Breathing is Healing with Alsu Kashapova

Who am I to help others?

Our lives as professionals and entrepreneurs are undeniably fast-paced. It’s easy to take things for granted; breathing, for instance, seems so trivial, despite being an essential part. Holistic therapist Alsu Kashapova used to feel the same way. She threw herself into the corporate world with a “serious job” because that’s what she felt she had to do. Soon, she felt that she was lied to. “I did everything I had to do. I found success in corporate, yet I felt completely lost,” she said in the Ambitious Tribe podcast.

How did Kashapova reconnect with herself after all these years, and how can we use breathwork to traverse a similarly transformational path that helps us overcome personal limitations while achieving wholeness and self-love?

Feeling In Your Element

Kashapova found empowerment as early as teenhood. She was part of an organization designing leadership seminars for children and teens, and she was lucky to have met so many coaches at this point in her life.?

When she felt disillusioned with the corporate world, Kashapova took on a journey to rediscover herself and what she really wanted. She went back to meditation, yoga, and other practices she already knew but haven’t done in a while. She discovered the personal growth learning platform Mindvalley in Malaysia, and since she had a tech background, she was able to help out in the company. Of that opportunity, she said, “Personal growth really excites me, and I want it for myself as well.”

As such, she continued working on herself, and she wanted to share her journey with others as well. She gradually gained certifications in different modalities, utilizing the different ways we experience the world: from the subconscious level, to shifting beliefs and stories that we tell ourselves, energy practices, breathwork, and awareness as a daily practice.

“I want more people to feel fully themselves, to feel this inner peace,” Kashapova explained. Still, she found it difficult to pursue this full-time. “Old beliefs were ingrained in me. It was really hard to accept that I wanted to work directly with people; that it’s the way I wanted to express myself and contribute to the world,” she admitted. She always found herself working in industries with large-scale impact but would later find out it wasn’t for her. She was also plagued by impostor syndrome, thinking to herself, “Who am I to help others?”?

But the itch was there. And in working directly with people, she was more at ease. She was in her element. It was her calling, and she no longer chose to run from it.

Fighting the Urge to Suppress

There is a mass suppression of emotion happening in our current culture, Kashapova observed. She advised that we stay with our emotions, and find the balance between being aware of our emotions and not letting it cause harm to others. One way to do this is to recognize our triggers and reactions; to stay with them and observe what really is bothering us. She said we have emotionally charged memories that can affect our interpretation of reality, and because our body keeps the score, we must always be aware if what we’re feeling is a manifestation of something our body has stored from our past. This, of course, warrants compassion for ourselves.

Kashapova explained, “If someone didn’t hold space for you as a child, this inner child is still within you. You need space for their tears, their anger, or whatever it is they’re going through. Instead of punishing yourself or lashing out at others, it’s important to deal with this inner child. You would likely need to sit with them; let them talk and process. Be kind and compassionate to yourself.”

Breathing and Letting Go

It’s easier to ground yourself in the present when you breathe, Kashapova said. “Just taking a breath can give you the ability to create this space.” When you don’t know what to do but you know there’s something making you uncomfortable, Kashapova says to take one full breath from your belly and exhale – just let go.?

Because certain emotions may be stored in your body, breathing can be a way you can separate your present self from these emotionally charged memories. “Emotion is like energy in motion,” Kashapova said. “It’s still there; it needs to be released.” As such, breathing creates this energy flow that allows suppressed emotions to move. It’s a “full-body experience to release tension.”

On Self-Awareness and Self-Loves

Something Kashapova said on the podcast that really stuck with me is her definition of self-love. It’s not about feeling great when you achieve professional goals or receive external validation; it’s when you fail but are still able to pick yourself up after. It’s honoring your emotions and putting in the work of expressing them in a more healthy manner. She suggested that we examine how we talk to ourselves: are we our own cheerleader, or our own worst critic?

In terms of building these habits, Kashapova advised that we set up a routine not when we’re already in a crisis state, but in everyday life. Part of self-care is turning inwards and giving ourselves the attention we need even when we don’t feel anything particularly negative. It’s also better to practice even just a couple of minutes of breathing and grounding rather than subjecting yourself to a sudden extensive routine. It’s always about what works best for you. The goal, at the end of the day, is to gain liberation. As Kashapova explained, “The more you practice it, the less you become imprisoned in your own mind.” This coming new year, perhaps a meaningful resolution we can take on is taking things slower, and serving ourselves so we can serve others better.?

To hear more about Alsu’s story about her work and personal growth, listen to our full podcast episode here. For more inspiring stories about wealthy, driven, and ambitious humans and actionable steps you can take in order for you to move the needle and have a soulful business, tune in to Ambitious Tribe with Kassy Pajarillo.

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