Catching up with Essence Magazine
While in Bali last month, attending a wellness festival curated by Erykah Badu, I caught up with Tenille Clark of Essence magazine about my Breathwork practice and how it serves as an essential part of my healing work, my love of rituals and ceremony, and my experience as a New Yorker, now based in Australia.
“Breathing is something I think that we easily take for granted. I have a regular breathwork practice that I attend at a gym close to home in Melbourne. As a Black woman born and raised in New York with so much hyperactivity, I find that practice to be really grounding,” the Australia-based financial therapist explains as she adjusts her yoga mat. The hypnotic, ambient sounds of the bonang (an Indonesian instrument made of small gongs) paired with nearby crashing beach waves fill the crisp, dawning air – setting an inviting mood for the two dozen participants for the session. That lifestyle adjustment, centering breathing, Hillman-Harrigan goes on to note, was no easy feat. But she has found balance by frequenting Indonesia in her travel pursuits.
“People pay more attention to ceremony, community and rituals here in Bali, which is a huge difference from The West – because you have to slow down here, in the now. Breathwork teaches you a lot about your unhealthy habits and the healing that is needed to center, prioritize, and optimize your wellness.”
In her poetic and insightful article, Tenille also interviews the inimitable Ms. Badu herself and Notep, a wonderful Thai musical artist and free diver, who I also had the pleasure of meeting at the festival. That week was a time to remember and a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded folks from all over the world, who also center healing and wellness in their lives. I recommend reading the whole article if you have time!
Post-Breathwork at the Wellness Festival
