ABOUT US
Hi, I’m Andrea
I'm here to remind you of the importance of connection and that we are not meant to suffer through life, but rather flow through the ups and downs.
I have always desired to help others. I wanted to understand why there was so much suffering in the world.
In the search for answers, I came to believe that I could figure out anything and everything at the level of my mind. I threw myself into school and 7 years later, received a PhD in Neuroscience. I acquired a deeper understanding of how the body and brain function.
No longer having the distraction of school, I noticed the disarray of my personal life. While on a quest to understand and solve other people's problems, I was neglecting my own hidden pain. I was overwhelmed by the stress and tension I held in my body, exhausted from trying to be perfect and burnt out from overachieving. I was closed off from life and survival mode was my default.
I continued to search outside of myself for the magic cure, for something to bring me peace. For something to remind me that life is worth living. Being a mom gave me a purpose and I made the decision to start taking care of myself through proper nutrition and exercise.
A few months later, my husband died by suicide. This shook the very foundation of my life. Nothing made sense. Everything had gone wrong. I had no idea how to move forward. I didn't know how to protect our son from the pain of his dad's death.
One morning while watching the sunrise, I heard and felt a presence much bigger than me- "Andrea, you have to FEEL this."
For much of my life. I had walked around disconnected from my heart and my body. I had been disconnected from my sense of feeling. I had forgotten how to let love in. I had forgotten the importance of connection.
I ignored that message until numbing the pain was no longer working. In these darkest moments of my life, Breathwork found me. My breath led me back to myself and into a deep connection with my body- I finally had a tool to guide me back home.
Breathe in, I am aware of the inhale. Breathe out, I am aware of the exhale.
I immersed myself in nature and let myself be held and supported by the earth.
Breathwork and nature showed me that if I could find presence from one moment to the next, I would be okay. I found courage to process deep, complicated grief. I found safety in my sense of feeling and was reminded over and over again that life is a gift.
I discovered that pain and trauma live in the body and that sustainable healing happens- not at the level of the mind- but in the re-patterning of the nervous system and the depths of body connection. When the body heals, the mind follows.
I am a trauma-informed breathwork facilitator, embodiment coach, nervous system educator and nature connection guide.
I will guide you through deep transformation from an embodied place. I will not invite you to explore parts of you that I have not explored within myself. I will walk alongside you, hand in hand, into deeper self-discovery and empowerment. I cannot heal you- I will hold you high and provide deep support until you remember that you are capable of healing yourself. You are the medicine you are looking for.
I see you, I love you, I am you.
Xo- Andrea
Hi, I’m Andy
I am so grateful you are here. A little over 2 years ago I made a decision to live life differently.
Before then, I had committed to changing some part of my life a number of times but the changes always felt superficial or not really possible-like making so much money, creating something of value, looking a certain way, doing so much “good" in the world.
Goals that had me feeling “less than” or inadequate in the present moment.
Trying to find a “purpose” in life was important to me from a very young age. Always wanting to make a mark in a profound way. I never felt good enough to fulfill any of my desires. Much of my childhood and early adulthood was spent in a deep depression. Feeling lost, incapable and alone I frequently questioned why I was even here.
My emotional well-being improved when I discovered I had a passion for acting. With acting, I was able to tap into emotions I had suppressed. It felt like a heavy weight being lifted off my shoulders. I received my BFA in acting and soon after found myself surrounded by peers in the restaurant industry.
Unable to find a consistent creative outlet I decided to go into education for low-income school districts as a tutor and eventually a 2nd grade teacher. Being an educator opened my eyes in a number of ways. One of the most profound was the realization of how common self-loathing and thoughts of self-harm are among youth. Additionally, I was discouraged by the lack of freedom I had as a teacher, how students were seen as numbers and how the emotional well-being of kids was not being addressed in a real way.
During this time as a teacher, I took a hard look at my own emotional well-being. I was angry or sad most of the time, my energy level was always low, and I simply never wanted to get out of bed.
In an effort to improve my health, I decided to take up biking, running and dancing on a regular basis. Then through meditation practice. I was able to feel deep seeded emotions that had long been suppressed.
This was creating a foundation for healing that would be sustainable.
But it wasn’t until I found breathwork, that something shifted within.
It was like I had finally made a crack in a wall that had been shielding me from life since childhood.
I cannot tell you what it feels like to go from hating your existence to having a deep love for your life that grows constantly- because it is a feeling, something that needs to be experienced. I can tell you it’s not easy and you have to decide you want it every moment. I can also tell you that you deserve to be supported and held through the process.
I want you to know that you are enough, right now. This life was made for you and it’s up to you to decide to embrace and love it or to numb out and push it away.
I am a trauma-informed breathwork facilitator and movement coach. I guide people to feeling into the wisdom of their body and breath. The journey you take will be one meant only for you, I am here to guide, support and provide a safe space.
What I have learned (am learning) is that nothing needs to happen for me to feel fully alive right now except for a change in my own perception
Xo- Andy
