Freedom?

The grass was warm.

High above me, the sun shimmered in the leaves of ancient trees. I was sitting in a walled garden, in the heart of Ireland, surrounded by people, teaching them breathwork.
It felt like paradise. I love experiences like that.

But, it wasn’t always like this for me. Quite the opposite.

I had spent years working in offices. Stuck in cubicles, staring at computer screens. Although I enjoyed the jobs at the time, they were slowly killing me. And I knew it.

Sitting in the walled garden though, sparked a memory:

My first taste of freedom.

Years ago, when I left my old job and started down this path of teaching breathwork, I was still working as a freelance digital consultant. That kept the bills paid.

One day I got an email, asking if I would meet a group of students from America and guide them through a wellness experience that would give them a taste of Ireland.

So, I suggested, that I meet them in Raven’s Wood in Wexford. We would walk through the forest and I would show them all the medicinal plants that grow wild there (I’m a herbalist after-all).

Then, we’d do some breathing in the forest before going to the sea for a quick dip. This was before getting into the sea was a normal thing to do!

They agreed.

I was only geting paid a small amount, but I didn’t care: this was what I wanted to do.

So, I drove all the way to Wexford from Dublin. I met them coming off their tour bus. We wandered in the woods, looking at nettles, dandelions and much more. While also trying to avoid the incredible amount of dog shit in the woods. This was before people really became aware of cleaning up after their dogs.

We sat down on a sand dune in the sun and enjoyed some blissful breathing.

Afterwards, they screeched and screamed as they jumped in and out of the pristine sea water.

They got back on the bus, I said goodbye and I noticed how different I felt:

I felt elated. Light. High.

A few minutes later, I went back to the beach and sat on the sand. It was a week-day morning. Usually, I would have been chained to a desk in an office. My former colleagues still were. Instead I was on the beach.

I walked back through the forest barefoot. I felt free. I felt open and light. I was in love with life again.

I wanted to do this all the time.

I wanted this to be my way of living. So, I committed to finding a way to make it happen.

But, what about you?

What things make you feel free?

Can you find a way to spend a little more time doing them?

Just a little more time…

What makes you feel free, will be different to me.

But, we both probably want the same things: to feel alive, to feel open and strong, to feel happy and calm, to feel satisfied. To feel free.

Maybe that’s why I love Wexford so much? It was where I tasted freedom.