Breathwork, self-care, and self-work
09 Jul 2026| By Apsara Rodrigo
Breathwork, self-care, and self-work
09 Jul 2026| By Apsara Rodrigo
- Sandy de Alwis on holotropic breathwork, inner healing and personal growth
All of us have looked into self-care at some point, be it emotional or physical therapy, exercise or meditation. Self-care is meant to soothe us, refresh us and give us clarity. Among many approaches to self-care, breathwork has emerged as a powerful tool, offering a simple yet profound way to reduce stress, process emotions, and cultivate greater self-awareness
For Sandy de Alwis, a certified Holotropic Breathwork facilitator based in Colombo, the journey into breathwork was personal. Rather than viewing healing as something that requires “moving on,” through holotropic breathwork, she came to understand healing as learning to carry life’s experiences with greater compassion and strength. Her introduction to this work began more than two decades ago through a parenting group, where she met psychologist and mentor Sr Janet
What started as a desire to become a more grounded parent soon evolved into a lifelong commitment to inner healing and personal growth. Today, Sandy helps others explore the transformative potential of conscious breathing, creating safe spaces for people to reconnect with themselves and discover new pathways to healing
August sees two sets of workshops in holotropic breathwork led by experts from India. With one set of workshops concluded, and another to take place from 14-16 August, The Daily Morning Brunchsat down with de Alwis for a look at holotropic breathwork and what it means
Following are excerpts from the interview:
Could you tell us a bit about you and why you got into breathwork?
I’m a mother, wife, and Attorney-at-Law living in Colombo. Life has given me both a lot of love and a lot of loss, and through that I learned that healing isn’t about “getting over it.” It’s about learning to live with it differently
I got into this work through a parenting group when my son was 5. That’s where I met Sr. Janet, a psychologist and mentor whose education and work spans the Philippines and USA. I was carrying a lot of insecurities about parenting among other things, so I suggested weekly sessions to work on myself. That’s how our ‘parenting group’ began more than two decades ago.
I became involved in the work Sr. Janet was doing and we traveled across Sri Lanka, and outside helping, healing and learning wherever we could. After one retreat, she spoke about “Holotropic Breathwork” — a modality she’d experienced as life-changing. I couldn’t wait to try it.
Soon after, Sr. Janet organised the very first Holotropic Breathwork sessions in Sri Lanka in 2017 at Serene Pastures, Bolawalana, with the Chief facilitators of Grof Transpersonal Training from the USA and the UK. Our introduction to the work in this region was through Fr. KC Thomas from India, the pioneer who brought it to India and Sri Lanka, because training in Europe and America was not accessible for developing countries considering the very high fees & other charges
That first experience opened a door for me along with a million doors within me
Could you tell our readers about breathwork and its importance?
Holotropic Breathwork was created by Dr Stanislav Grof and his wife Christina Grof in the 1960s in the USA, after years of research. The trademark is owned by Dr Stan Grof.
It’s simple, but powerful. It’s using your own breath, in a conscious way, to access parts of yourself that we usually keep buried — emotions, memories, tension, even joy. Dr Grof especially stressed how much our perinatal experiences, from conception onward, affect our life.
We live in a world where everyone is in their head. We think, we plan, we worry. But we rarely feel. Holotropic breathwork helps you drop out of the noise and into your body.
It is not a substitute for psychological counselling or other therapies. There is no “one fix for all.” But it is a powerful tool for releasing stress, anxiety, and things we’ve been carrying for years inadvertently and unwittingly. For many people in today’s world, it’s a way to find peace and relief through release
You will soon be hosting specialist workshops on holotropic breathwork. Give us a little information on the workshops and why people should attend them?
The sessions we organize here in Colombo are 3-4 hour holotropic breathwork journeys. We create a safe, supported space with music, mats, and trained facilitators. You lie down, breathe in a specific way, and let whatever needs to come up, come up. Some people cry. Some laugh. Some just feel deep peace. There’s no diagnosis or assessment. Most importantly, there’s no judgement
Anyone who wishes to bring more peace into their lives by reducing stress and anxiety can participate and find a lot of relief.
But we are very careful. This work is deep, so we have a strict, confidential medical screening. We cannot accept people with cardiac issues, high blood pressure, epilepsy, those on medication for severe psychological issues, people with recent hospitalisation, surgery or skeletal injuries, those having an ongoing asthma attack or anyone who is pregnant. Safety comes first
As a facilitator, my role is to hold a nonjudgmental space where clients are met with unconditional positive regard, and can explore their deeper feelings, thoughts and beliefs freely without reluctance or fear or pressure of having to fit in
We also have regular small group sessions at a centre we run in Colombo
How has holotropic breathwork affected you personally?
To say ‘It changed me’ is an understatement. It taught me to feel without running away. To be present without judgment. To be soft without being weak. There’s so much more awareness and freedom from things that kept me burdened
It’s made me a better listener, a better person, a better mother.
The challenges are still there, but they don’t run me anymore. I breathe through them.
And the biggest thing: it reminded me that I get to choose how I live each day, with more peace and more humanity. There’s no more fear of the future
I live in the now
What are your plans for the future?
Right now there are only three certified holotropic breathing technique facilitators in Sri Lanka. That’s why we’ve started training more facilitators, so this work can be done responsibly and competently.
We have scheduled our next facilitator training for mid-August, and Fr. KC Thomas will be in Sri Lanka to conduct it with his team
Apart from the training, I continue with regular small group sessions in Colombo. I also volunteer at a rehabilitation centre where Breathwork is eagerly anticipated by the participants who have shared the many benefits they experience and I provide free legal aid. I’m able to do this work thanks to the support and benevolence of my husband and family.
Long term, I want to make breathwork more accessible here. My hope is to create more spaces where people can come, breathe, and just be human together
For more information on holotropic breathworks or on the workshops taking place from 14-17 August, contact Sandy De Alwis on 077683170
