Breathing with Wild Dolphins
Breath is life. As humans, our biological lifetime clock starts ticking with our first breath out of the womb. Our continuous breathing measures out an entire human lifespan on this planet until our last breath bookends the birth entrance with a lifetime exit. Breath can also do more than just sustain life, and through teaching breathwork and being taught by wild dolphins directly, I discovered deeper mysteries around the phenomenon of just inhaling and exhaling.
Being an oracle, I often communicate with animals, especially wild dolphins, although I hardly consider dolphins animals, they are more like cousins to me. Each contact I have had with these gorgeous silky creatures has elevated my consciousness, leaving me inexorably altered, always in an upgraded way. After dozens of encounters, I believe they do this on purpose, “One human at a time!”
I discovered that practicing breathwork while being in the ocean with wild dolphins increased my chances of attracting intimate contact with them. Whenever I do breathwork, and in particular, the Starfire Breath, any self-consciousness and anxiety just dissolves. My heart naturally melts open. These wild cetaceans taught me they are more drawn to connect and play with us when our hearts are open – that’s our true nature, and theirs, too.
I’ve interacted with large and small pods, moms with babies, loving flipper-holding couples and playful teens showing off their jumping prowess. My multiple encounters, including up-close intimate-telepathic contact with individual wild dolphins, have happened in many different areas: the Yucatan, Baja Mexico, Kauai, Big Island Hawaii, Tahiti, and the beaches from Malibu to Santa Barbara. Whenever I’m near the deep blue sea, my heart calls to my friends to come and play, and they often graciously abide.
Eventually, after witnessing repeatedly that practicing a little breathwork before seeking contact with wild dolphins actually enhances the connection, I became passionate about sharing this experience with my devoted Starfire Breath students. Upon hearing my idea, there was a resounding, “Let’s go!” Before you could say “flippertigibbet” a small Starfire Breather pod was on our way to balmy Bimini in the Bahamas, to a sweet dolphin retreat center called “WildQuest”.
The journey from Tucson, Arizona to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was grueling, as I and my three enthusiastic companions did our best to stay inspired through long flight delays all while struggling to breathe through enforced pandemic masks. Ironic. Arriving in Ft. Lauderdale was a relief as we checked into the Hilton Marina hotel for a good night’s sleep before flying over to Bimini in the morning.
Flying over to the island in the little 8-seat puddle jumper inspired an adventurous spirit in me. As we approached the island I looked down at the cerulean sea and noticed we were about to land on a sandbar! Where’s the runway? Oh, there it is, a short one! We’re here. Tiny little island.
Our hosts, Amlas and Atmo greeted us with peaceful childlike smiles. Their catamaran, aptly named “DolphinQuest,” was gorgeous, comfy and afforded a lot of connection to the dolphins to play with us. “There’s no guarantee that we’ll see any dolphins, they come when they want. But we can hope,” Amlas prepared us.
The first day out was grueling for me, I was amidst an extreme migraine episode that medication didn’t even dent. I tortured myself with thoughts like, “Here I am in paradise with great companions ready to experiment with the breathwork to call in new dolphin friends and I am half conscious from medication yet still dealing with head-splitting pain.” As I laid below deck with an icepack over my eyes, I heard Captain Chris on deck cry, “dolphins!” I managed to climb out of my hole and join everyone scuttling over to the bow of the boat. We all squealed with delight as a pod streamed before us.
The pod was a mix of spotted and Atlantic bottlenose. A baby rolled onto its back exposing its pink underbelly. Amlas explained that when their normally white belly turns pink, that means they are excited.
The dolphin pod slowed and stopped and our courteous captain followed their lead and stopped the boat. Ahead we saw why, they were meeting and greeting another pod. They were floating amongst each other like a meet and greet event. Amlas shouted, “Hurry, slip into the water. They are inviting us to join them now!” We bustled to the back, clumsily putting on flippers and masks to get in before they changed their minds and swam off.
Ah, the deep blue water was slightly cool and deliciously silky. The effect of the medication made me slightly woozy and suddenly I wondered if this was safe for me. I started doing what breathwork I could manage in a snorkel mask… that was a comedy.
In no time the dolphins swarmed us and I put my head under and beheld new friends gliding around us and bubbling me from below. I stared eye to eye with a baby who seemed just as curious about me. My mind chatter stopped. All I could hear was “I love you,” over and over. Even more to my pleasant surprise, the pain in my head was gone!
I have no idea how long we swam that day, I didn’t care. Time stood still, or rather, it dissolved into a ridiculous idea.
We found out that we had spent over an hour in the water before our friends said good bye and swam off. That was our signal to get back in the boat, especially since the wind was stronger and the waves were making it difficult to get back to the boat without serious flipper pumping. We were far from shore and Amlas yelled us back on board immediately.
The next morning two of my students decided to practice the Starfire Breath with me in the meditation room before boarding the catamaran for another outing. I plugged my music playlist into the speaker and we all synchronized our Starfire breathing for about 30 minutes. When I closed my eyes I immediately saw dolphins and felt them swimming around me as if I were back in the sea with them. My heart opened so wide. Afterwards the others shared they were having the same experience. Were the dolphins communicating with us on land now that we had a connection?
Our final day in Bimini we sailed out to sea for the last time and once again were graciously invited in by a large pod of spotted and bottlenose dolphins. We sang together from the bow of the boat as they streamed before us performing Cirque du Soleil acrobatics out of the water over and over. We applauded loudly and whistled our delight.
They slowed and stopped. Amlas yelled, “Get in, they’re inviting us to come be with them!” We waddled as fast as we could to the back of the boat and plopped into the water with flippers and masks. I felt more like a penguin than a dolphin, until I was floating in my beloved mother sea.
While snorkeling, I sensed something beneath me so I looked down. There directly underneath me, swimming like my shadow in perfect synchronized movements was a large darker gray dolphin. I immediately felt a connection like it had summoned my attention. I watched and enjoyed this smooth harmony and then he (it felt like a male) released a string of tiny perfectly symmetrical bubbles like a string of pearls that floated up toward me and tickled my body. “You did that on purpose!” I giggled.
Several dolphins were having fun with all of us. I noticed that this joyful interaction of humans and dolphins quieted my mind into a blissful eternal Now. My consciousness expanded into a rapport with everyone and the boundaries faded away leaving peace and lots of love.
One (felt female) approached me and I arched my back and turned on my side in harmony with her moves and suddenly found myself choking on water. I forgot I had a snorkel on and had breathed in water when I rolled on my side. Oops… I swiftly rolled back on my stomach and blew the air out of my snorkel like a true dolphin blowing out my blow hole. “Eek-eek.” After an instant of panic passed and I could feel the fresh air in my lungs, I felt ecstatic. What a way to live! The ‘Breath of Life’ took on a whole new meaning.
Our streamlined silky friends are mammals that breathe air, like us, but have evolved to live in the sea by managing their breathing cycles. In my encounters I have often sensed a common telepathic message from them, “Relax, trust and learn to feel the rhythm of the waves through your breath, then life’s stream will take care of you.” They are the ultimate breathwork teachers.
Luma Lor
Starfire Wisdom Academy
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WildQuest Bimini Dolphins https://www.wildquest.com/