From Near Death to New Life: How Breathwork Sparked a Radical Awakening – An Interview with Allie Lovegood

How can something as simple as your breath become the catalyst for reclaiming your worth, healing trauma, and awakening your soul?

For Allie Lovegood, the path to healing began alone on the floor, guided only by a forgotten book and a desperate desire for peace. That breathwork session not only unraveled years of internalized pain and unspoken truths—it became the gateway to a life of deep spiritual service. Today, Allie is an internationally certified breathwork facilitator, survivor of medical trauma, and founder of multiple heart-led businesses, empowering thousands to heal themselves from the inside out.

In this conversation, Allie shares how breathwork helped her escape an abusive marriage, recover from a near-death experience, and ultimately reclaim her voice and vitality. From the neuroscience of healing to the sacred art of facilitating transformation, her story weaves science, spirit, and service into one powerful offering. Continue reading or listen in by subscribing for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or YouTube to discover how Allie Lovegood’s insights can inspire your own spiritual path.

Talk to us about this life-changing modality of breathwork. How did it come into your life?

Allie Lovegood: I was initially introduced to it in 2019. I was at Barnes & Noble with one of my best friends and wandered into the self-help section. A book called The Shamanic Experience by Kenneth Meadows caught my eye. It was written in 1991, and as I read through it, I realized it mirrored the near-death experience I had five years earlier.

At that time, I had no self-esteem, no self-worth, and little confidence. All I wanted was to return to the sense of peace I felt during that near-death moment—an incredible oneness with the cosmos. So I followed the breathwork practice outlined in the book and had a transformative experience. It opened a door within me. For the first time, I admitted to myself that my husband had been cheating on me and was abusive. That truth had been buried so deep, and breathwork gave me the clarity and courage to face it.

All the emotions I’d been avoiding, the love I’d denied myself, came flooding in. I stopped gaslighting myself. That one session activated new thoughts, perspectives, and possibilities I hadn’t imagined. It felt like I found a hidden key to a treasure chest within myself.

Was this breathwork session something you did alone, just from reading the book?

Allie Lovegood: Yes, it was just me and the book. It guided me step-by-step, and I followed it. No one else was around.

Can you briefly walk us through what that breathwork process looked like?

Allie Lovegood: I laid down because I couldn’t sit upright for long due to complications from my near-death experience. With no pillow under my head, I breathed deeply into my abdomen and exhaled fully. I kept repeating the process for over an hour. During that time, insights and realizations just kept pouring in—like light bulbs turning on in my mind.

What is happening physiologically, scientifically, and even spiritually as someone breathes actively like that?

Allie Lovegood: One of the most profound things is how it shifts your brain state. The conscious mind only registers about 5% of our reality, while the subconscious holds the other 95%. Breathwork quiets the conscious mind, allowing access to buried emotions and memories.

On a neuroscience level, this process lets you feel and release what’s been hidden deep within—without having to relive it. It’s a deeply healing experience.

At what point did you decide to begin guiding others in breathwork?

Allie Lovegood: After that first experience, I left my ex-husband and committed to doing breathwork every day for 30 days. I was determined to heal quickly and fully. I didn’t want to keep repeating the same cycles with new people. I wanted a clean slate.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, emotions are stored in different organs—grief in the lungs, fear in the kidneys, anger in the liver. I wanted to release those stuck emotions. Within the first 30 days, I noticed I was no longer emotionally reactive. My confidence and self-esteem grew. It was incredible.

Then the pandemic hit. I kept up my breathwork practice and started sharing my journey on social media. I began consulting women around the world—many of whom were being abused and needed help escaping their situations. I helped them create escape plans, advocated for them in court, and built a strong online platform.

Eventually, I realized I wanted these women to feel what I was feeling through breathwork. So I got certified in 2021 and joined the International Breathwork Foundation. Back then, everything was still virtual due to COVID. I did free Zoom sessions and livestreamed to offer support. The community that formed was incredibly strong.

Soon, women of influence began attending my sessions. Watching their confidence grow and seeing the transformations they experienced confirmed that this was my calling.

What are some common challenges people face when beginning their breathwork journey with you?

Allie Lovegood: The biggest obstacle is the ego. Our ego forms around the age of seven—before that, we live mostly in our subconscious mind. The ego, seated in the prefrontal cortex, becomes that inner critic that tells you you’re not enough.

Breathwork helps quiet that part of the brain—a process called transient hypofrontality. When the conscious mind steps back, the subconscious takes over. That’s where the real magic happens.

In this state, the parasympathetic nervous system—the rest and digest state—activates. This is where healing occurs. New neural pathways form in the brain, leading to new ideas, positive emotions, and expanded experiences. It’s like watching two neurons reach out and hold hands. That’s what happens when people breathe deeply and consciously. New connections are formed, opening them to joy, clarity, and transformation.

I lead breathwork myself. You’re talking my language. I have a class every Wednesday night. There were 15 people last night at our studio, breathing hard for a good 45 minutes, having these intense experiences. So it’s just profound how it impacts people. I’m curious to know, with so many different breathwork teachers and techniques that are kind of out there. Oftentimes, when I bring up breathwork, the very first person people bring up is Oh, that guy, Wim Hof, that’s doing something in cold water. That’s the first thing that people oftentimes see. How can someone determine what method or teacher is best for them, as they’re kind of exploring how breathwork might be able to help them?

Allie Lovegood: I wouldn’t say it’s so much about the method—it’s about the facilitator. Find someone whose morals align with yours, who genuinely wants to help you become the best version of yourself. You really have to trust your instincts on this one.

You mentioned Wim Hof. I’m not a fan of some of his techniques because they can accidentally activate the sympathetic nervous system again. It really depends on what you’re looking for. I focus specifically on working within the subconscious because that’s where true healing happens. I want to keep people in their rest-and-digest state as long as possible. Once they’re familiar with that state, they begin to understand how powerful it is—and how deeply the body can heal there.

Breathwork is incredibly intimate, as you know. When choosing a facilitator, look for someone who creates a safe container and has built a supportive community. Read their client reviews—you can tell a lot about the kind of space they hold. Like with anything, there are always people who misuse their role, claiming to be healers. But a real healer doesn’t go around saying they’re a healer. A true healer teaches others how to heal themselves.

In many of my reviews, people thank me for healing them, and I always respond the same way: I didn’t heal you—you healed yourself. I was just the guide. You showed up. You did the breathing. You did the work.

For people who have never experienced breathwork before. Would you mind leading us through a session, either in person or online, from start to finish? What would someone experience? What are the types of breathing that they would experience?

Allie Lovegood: One of my favorites is the three-part breath. You breathe into your belly, expanding the diaphragm first—because your diaphragm and belly are two different things—then into your chest, and then exhale fully. So it’s inhale-inhale-exhale, in-in-out.

I guide clients through this breath at varying paces. I always have them lie down—no pillow under the head—and keep their electronics close, either using headphones or having the phone nearby if it’s a virtual session. I encourage them to cover up with a blanket at first, because it’s common to get cold during breathwork.

Within the first seven minutes, sensations can start to emerge—coldness, tingling, yawning, even tears without crying. A well-known experience is tetany, where the hands curl up. This happens when the breath becomes uneven. If it occurs, I advise returning to a natural breathing rhythm or directing breath intentionally to that area, which can sometimes release the blocked emotion.

I’ve witnessed people releasing emotional blocks through subtle hand movements—it’s really profound. I always tell participants: you’ve already done harder things in your life than lay on the floor and breathe. If you can commit to just being still and breathing, you’ll have an extraordinary experience.

How do you integrate any other techniques or modalities, such as tapping or meditation, into the breathwork experience?

Allie Lovegood: I incorporate a lot of somatic exercises, tapping, and subconscious work during breathwork sessions. At the end of my longer sessions—those that last an hour to an hour and a half—I often lead a meditation to support integration. We then slowly wake the body back up. It all works together beautifully. Different facilitators have different approaches. Some simply guide the breath, while others, like myself, bring every available tool into the session to create a holistic healing experience.

You haven’t spoken much about spirituality so far. Does that play a role in your work with breathwork?

Allie Lovegood: It does, but spirituality is such a personal thing. Ask ten people what it means to be spiritual, and you’ll get ten different answers. For me, it’s about my own lived experience—something I can’t fully articulate. I grew up in a religious background, but I wasn’t deeply involved until much later. It was my near-death experience that truly shaped my spiritual path. I wouldn’t say I belong to any specific denomination. My spirituality isn’t something that fits neatly into a box—it’s broader than that. I think the key is using whatever tools feel right for you, whatever connects you to your truth.

Would you mind sharing more about your near-death experience? What happened, and how did it change you?

Allie Lovegood: In 2014, I was living in Las Vegas. I couldn’t go to the bathroom for 11 days, and although I went to the military hospital at Nellis Air Force Base multiple times, I was repeatedly misdiagnosed with gastritis. My condition kept worsening. I drank two GoLytelys, had 26 radiographs over five weeks, and my white blood cell count dropped to 1.9. My eyes were blown wide open—you couldn’t see the irises—and I couldn’t move my neck or speak properly. My husband was deployed in Iraq at the time, and I was completely on my own, relying on a few close friends for support.

Eventually, I was admitted to the hospital. They performed a lumbar puncture because they suspected meningitis, but the procedure was done by someone inexperienced. The spinal tap was contaminated, and I had my first seizure. No specialist ever saw me, and it wasn’t recorded in my chart. After about a week, they discharged me, even though I was still unwell. My friend Erica found me sitting alone on the curb outside the ER and took me home.

That night, I had a near-death experience. My senses were so heightened that light, sound, and even smells were unbearable. I felt myself leave my physical body and travel through a kind of portal. The colors were indescribably beautiful, and I felt an overwhelming peace. I heard voices all around me, though I saw no forms. A presence came up behind me and said, “I’m Raphael, I’m here to help you.” That’s when I realized I had died.

I went through what felt like a holographic life review, seeing every choice I’d made, every opportunity I missed, every time I let myself down. I asked Raphael if I could return to my body, and he warned me that it would mean great pain and more heartache. But I chose to come back. Re-entering my body was excruciating. It felt like I’d been hit by a truck. My senses were still heightened, and I was nonverbal for years. I couldn’t walk and had to rely entirely on a home health nurse named Celeste.

During those two years, I learned to meditate as a way to escape the constant pain. Eventually, I began using meditation to go deeper—not to escape, but to process. I would start at the crown of my head or my feet and visualize connecting each part of my body to light, which helped reduce the pain. I did this eight hours a day. Celeste was instrumental in my recovery. One day, I broke down crying, saying I couldn’t take the medications anymore. She brought me a juicer the next day, and we started a cleanse together.

I did a 60-day cold-pressed juice cleanse, daily enemas, and a heavy metal detox that helped eliminate the metallic taste in my mouth from radiation poisoning. I began speech therapy and physical therapy, and slowly, with immense effort, I regained the ability to walk and speak. After five years of continued seizures, a neurologist recommended the vagus nerve stimulator, which I now have implanted. It helps regulate seizures by sending signals to my brain to calm down. It’s not without its inconveniences, but it’s helped a lot.

How is your health now?

Allie Lovegood: I still deal with complications from the original medical malpractice. I’ve had six corrective surgeries, two of which were botched. I was later diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder that should have been identified years earlier. If the doctors had taken me seriously back then and looked at my symptoms holistically, I could have avoided so much pain and expense.

Now, I don’t go to conventional physicians anymore. I’ve found more healing through traditional Chinese medicine than anything else. Western medicine often just treats symptoms with medication, which causes more side effects. My journey has taught me to be my own advocate, trust my body, and seek healing from sources that honor the body as a whole system.

How did breathwork come into your life?

Allie Lovegood: It came at the very tail end of my marriage, just before I left. That’s when I finally recognized the abuse I was experiencing—emotional, mental, and financial. It all began to click, and I realized I couldn’t keep living a lie. Breathwork gave me the courage and clarity to face the truth, to say I’m done with this cycle. It helped me raise my confidence and finally admit what I had been denying for years.

Do you offer one-on-one or in-person sessions?

Allie Lovegood: Yes, I do both. I lead one-on-one sessions via Zoom and also facilitate group sessions around the Atlanta area. Atlanta is massive, so instead of making people drive across the city, I travel to different neighborhoods to make it more accessible. I don’t have a single studio—I prefer to be flexible and meet people where they are.

So you work with different studios or in private homes?

Allie Lovegood: All of the above. I’ve even led a session for a bachelorette party! The group was sober and wanted a wellness-centered experience. Along with me, they had a massage therapist, a somatic movement guide, and someone offering cupping therapy. It was a beautiful, healing celebration.

Tell us about your online platform, the Breathwork Forum. What does it offer?

Allie Lovegood: The Breathwork Forum is a members-only platform that gives unlimited access to breathwork classes, tapping sessions, somatic exercises, and personal growth content—all for $13.99 a month. It removes the barrier of commuting or expensive drop-in fees. You can log in from home and dive into your healing journey on your schedule.

And where can people access that?

Allie Lovegood: At breathewithallie.podia.com. 

You also offer a breathwork teacher training. What does that include?

Allie Lovegood: It’s an intensive eight-week program where we meet weekly and then continue to meet quarterly afterward. I go deep into the science behind breathwork, why it works, how it ties into ancient traditions, and how different breath patterns relate to different emotional states.

Trainees get lifetime access to recordings, royalty-free music playlists, breathwork scripts, and academic studies related to trauma, ADHD, and CPTSD. It’s all on my site and also linked in the Breathwork Forum.

Is this a program with a set start date, or can people join anytime?

Allie Lovegood: You can join anytime. The foundation of the program is self-paced, and when you’re ready, you can jump into the eight-week live cohort. Once you complete the training, you’re certified. We also stay connected through quarterly gatherings for continued education.

You also run two other heart-driven businesses—Mae’s Mystics and Gideon’s Hydro Farm. Tell us about those.

Allie Lovegood: Mae’s Mystics is my ethically sourced crystal shop. It actually began before my breathwork practice and complements it beautifully. Crystals can support breathwork when used intentionally. For example, if you’re doing a quantum jumping breath session, you’d want to hold a crystal that supports abundance, not emotional release. I make sure all our stones are fair trade and high vibrational.

Gideon’s Hydro Farm is all about the body. To live a fully aligned life, you need your mind, body, and soul working in harmony. I started offering grow-your-own microgreen kits using organic coconut fiber and clean, pH-balanced water—no pesticides or contaminants. Microgreens are incredibly nutrient-dense, especially at the two-leaf stage. I want people to know where their food comes from and infuse love into what they eat.

How can people buy those kits?

Allie Lovegood: They can visit GideonsHydroFarm.com. I don’t recommend buying pre-cut microgreens from stores—once cut, they spoil quickly. Growing your own ensures freshness and full nutritional value.

Thank you, Allie, for sharing your story and all the resources you’ve created. Your website is breathewithallie.podia.com, and people can find you on Instagram.

If someone is listening and they’re in a relationship that doesn’t feel right—but it isn’t clearly abusive—what would you say to them?

Allie Lovegood: Deep down, you already know what’s meant for you and what’s not. It starts by having a conversation with your ego and recognizing, “This isn’t what I want.” What shows up in your life reflects how you feel about yourself. If you’re in a relationship that’s just “meh,” it’s probably because you’re keeping yourself in a comfortable but stagnant cycle. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable—and you’ll unlock the best version of your life.

Thank you again, Allie. It’s been such a gift to speak with you.

Allie Lovegood: Thank you so much.