breathwork | alchemical dance | voice

Navigating Alchemy 

my name is mary o’loan. fáilte!

passionate about ritual and it’s place in the human experience…

i support people in navigating conscious and effective change through body and breath based experiential practices followed by therapeutic bridging techniques and integrative support

scheduled for introduction in 2025, I am gearing up to unveil Narah Wilders formidable Wild Touch Body Whispering exclusively for clients of Navigating Alchemy.

NAVIGATING ALCHEMY an artful, active and ancient way of engaging with conscious and effective change

“…our 400hr Breathwork Facilitator training programme is rigorous and demands a quality of consistent introspection, authenticity and ‘hands on’ training. Mary’s shown a spark of initiative that is exceptional, not without eagerness to receive guidance and the considerable ability to challenge and inspire a group into new ways of thinking and being… initiating memorable ceremonies and events for the community at ASHA, Italy, 2022. The blend of art and consciousness is a delicate one, Mary's deftness appears to enjoy being in balance with her gravitas, I feel that the legacy and the integrity of Alchemy is safe in her care.” - Anthony,

Founder of Alchemy of Breath and Alchemy School of Healing Arts, Tuscany

Executive Board Member, Global Professional Breathwork Alliance

  • Breathwork Fundamentals

    Join this incredible Conscious Connected Breathwork Course at YOGA QUARTER Belfast taking 12 participants on a transformational journey in to the world of breathwork and its medicine. From the core science, ethics and mechanics to the transpersonal the divine and the TABOO!

  • Alchemical Dance

    Guided through this playful container of discovery & transformation, journey from root to crown exploring deeply embodied animacy. Experience your medicine in it’s authentic unfurling within this heated cleanse and reset from the inside out!

  • The Retrieval - 1-1 Facilitation

    MOST POPULAR - online & in-person breathwork facilitation and process work supporting your personal journey of embracing conscious change.

  • META DNA & ECOLOGICAL BODYWORK PRACTITIONER TRAINING

    Train in this rich ecoystem of world renowned leaders and innovators in the field and quote WildMary to receive your discovery discount

    9 MONTHS 2024 - 2025

    https://www.wildsexuality.com/practitioner-training
  • Ceremonial Breathwork

    Experience Conscious Connected Breathwork Journeys anchored in ritual for deep and intentional transformation. In a studio or in the wild.

  • EVENTS and Festivals

    Mary has facilitated at festivals like Fuinneamh, Hidden Hearth, Soma Festival, Lorrha Lughnasadh, Festival Mná & Moonstock and you can offer a Navigating Alchemy experience at your event too!

    SUMMER 2024

    Mary and Sonia are regular collaborators at festivals all over Ireland bringing breathwork and dance
  • The Actors Breath

    Support for the dynamic lifestyles and healthy careers of performing arts professionals. Creating safe containers for transformation that comes from the inside out in an industry that can be heavy on the outside in.

    AUTUMN 2024

“Mary is an anchor of mystical curiosity, immense strength and animistic wisdom. She has supported me in ways that are profoundly unique, always nurturing my growth with a steady, unwavering belief and presence.

Mary will step into the role of co-host, a position she inhabits with a natural grace and commanding knowledge. Her ability to guide and challenge is unmatched, serving as a vital force that pushes me to excavate the deepest insights from within. Mary’s guidance is not just about depth; it’s about reaching into the very core of curiosity and pulling forth the truths that need to be heard and understood. Her presence in this capacity is both a challenge and a gift, as she propels the course forward with her insightful interventions and thought-provoking prompts.

Listeners and participants will also experience Mary's mystical voice through various recordings integrated into the course. Her voice rich with wisdom and embued in serene power, will add an ethereal layer to our teachings and practices. The timbre and tone of her speech will carry more than just information; they resonate deeply within the very essence of the spiritual and scientific themes we will come to explore. “

— Narah Wilder Founder of Wild Sexuality and META DNA & ECOLOGICAL BODYWORK practitioner training

FAQs

  • Throughout this durational practice we are reminded of our innate capacity to shift and transform restoring confidence,  autonomy and a self resourced will for healing and conscious change.

    It is a physical exploration of our internal psyche and soma that supports our full bodied health and regeneration.

    Breath connection in itself generates a profound sense of presence, safety, resource and belonging.

    When we engage with the cyclical conscious connected breath we can activate THETA and GAMMA healing states, creating space for revelatory healing and processing work.

    This physical practice serves comprehensive use of the full body as an instrument of the breath. Returning us to authentic ease of expression.

    The antidote to depression is expression.

    Central to all expression is Breath itself. Through these journeys we can travel through our physical, emotional and mental archives only to regain a sense of ourselves at the core.

    WHY WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL CEREMONIALIST?

    Ceremonies bridge ancient wisdom with modern science to intentionally heal physical, mental and spiritual ailments. Experienced Breathwork facilitator’s can support you in unveiling the layers of conditioning in your body behind certain unconscious choices and patterns at your own pace. Profound healing comes from being held and witnessed in this process.

    Working with Mary you learn with fluidity to ride those edges with ease, feeling resourced and witnessed on your journey of transformation and reclamation

    MORE SCIENCE

    As well as regulating our hormonal cycles, our nervous system, our blood pressure, improving our digestion and awakening the senses this work can expand our capacity to feel and process big emotions including grief, joy, bliss and love, increasing our capacity for conscious pleasure and connection.

    70% of toxins are expelled through the lungs, the other 30% being our bladder, kidneys and bowels. When we don't breathe properly we over burden our other systems causing a large plethora of ‘dis-ease’. Through this work our bodies are cleansed and restored to their optimal functional state.

    Through activation we edge the sympathetic nervous system allowing our fluid and adaptive response to COMPLETE emotional or mental loops ending in break throughs, relief and epiphanies that are often unmistakably CLEAR and inspiring.

    The primary route to all mastery is in our connection to the breath. Oxygenating in this way has been known to awaken dormant DNA recovering unrealised skills and potential.

    In a matrix that’s constantly chipping away at our anatomical sovereignty. This is an antidotal reclamation of power of consiousness, of home.

    “All healing of the being is done through the breath. The breath allows us to become aware of the tensions, blockages and resistances that prevent our breath from circulating freely. It is the path of fulfilling the soul in the body” - Philo of Alexandria

    Get secure. Trust the method. Transform. Restore

  • Navigating Alchemy Breathwork Ceremonies are for any performing artist industry professional or person ready to

    -engage with conscious change

    -be a compassionate witness to their own process

    -take responsibility

    -receive from within

    -develop their capacity for intimacy and their relationship to the subtle realms

    the list goes on but the shorter answer is - who is it NOT for?

    *Whilst I invite anyone who feels drawn to a ceremonial engagement to come; the classic CCB pattern may not suitable for you. In this case we would work with an alternate breathing pattern tailored to your needs. Albeit Mary works with a pendulation and titration method which encourages you to find your own edges in your own unique space and time it is important you carry out essential research with your Health Care Practitioner relative to you and inform Mary of ANY contraindications you have well before ceremony begins.

    Open mouth Consious Connected Breathwork results in certain specific physiological changes in the body. As a precaution, the following conditions are CONTRAINDICATED-

    DETACHED RETINA OR GLAUCOMA

    Increasing the rate of breathing can cause pressure in the head and neck. Its advised against practising CCB for those a detached retina or glaucoma.

    ASTHMA

    The potential risks of CCB for people with Asthma are complex and debated. While some sources cite it as contraindicated, others present it as a possibility with considerations and modifications. In many instances, if the asthma is under control and you have your inhaler with you, the session can be completed safely and may even be beneficial for your asthma. It is yo to you to get approval from your medical provider and ensure facilitator is aware of your condition.

    *top tip - STAY HYDRATED

    DIAGNOSED BRAIN OR ABDOMEN ANEURYSM

    If there has been any damage to the brain and abdomen, increasing pressure within the blood vessels can be very dangerous. CCB is not advised.

    CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE OR EXISTING HEART CONDITIONS

    Deep and rapid breathing leads to a rise in heart rate and blood pressure, which can be dangerous for individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular issues. Their hearts may not be able to withstand the extra workload. Any hyperventilation can cause a decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which can in turn impair the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. The sustained elevated blood pressure can put additional strain on the walls of the arteries and increase risk of Angina.

    Please inform your ceremonialist or facilitator if you have a History of Stroke or Heart Attack

    EPILEPSY

    The autonomic nervous system regulates body functions like breathing. Seizures can disrupt this system. Bracing patterns of seizures can be triggered with CCB which may cause another seizure. Clients must consult their primary care physician or have a deep understanding of their body.

    DIAGNOSED BIPOLAR OR SCHIZOPHRENIA

    CCB may change in blood pH and brain chemistry. Activation without experience can be overwhelming. CCB can also release stress and trauma and participants may need more support in their practice

    UNCONTROLLED DIABETES OR THYROID CONDITIONS

    Diaphragmatic breathing can effect blood sugar levels. If a participant has uncontrolled blood sugar levels, it is uncertain how the breathwork would effect them. We recommend the client consults their Primary Care Physician before doing any CCB.

    UNCONTROLLED HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

    Fast breathing activates the sympathetic nervous system, which increases heart rate, increasing overall blood pressure. The same is true for the opposite. Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which decreases the heart rate and dilates blood vessels, reducing your overall blood pressure. Those with high blood pressure are advised to consult with their primary care physician before practicing CCB or worth an experienced practitioner to offer a breathing pattern suitable for them

    *top tip - avoid hyperventilation and breathholds

    EXTREME UNCONTROLLED LOW BLOOD PRESSURE

    Orthostatic Hypotension: Upon standing after lying down, individuals with low blood pressure can experience a sudden drop in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension). This can be exacerbated by the rapid changes in body position during Breathwork, potentially leading to falls or injuries (which can be circumvented)

    PANIC DISORDER AND RECENT PANIC ATTATCKS

    Recent Panic Attacks are sometimes regarded as contraindications for Breathwork depending on who you ask. However, it is crucial to emphasise that, in most cases, with the approval of a medical professional and the guidance of a skilled Breathwork Facilitator, Breathwork can prove highly beneficial for individuals experiencing panic attacks.

    PREGNANCY

    During the practice of CCB, the breather can become hypocapnic. This means the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in their lungs becomes very low. While pregnant, CO2 levels are already low & lung capacity reduced.

    While breathwork can be a beautiful tool during pregnancy, you can try a very gentle nose breath or other forms of breathwork & supporting exercises.

    RECENT SURGERY OR INTENSE PHYSICAL INJURY

    Exacerbated Pain: The physical movements and intense emotional releases experienced during Breathwork can put strain on healing tissues and exacerbate existing pain.

    Risk of Internal Bleeding: For individuals with recent surgery or internal injuries, the sometimes forceful movements that occur in breathwork could put them at risk of internal bleeding.

    Emotional intensity: Breathwork can induce intense emotional experiences, including past traumas, grief, and anger. These emotions can be overwhelming for someone still recovering from surgery or an injury, potentially hindering the healing process.

    Dissociation: Altered state of consciousness induced by Breathwork can lead to dissociation, where individuals disconnect from their physical and emotional experiences. This can be detrimental for individuals already dealing with the shock and stress of recent surgery or injury.

    Recommendations

    While generally safe for healthy individuals, Breathwork can have unpredictable outcomes, especially for individuals in delicate physical and emotional states. Prior to engaging in Breathwork, it is crucial to consult with a doctor and ensure clearance for strenuous activity based on the specific nature and recovery timeline of the surgery or injury. Also, make sure to let you Breathwork Facilitator know about your surgery or injury prior to booking a Breathwork session.

    If ANY of these apply to you to it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to let you ceremonialist know, this way they can manage their capacity to support you accordingly!

  • consider your personal WHY

    BOOK your free 15 minute consultation call w/Mary

    if you’re a match for this work Mary will send you everything you need to get started

  • CCB sessions are typically between 30 to 120 minutes in length

    There’s usually a carefully tailored soundscape

    Throughout the journey you are engaged deep and conscious connected breath pattern.

    Maintaining this breath pattern duration-ally can be difficult on your own. As a result, you will find most CCB is done with a facilitator.

    They are there to coach you on the technique, support your optimal connection, hold space for the journey that unfolds and bare conscious witness to your process.

    Choose your facilitator wisely, it is not only important that your facilitator has the capacity to hold you but your facilitator should be equipped with the tools you need to integrate and process your experience effectively.

    Mary trained with the worlds leading Facilitator Training Programme - Alchemy of Breath from 2021-2022.

    Following her 8 month training Mary spent 10 weeks at Alchemy School of Healing Arts, Tuscany refining her work, training in a monitored, mentored and supported environment.


    Mary is renowned for facilitating deep transformational breathwork journeys that weave ritual and the language of light and for groups, events, couples.

    Her mission is to serve this work to industry professionals locally and globally.

    Her 1-1 journeys come with long term support and tailored tools for integration.

    Scheduled for introduction in 2025, Narah Wilders formidable Wild Touch Body Whispering will be available exclusively within Navigating Alchemy containers.

  • Just as the quality of each breath affects how we feel, perceive and respond the world around us, alternative breathing patterns practiced over a period of time can lead to deep and transformational journeys that allow us perceive the world in way we’d forgotten or perhaps had never seen before.

    Many breathers report having visionary experiences and journeys which feel psychedelic in nature and just as dreaming is, this is a natural part of the human experience.

    It’s common to hear breathers equate their Breathwork experiences with psychedelic plant medicines.

    Some of the most, commonly reported benefits associated with Breathwork that parallel plant medicine exactly, include:

    • Transpersonal experiences *

    • Physical and emotional healing


    • A profound sense of “oneness with the universe”, an all encompassing sense of belonging

    • Expansive joy, self love and compassion 


    • Connection with the divine

    • Life-changing breakthroughs


    • Psychokeneisis

    • Revisiting childhood


    • Spiritual awakening


    • Extra Sensory Perception

      - the tangible activation of ones dormant senses unlocking the ability to see, feel, hear, sense, perceive and respond to the world in a new, more full and fluid way.

    • Ego death and rebirth experiences

    • Deep acceptance, love and forgiveness

    • Remembrance

    Because of these shared effects and experiences, some believe the psychedelic chemical DMT is naturally released in the brain during a Breathwork session.

    Getting to the bottom of this is difficult as there have not been any direct studies on this potential correlation and researchers are only beginning to understand DMT and its role in the human body.

    Referenced below are my favourite researchers on the subject.

    What is DMT?

    (N, N-Dimethyltryptamine) = DMT

    It’s a hallucinogenic tryptamine chemical that belongs to a class of psychedelics including LSD and psilocybin.

    DMT is most well-known as a naturally occurring psychoactive ingredient in the plant-medicine Ayahuasca, members of the Acacia species, however, it is abundant in nature. Hundreds, if not thousands, of plant species produce DMT in psychoactive doses. Even citrus fruit rinds contain some DMT. It’s found in numerous plants and animals, and even in our own bodies. It’s the only psychedelic substance known to occur naturally in the human body and studies have detected DMT in brain, human blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

    Considered the most powerful-known psychedelic on earth, the ingestion of DMT can lead to intense psychedelic and mystical experiences. DMT also simulates the *NDE wherein people transcend their bodies and enter another realm, and because of this, University of New Mexico researcher, Rick Strassman, M.D. coined DMT as the “spirit molecule.

    Some people (like me) were born with an exceptional amount of DMT in the brain already and have been navigating complex transpersonal waters as human beings regularly throughout their life and journey, others have the chemical compound flood the system following near death experience, ‘spiritual emergencies’, crisis, trauma, a ‘Kundalini awakening’, ‘cervical orgasms’, an embodied connection or even a ‘look in the eyes of a ancient soulmate’.

    Strassman states that

    “DMT facilitates the soul’s movement in and out of the body and is an integral part of the birth and death experiences”, as well as the highest states of meditation.

    Research suggests DMT may also play an integral role in deep REM sleep and dreaming, as well as the evolution of human consciousness.
    ”We are seeing an emergence of a new image of the psyche, and with it an extra-ordinary world view that combines breakthroughs at the cutting edge of science with the wisdom of the most ancient societies” - Grof, The Holotropic Mind, 1993

    Holotropic Breathwork is one of the original two branches of modern Breathwork, created in the 1960s by the LSD-facilitated therapy researcher Stanislav Grof. LSD is a potent psychedelic and as mentioned above part of the same family of chemicals as DMT; and when it became illegal Grof developed his conscious, connected Breathwork technique to achieve psychedelic-like states without using psychedelic drugs.

    I wasn’t introduced to Stanislav Grof’s book ‘The Holotropic Mind, 1993’ until 2021. It was one of the extras on Alchemy of Breath’s facilitator training reading list. Following decades of research in the world of psychology, physiology, art, science, philosophy and history searching for a concrete map or reference point for the way in which I as experiencing the world, reading this book brought me to tears with a profound sense of validation. It was Stanislav Grof’s book ‘The Holotropic Mind’ that back boned my mission with science, case studies and classifications facilitating my already deep dive into service and the creation of containers that support transpersonal wellbeing and the collective understanding of a more conscious creed.

    “Up to now, Newtonian science has been responsible for creating a very limited view of human beings and their potentials. For over 200 years the Newtonian perspective has dictated the criteria for what is an acceptable or unacceptable experience of reality.

    Accordingly, a “normally functioning” person is one who is capable of accurately mirroring back the objective external world that Newtonian science describes.

    Within that perspective, our mental functions are limited to taking in information from our sensory organs, storing it in out “mental computer banks” and then perhaps recombining sensory data create something new . Any significant departure from this perception of “objective reality” which is actually a consensus reality - or what the general population believes to be true would have to be dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination or mental disorder.

    Modern consciousness research indicates an urgent need to drastically revise and expand this limited view of the nature and dimensions of the human psyche… Even if though these new findings are incompatible with newtonian science, they are fully congruent with revolutionary developments in modern physics and other scientific disciplines. All of these new insights are profoundly transforming the Newtonian world vision that we once took for granted. There is emerging an exciting new vision of the cosmos and human nature that has far reaching implications for our lives on an individual as well a collective scale” - Grof, The Holotropic Mind 1993

    How DMT is Produced in the Human Body

    In the mid 1990’s Dr. Strassman conducted experiments on DMT and came to the conclusion that it is the pineal gland that makes and secretes it. The pineal gland is a small organ located deep in the center of the brain that has been shrouded in mystery since it’s discovery and is referred to by some as “the seat of the soul,” or the “third eye.” Although many people still believe DMT is produced only in the pineal gland, a 2019 study published in the journal Scientific Reports revealed otherwise. According to this study, there are brain neurons that contain the two enzymes required to make DMT, and these neurons, not isolated to the pineal gland they are found in other parts of the brain that are important for higher-order brain functions.

    DMT and Breathwork

    Because Breathwork experiences and benefits so often parallel those of DMT and other psychedelic plant-medicines, and DMT is produced naturally in the brain, many people believe DMT is released during Breathwork. This has yet to be proven, and we still don’t know the exact mechanisms in which DMT is produced in the body or what causes it to be released. However, it has been proven that highly stressful situations can lead to a release of high quantities of DMT in the brain of rats, and this phenomenon may occur similarly in human brains.

    Breathwork sessions change the ratio of carbon dioxide (C02) and oxygen in the body and increase pH, and these rapid changes may place a mild stress on the system. According to this, in theory, a Breathwork induced stress state may lead to the release of DMT.

    Another potential way in which Breathwork may cause the natural release of DMT is through inducing mild hypoxia (reduced oxygen levels in tissues). Although breathing deeply and connected should in theory lead to increased oxygen levels, the rapid breathing and consequent increase in pH and reduction of C02 that occurs may cause blood vessels to narrow (vasoconstriction) which in turn could lead to decreased oxygen levels.

    Studies have found DMT can protect human cells from death in low-oxygen environments, so it is possible the rapid changes in oxygen levels that occur in Breathwork may spur the release of DMT as a protective survival mechanism

    Breathwork may cause the release of DMT by altering brainwaves and stimulating the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

    Gamma brainwaves are associated with states of deep meditation, heightened awareness, and higher brain functions.

    Breathwork and other deeply meditative practices activate gamma waves and there is a direct correlation between gamma waves and DMT release, with one seeming to stimulate the other.

    Preliminary research also suggests the breath is what controls the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid and this fluid contains the highest amounts of DMT outside the brain. It’s possible that conscious, connected, breathing causes an increase of the distribution of DMT throughout the brain and body by stimulating the flow of this DMT-containing fluid.

    While we don’t yet have any definitive answers with regards to DMT and Breathwork, what we do know is that the transformative and healing effects of breathwork are unsurpassed!

    It’s a safe and natural way to to explore your edges, adventure into internal worlds and your systems', heal the body, shift stagnant energy and release what no longer serves you and it does ALL of this while empowering us to be our own healer’s.

    I look forward to holding space for you to explore this in more depth

    Le grá mór,

    Mary






    *The most in depth and comprehensive map of transpersonal awareness is in Stanislav Grof’s’, The Holotropic Mind. Grof’s substantial list of case studies gives voice to everything from journeys beyond Physical Boundaries, Time and Space, Planetary Consciousness, Ancestral Worlds, Karma and Reincarnation, The Energetic Phenomena of the Subtle Body, Archetypes and Journeys into Mythic Realities, Interdimensional visits and Parallel Universes to intuitive Deciphering of Universal Symbols, Experience of creator and cosmic consiousness, The Supracosmic and Metacosmic Void, Mediumistic experiences. Psychokeneisis, Death, Rebirth and much more…

  • ‘Breathwork’ has rapidly sprouted into Health, Wellbeing and Psychedelic Science convention over the last five years.

    On the ground of popular conversation, along with its growth has come confusion from the general public as to what exactly it is.

    Some people jump to yogic breathing practices like Breath of Fire or Pranayama; or exercises they’ve been taught to reduce anxiety or induce sleep. These people aren’t wrong, however, ‘Breathwork’ without the space between breath and work is the official term used to describe Conscious, Connected Breathwork, or CCB.

    Conscious Connected Breathwork, or CCB

    This is the practice that has seen a major boom in popularity in recent years. As the majority of the western world locked themselves up covering their nose and mouths, some of us took deeper breaths and journeyed inwards . All CCB variants stem from two major branches of modern Breathwork which were born in the 1960’s – Holotropic and Rebirthing. While the methods, environment, and tools used differ among CCB variants, they all share the technique of having no pause between the inhale and exhale.

    Keeping the breath connected leads to non-ordinary states of consousness that can feel similar to psychedelic experiences.

    CCB session is different for every person and no two sessions are the same. The breath is the guide, taking you exactly where you need to go for your most optimal healing and it does this in the most energy efficient way possible. When we activate the THETA healing state the body knows exactly what to do.

    CCB sessions are typically between 30 to 120 minutes in length.

    Throughout the journey you are engaged deep and conscious connected breath.

    Maintaining this for such a long duration can be difficult on your own. As a result, you will find most CCB is done with a qualified facilitator

    CCB is the type of Breathwork Mary trained in. Mary trained with the worlds leading Facilitator Training Programme - Alchemy of Breath from 2021-2022. Following her 8 month training Mary spent 10 weeks at Alchemy School of Healing Arts, Tuscany refining her own unique process, package and medicine. Mary has been renowned for facilitating deep transformational breathwork journeys weaving ritual and the language of light for groups, events, couples.

    1-1 journeys come with long term support and tailored tools for integration.

    “I have witnessed Mary’s progress as a student throughout our 400hr Breathwork Facilitator training programme which is rigorous and demands a quality of consistent introspection and authenticity. Mary has shown both an eagerness to receive guidance and a spark of initiative that is exceptional, along with the ability to both challenge and inspire a group into new ways of thinking and being. Mary initiated memorable ceremonies and co-created events as a breathwork facilitator for the community at ASHA, 2022… I feel that the legacy and the integrity of Alchemy is safe in her care.” - Anthony

    Executive Board Member, Global Professional Breathwork Alliance, Founder, Alchemy of Breath, Alchemy School of Healing Arts

    If you see an advertisement for a ‘Breathwork Journey,’ or a class that mentions, shamanic breathwork, transformational, transpersonal healing or altering your consciousness, then it is likely you will be engaging with the CCB pattern.

    Some well-known variants of CCB include: Transformational Breathwork, Integrative Breathwork, Radiance Breathwork, Biodynamic Breathwork, The Wim Hof Method, Clarity Breathwork, Liberation Breathwork, Quantum Light Breath and Breath of Bliss.

    Pranayama

    Pranayama is a purifying practice used to to prepare for meditation. There are several types of pranayama, each with different intentions but they all originate from the ancient text – ‘The Yoga Sutras’.

    Prana in Sanskrit is “life force energy” and Ayama refers to expansion, extension, regulation and control. Through controlling the breath, we control the mind and Prana is directed. It’s an ancient yogic breath practice.

    Yoga and Tantra teachers sometimes refer to Pranayama breath practices as ‘Breathwork,’ however Pranayama is the most accurate term and calling it breathwork can create confusion.

    If you see an advertisement for a “Yoga and Breathwork,” “Tantra and Breathwork,” or “Kundalini and Breathwork” class then it is most likely Pranayama and not the CCB that Mary is facilitating.

    CCB and Pranayama come from a different lineage and they have different intentions.

    Pranayama is less about a deep inner journey and process work and more about control. CCB is typically done lying down, with eyes closed, and yogic breath practices are often done sitting up, disciplined and straight.

    Functional Breath Work

    Functional breathing teachings and practices are also sometimes (frustratingly enough) referred to as breathwork, however the technique, goal, and outcome is very different from the Conscious Connected Breath process.

    Functional breathwork is taught in order to help people learn how to breathe deeper or more effectively in their day to day lives. This is important as most of us have not breathed properly since infancy, and are failing to use the full capacity of our lungs. (See the Buteyko Method). This leads to alterations of CO2 and oxygen levels which can negatively affect every system in the body, and contribute to disease.

    Learning how to breathe properly with functional breath work can not only provide you with better overall health, more energy and a greater sense of mental clarity, it can also help you sleep and digest food better, improve your body’s immune response, and reduce stress and anxiety.

    Breath Work Practices or Exercises

    General breath practices and exercises are also sometimes referred to as Breathwork and they do often involve manipulating the breath in in some shape or form order to alter your physical, mental, or emotional state. However the goals are generally to reduce anxiety or promote better sleep rather than opening space for deep process work.

    These exercises can shake the cobwebs and clear the airways for you to show up for daily life and activities and they do not require a facilitator.

    This endless array of breath practices with overlaps and mutual benefits is worthy of exploration!

    There’s a breath for everything amongst stimulants, ego erradicators, cleansers, balancers, erotic erousers, sleepy sedators and psychedelic deep transformational journeyers.

    Sign up to Navigating Alchemy Breathwork Fundamentals this Autumn to get to know all your favourite allies on a more intimate level. Seduce your self with this colourful array of state altering breathing tools.

  • Intention Matters

    Mary sets an intentional and ceremonial space for navigating profound alchemy that we co-creed.

    This space is structured with a framework that supports the intimate examination of your somatic journey through the body. With no corner left unturned

    ‘Somatic’ dance is sensing your internal experience and responding to the cues and signals from your body with curiosity and play. It isn't choreographed. It's prompted exploration.

    This ritually held and guided durational practice creates space for revelations through the body psych and soma.

    Mary skillfully incorporates a diverse range of practical tools acquired during her artist training in various global cities like London, Chicago, Tuscany, Belfast and Dublin. These include practices such as Feldenkrais, 5Rhythms, Musicality, Viewpoints, African Dance, Yoga, Laban, Improv, Physical Theatre, Ecstatic Dance, Breathwork, Archetypal Embodiment, and Elemental Embodiment, forming a rich tapestry of techniques that enhance her creative expression with depth and nuance.

    Her intentional soundscapes offer a transpersonal and experiential ‘totality’ to her ceremonies, her profound understanding of the science of sound alchemy on the body make kinaesthetic empathy and archetypal play a key feature in this joyous and satisfying journey of exploration.

    Lean into full and organic authentic expression for the purpose of healing and reclamation letting go of anything less than liberty!

    Leave restored, rested and complete, with your eros, essence, your radiance oozing through your pores.

  • Mary has worked with clients and facilitators locally and globally to support their development work and practice and expand their skill set.

    From where you are, Mary works with you 1-1 to lay firm foundations for elevating your breathing experience, alchemic practice and sense of resource. Together you’ll lean in and take a look at your unique lifestyle relationship to the breath, considering where you are, what it is you are resourcing and what you’d like to transform. We’ll uncover a language for deep connection and safety, considering your personal boundary system, felt sense connection, response patterning, cycles and constellations.

    Together a space is woven to resource your continued growth and development in a way that is tailored to your needs

  • The Actor’s Breath

    Mary’s in depth theatre training from Rose Bruford and 12 years working professionally prompted her discovery powerful tools for navigating the actors performance and embodiment process.

    In rehearsal and performance we are operating at a high stake arousal states under imaginary circumstances.

    The physical and emotional body does not know the difference between what is real and what isn’t.

    Adequate regulation, reset and ritual support is essential for the Actors well being and creative process work.

    Mary has devised one of a kind training ‘ The Actors Breath’ to educate actors, directors and producers on the practical nuances of a mindful and alchemic transformation process based on guess what? The alchemy of breath…

    This includes:

    Creating the Container

    Nervous System Regulation

    The Vagus Nerve

    Endocrine Awareness

    Breathwork Journeys and Process work

    Transpersonal Experiences

    Orientation

    TRE, Trauma Cycles and Completion

    Roles and responsibilities

    Aftercare

    Autonomy in Symbiosis - A contract

    -Somatic Experiencing and the Felt Sense

    -Boundaries, Consent and Breath Connection

    -Conscious Touch

    - R&D

    -Integration

    These workshops are available for purchase for any school, industry organisation, event or festival recognised by Equity throughout the UK, Europe and Ireland.

    They support us in leading dynamic and healthy careers and lifestyles with somatic awareness, discernment and

    confidence in roles and responsibilities within the industry.

    1 day - 1025

    1 week - 1789

    2 weeks - 2749

hend, middle east -

“it’s been my privilege to share several breathwork experiences with mary. I can honestly say she is truly gifted. her voice transports you deeply inward, her soundscapes are a journey.

mary holds space confidently and with compassion, i highly recommend her with the highest qualifications”

kristian, ireland -

“a first time experience for me and by the end of the process a lot more inside of me made sense.

it really was the perfect space. it cultivated a very free feeling from within me. the language of light that came from you has stayed with me, i'm not sure how to describe it but you spoke to me so clearly in those moments!

i still feel that words are slightly lost or too inadequate to express what i have begun to process but i can say that it is all incredibly positive“

1-1 mentorship, amoree, united states-

“my experience facilitated by Mary included several online group sessions followed by an online 1:1 series of five sessions. four of those in that series were breathwork and one was a deeper dive discussion into what was surfacing for me.

i am an older person who has been exposed to many different forms of spiritual and self development over the years, both personally as well as in my career as a therapist. i've also been exposed to different  forms of intervention using the breath and am currently training as a breathwork facilitator. having said all that i'm not easily impressed lol and mary has made a HUGE positive impression. to say she is authentic, intuitive and unique is an understatement.

mary provided an amazing container through expert inquiry and attunement, with a focus on well articulated embodied experience. Her additional weaving in of well understood mythological, seasonal and astrological influences brought more depth and the experience of being completely accurately seen. the use of astrology specifically was like having a chart done but in a more personal and thought provoking way that brought the breathwork facilitation to the next level.

as the work in the series i did progressed Mary would use what arose in a session to organically and  expertly inform the process for the session that followed. this made the session series a coherent journey that was extremely productive.

i would highly endorse Mary to anyone wanting to take their self-development journey deeper. due to Mary's expert attunement and breadth of focus i would equally endorse her for those just starting out or perhaps just new to breathwork.