Delulu is short for delusional. The term is often used to describe someone who is overly optimistic or unrealistic about a particular situation. This can encompass big goals, wanting to create a future that’s vastly different from current reality, etc.
„Believe in yourself“, „be dedicated no matter what“, „face your fears and do it anyway“ – making “delulu” dreams and aspirations a reality, requires a lot, both personally and professionally. And the common misconception is that bringing your dreams to life all comes down to mindset. So we reprogram ourselves to become the best version we can be: The one that will succeed. Affirmations, specific routines, courses and self-development books seem to be a non-negotioable on the way to fulfillment and success. We steel our minds as if it were the bicep or booty we want to show off, disregarding in which proportion it stands to the rest of our body.
A big yes to mindset-work, because the mind is immensely powerful when it comes to dreaming up goals, making plans, being creative, finding solutions, and more. And also: the top-down approach is only a fraction of how we actually expand our comfort zone so that we can make our „delulu“ dreams come true.
Let’s explore! ⬇️
From a young age we have learned to approach the world with the mind, rationalizing (pretty much) everything. Even „making sense“ of something seems to refer to conscious understanding. And the body is expected to function along, supporting our needs without demands of its own.
There is more and more mainstream knowledge about the nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system. Many are familiar with the stress-responses fight / flight / freeze / fawn. But theoretical and embodied understanding have a vastly different impact. The problem is, that if you only know the theory, but haven’t truly made sense of these terms, they are likely to become just another rational excuse as to why you’re not cut out for your dreams: “I won’t succeed“, “I’m not worthy”, “Maybe this isn’t for me after all“, and so on. Why else would you procrastinate what you set out to do, get hung up in other responsibilities and find excuses as to why now is not the right time.
But if you do know how to interact with, and anticipate your bodily stress responses, you know in which direction your comfort zone needs to expand – and how to do it. Because if you want a comfort zone that will hold and support your goals, personal growth, and inevitable pushback alike, you need a strong nervous system.
The mind-body connection is a real thing. And on the two-way highway that is your central nervous system, the body makes up for 80% of the communication, whereas the mind only makes up for 20%. (You can read more about the influence of your autonomic nervous system in this article.)
So it’s not your dreams that are „delulu“, it is the expectation that your mind alone will carry you to the finish line.
Your comfort zone consists of what your nervous system perceives to be safe. So in order to grow your comfort zone, it should be common sense to incorporate the body, and it’s immense communicative power within the mind-body connection. A direct and scientifically proven way to train and strengthen your nervous system is breathwork. And with breathwork I don’t mean a one hour long hour long breathwork journey practiced in a studio full of people. Instead I mean the simple and gentle daily practice of 10-20 minutes.
There are many ways to beneficially incorporate breathwork into your life. Examples are: inducing relaxation through breathwork in order to help your nervous system down-regulate after a stressful event or day, breathing in order to prepare your nervous systems for an exciting meeting that’s coming up, or using breathwork in a safe setting to take yourself to the edges of your comfort zone. All of these help to increase your nervous system’s capacity in the long run.
Want to explore breathwork? This might be just the session for you.
The positive effects of breathwork, practiced on a regular basis, are life-changing for many people. Evidence-based breathwork techniques (like certain pranayama techniques, and clinical breathwork) are an effective modality to improve your ability to deal with stress, boost the immune system, improve emotional and mental well-being, enhance self-awareness and self-esteem, increase physical performance, and more.
In order to bring in some real-life examples of the effects of breathwork, practiced over a longer period of time, I asked a few friends of mine how pranayama techniques (yogic breathing) have added to their personal / professional growth. And this is what they said:
„When I started my journey into breathwork, I already knew it would be a precious tool to live life more mindfully, but the relationship I built with this discipline truly went beyond my expectations!
I think this breathwork is unique because it gives you the benefits your bodymind needs even when you’re not 100% aware of it.
At first, breathwork allowed me to get to know myself on a deeper level, even though I had been practicing meditation and mindfulness for years! It showed me my response patterns to triggers and stress AND it offered me the chance to take a step back when triggered and think through how I will respond in a way that makes me feel good. How do they say? Take a deep breath.
From there, my breath helped me build a loving and kind relationship with my mind—so often we see our mind as a “distraction” or something working against us, but breathwork showed me that when you work WITH the mind the potential of what you do expands 1000 times. The power of our mind (and our breath) is infinite.
But truly, breathwork helps me every day: from feeling energized in the morning, to preparing for a restful sleep in the evening. This is why I love teaching and sharing the power of the breath with others: it is always here ready to support us in whatever we need, no matter how simple or complex the situation is! “
Emma, yoga teacher and breathwork facilitator. // IG: @emmamoscan / YouTube: @emmamoscan, / TikTok: @emmamoscan
„The simple awareness and focus on my own breath has changed everything for me : My business. How I show up and hold space. My life.
That’s because these practice are the ultimate tool to connecting you with your personal power.
Every time I sit down to breathe & meditate, I create space to see, listen and know myself on a deeper level. I touch a part of myself that I didn’t have access to prior. And the more intimately I explore the inner works of myself, the less of a struggle I feel to simply be, me, in the world.
Before breathwork, I came from such a place of lacking. My anxiety was at an all time high. I doubted myself in everything I did. Created from a place of fear and let my imposter syndrome get in the way. Now, today, there’s no doubting, just being & doing. My confidence is at an all time high. I believe whole heartedly in myself. I trust the desires that live inside the depths of my heart and take more expansive action because of how I feel.„
Ashley, yoga teacher, breathwork facilitator and mentor. // IG: @ashleyallard
For me, breathwork has tied together all my previously acquired knowledge. It helped and helps me to make sense of the information that I pick up from other people, situations, my own reactions. The insights I gain through being with my breath are invaluable for my creativity, productivity, stress-management and aligned choices. I bet more on myself, I succeed more, and I get up with more wisdom after I fall. My clients‘ reactions and feedback mirror that. Whether that’s the feeling of deep trust they find in themselves, eye-opening insights about what’s actually important to them, or „just“ a moment of relief and release of the weight they carry during the rest of the day.
The effects of daily breathwork keep on sneaking into my life as if they have always been a part of me, making my personal and professional growth seem more effortless, and most of all: inevitable.
Do you want to know more about the extensive training that impacted us on so many levels, and outgrow our comfort zones? Click here to read „Behind the Scenes of a Breathwork & Meditation Teacher Training“ including an interview with the founder of The Academy of Breath.
In the pursuit of „delulu“ dreams, we often emphasize mindset, and overlook the impressive role of the body – and even more importantly: the relationship between both. However you might choose to incorporate your body’s responses into your personal and professional growth: It’s a very important piece to the puzzle you’re trying to solve.
The simple routine of evidence-based breathing for at least 10 minutes can make a huge difference to your life. Whether you’re working towards big goals, want to feel more confident, or create more well-being in your personal and professional life – it’s time to stop blaming your mindset and start strengthening your nervous system. From building a loving relationship with the mind to accessing personal power: Your breath is always there for you. It offers a consistent gateway into creating more ease, and/or expanding your comfort zone to levels you didn’t know were possible. Once you have acquired breathwork as a skill and regular practice, it is not just a tool anymore; it’s an inevitable part of the journey on which even your most ambitious goals sneak their way into your reality.
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I can’t wait for you to experience the magic (and science) that is breathwork. As a Clinical Breathwork Coach, I am obviously biased – and you’ve read all the valid reasons above. So if you are curious about science-backed, easy to integrate breathwork techniques – here are two amazing options:
Explore Breathwork:
Be curious and explore the breathwork & meditation practices I am forever grateful for. Bring a specific topic to this session, or come with an open mind, and experience the immediate effect that breathwork has. Personal topics or general stress reduction – everything is welcome. Schedule your Explorative Breathwork Session here. It’s the perfect session for beginners or people who feel intrigued about simple, effective techniques that have an effect within a few minutes.
