Breathwork… The Hidden Gem

Hi I’m Kat and I’m in the best place I’ve ever been, that smile is real!

I’m married and have two teenage daughters and a stepson who just got married. I work full time in a high pressurised job dealing with safety, security and crisis management. When I met Luke I was at the lowest point of my life. I was dealing with the usual middle age stresses, my husband had been chronically ill for a long time, two hormonal teenage daughters and my menopause…body on fire, no coordination, brain fog, itching like hell…seriously!!! But then out of the blue my mum (fit as a fiddle) passed away from a massive stroke, and then dad suddenly deteriorated, his dementia took a downward spiral and he had to move in with us so we could care for him 24/7. I was in such a dark place I didn’t know what to do but I knew I had to do something. Scrolling through Facebook I saw a beautiful picture of Jax smiling from ear to ear as she had reached a new PB and I thought to myself, I want what she has!!! I need to look after ‘me’ and heal ‘me’, so I took the plunge, made the call and joined Luke Murray Fit. Instantly I knew I was in the right place. He understood me, I felt instant confidence, I felt strong and I knew I would get better! And of course I did, I built muscle, I got toned, gained strength and met such a wonderful group of people I couldn’t be happier, but little did I know then just how much Luke would change my life…..

Luke suggested I join the Breathwork on Saturday and I jumped at the chance! That first morning I was full of excitement, new people, new me, and then suddenly I realised I had made a massive mistake….what was I thinking???

When I was 20 years old I was doing a work placement in Cyprus, and suffered terrible working conditions resulting in severe heat exhaustion. My heart stopped and I had to be resuscitated twice. I had clear visions of floating on the ceiling, watching my body lying beneath me, my friend crying over me, nurses with oxygen canisters and doctors performing CPR. I woke up 10 days later in intensive care and my life was never the same again. For anyone that has suffered panic attacks they are the most frightening things you can experience, convinced you are dying. I spent 30 years not being able to sleep for fear if I shut my eyes I’ll never wake again, not being able to lie down in a dentist’s chair, not being able to relax on a sofa, not being able to fully breathe full stop, because I was always fighting this inner demon. And now here I was, in a group of people, and we were about to lie down and breathe, my biggest fear! How stupid was I? I felt the panic build up inside of me, but I didn’t want to run, so I tried to lay there and manage my attack, but it got worse and worse. In the end I was in a fully blown panic attack, the worst one I had had in a long time. I was a complete mess, sobbing, shaking, hyperventilating, heart racing out of control, pins and needles everywhere, paralysis in my legs, my body wasn’t mine. Luke managed to breathe me through the attack, whilst still doing his Breathwork for the others, how? I have no idea, he is a miracle worker…he understood…he got me. I felt safe. Luke then offered me one on one breathing sessions determined to break my cycle, and more panic attacks ensued. This wasn’t going to be easy! I kept going, there was something about Luke, I trusted him, started to believe in the process, could this be it…?

Well the miracle happened…we had a session on the beach. For those that understand mental health, the beach is my safe place, it’s my sanctuary, it’s where I go to calm my mind…listening to the waves crashing, feeling the stones beneath my feet, it’s my ‘Happy Place’. We did the Breathwork on the beach, and I could feel the stones beneath my fingers, I could hear the waves and feel the sun on my face and see the sky. Luke was shouting his breathing instructions and I felt at one. I felt peaceful, I found calm and I did what I had feared for so long, I actually stopped breathing…..and it felt amazing! I felt safe, I broke the barrier, floated and flew into the sky, but I was no longer afraid, it was beautiful….

That was a huge turning point in my life, something I had feared for so long and here I was 30 years later, facing my biggest fear and smashing it. Luke is a god, a true legend, he has totally changed my life.

PS I am over 2 stone lighter, super confident, smashing my PBs, haven’t had another panic attack, am totally amazing and becoming the best version of myself!!!

Thank you Luke and the Luke Murray Fit Community, you are all awesome ☺

Kat x