it was a lifetime ago.
b. Nutrition and how the food and beverages I was consuming was harming not just my body but also not permitting me to be my authentic self. Benita provided nutritional education throughout the weekend so I was able to absorb the knowledge and implement it.
c. Microwaves – how they are not our friends and should be removed from use. Here are my ideas: use them as a fish tank or shooting gallery target.
d. I can live with another person without sacrificing myself. At the retreat, I roomed with another woman and did pretty good. Of course, she was easy to get along with (and yes you can tell her I said that).
e. There are other Highly Sensitive People (HSP) out there and I am not alone or weird. Another HSP attended the Retreat. It was calming and a relief to realize that I wasn’t crazy. I am like a small portion (15 -20%) of the rest of the society – and that it’s okay. A big plus was sharing the retreat with another HSP. I was able to gain more insight into myself because of her experience and sharing.
3. How satisfied were you with this event? 1 2 3 4 5 6.
Six – I am exceptionally satisfied with the retreat
4. What did you enjoy about Benita’s coaching / teaching style?
a. Benita allowed each participant to gain their authentic self by coaching and guiding in a non-judgmental, professional manner.
b. Benita allowed each participant to feel as if they were in the safest environment possible.
c. Benita utilized the various methods for adult learning, emphasizing those that the individuals most resonated to.
5. What specific coaching or group interactions helped you the most?
a. The breathwork
b. The follow up conversations after the breath work
c. I liked the drawing session after the breathwork; it felt positive and freeing
6. What did you dislike about the event, if anything?
Wish we could have stayed longer.
7. Suggestions for improvement:
Seriously – I couldn’t find one thing to improve. Even the weather worked out best for me. If it had been sunny I would have allowed myself to been distracted by the sun.
8. Would you recommend this event to a friend? _X_ yes ___ no. If so, what would you say to encourage them?
Don’t be afraid to go and realize who Your Authentic Self is. Breathwork helps you get in touch with the pain but does not allow the pain to touch you so you don’t feel hurt again. You can put the pain in a place where it can’t hurt you. If you want to be the real you and enjoy life, take the time, money and effort to attend – it is a life-changing event that you can’t afford to miss out on.
Having been a twenty-year sufferer of an eating disorder, I was prepared to live my life with the constant worry of relapsing. There is no cure for eating disorders, just living daily with the worry. That was before the retreat. Since the breathwork at the retreat, I have not had to worry about my disorder. It was removed. I can’t put into words the feeling of calm that occurred. If you are suffering now, you don’t have to. Just take that next step and attend the breathwork sessions and follow up with counseling and life coaching.
9. What future support do you want from Benita?
I would like to continue to do more breathwork and life coaching to continue to develop my skills and abilities but most importantly my authentic self.
10. Do you give permission for all or part of your statements to be used as a testimonial?
_x_ yes ___ no
Elaine, CEO/President, Connecticut
If you would like to explore the option of psychotherapy or spiritual counseling with Benita A Esposito, Licensed Professional Counselor, complete the Contact Page. She’ll do her best to contact you within 48 hours, Monday-Thursday.
