Doctors Couldn’t Fix Her Migraines, But Breath Did | Breathwork Healing by Badarinath

I was having migraine.

What really inspired you to be part of GBH?

And surviving a single day without headache was a big achievement. And that day I really felt like this is not the way I want to live. And when I sat down, or like, you know, to practice with you, That's when I understood that the problem was with my breath. I knew that this was what I was looking for.

And then your migraine got reduced now?

Yes, reduced, and there's no migraine. So like, I'm so happy, I'm so happy. Cured. If you want to heal from the root, from your root cause, this is the only way. I found my Swadharma with this CVS journey. When you have health challenges, you just have one goal. My goal was to come out of migraine, and I found you. Since then, there is no looking back. I visited one of the relief camps. When I taught breathing and I did some laughing exercises also, felt very good because at least for few minutes they could relax, they could forget the pain they were going through. I can't thank you enough, Madhu sir, because you have given me wings. I will keep saying that you've given me wings. When you work on your breathing, it is going to help you and it is going to help your family.

Sit comfortably, roll your shoulders back, palms facing upwards, shoulders relaxed, spine erect. Breathe in slowly, Breathe out slowly. Breathe in towards your abdomen. Bulge your abdomen. Breathe out. Relax your abdomen. Now close your eyes. Inhale. Bulge your abdomen. Exhale.

Relax your abdomen.

Some pain doesn't scream, it repeats. For Devpriya, migraines were not occasional visitors. They were daily residents. They shaped her mornings, interrupted her work, colored her emotions. Even while running a business with her younger brother, she was carrying an invisible storm inside her head. Functioning but exhausted, working but drained, smiling but battling. Then came a workshop. Just 2 days. Day 1 brought a shift she couldn't ignore. Day 2 made it undeniable. From someone surviving daily migraines to becoming a Diamond Member and a Level 2 Certified Breath Healer, her journey is not just recovery, it's a reclamation. Today, she doesn't just breathe for herself, she helps others to remember how. It's time to welcome Devshree. Namaste, Devshree. Welcome, welcome to Conscious Breathing Podcast.

Namaste, sir. Thank you so much for inviting me.

Yeah, I've been closely seeing your journey. You are one of the early adopters of CBH. I know that you have been with us for 2 years.

Yeah, this will be my 3rd year. I started, yeah, I started CVS journey from the last week of September. That was 28th, 29th, I guess. That was the day of the workshop, Breath Flow Mastery.

2023?

23, yes.

23. Wow, that time I think we had very less students.

Yes, and since then there is no looking back. I'm so like, you know, happy to be a part of the journey since 2023.

Wow, wow. So before we discuss about what happened in these 3 years, like, what really inspired you to be part of CBH? What were you going through before?

Yes, sir, I was having migraine, um, almost every day for before 2023, for 9 long years, and every day was a struggle. This problem aggravated when we shifted to Bangalore because it was— the wind was dry, air was dry, and it was very windy. Wherever we were staying, it was very windy, and like, you know, that triggered my migraine every day. And surviving a single day without headache was a big achievement. And like, one day I came to a point when I could not even go to fetch Satya, my 9-year-old son, from his bus stop. It was just 500 meters from where I was staying, so I took help from my friend. And that day I really felt like this is not the way I want to live. I want to get out of this problem as soon as possible. So I Googled and I found some Ayurveda clinic nearby. I booked an appointment, so I consulted with an Ayurvedic doctor. So she suggested some medicines and also asked me to do Nasya, Shirodhara, and all that. I continued with all those things. I got some relief, but there was no 100% cure. Then again, I started looking out for something. Then that's how I scrolled my FB and I saw your ad. Without even an iota of doubt, I registered for your workshop. And when I sat down to practice with you, that's when I understood that the problem was with my breath.

Got it. In the 2-day workshop, you realized that?

Yes, second day I was very excited. I took down a lot of notes also, and when you asked us to practice after day 1, I practiced all those lung opening exercises— hands in, hands out, hand stretch. And day 2, I felt very light, and I knew that this was what I was looking for.

And then your migraine got reduced?

Yes, reduced, and there's no migraine. So like, I'm so happy, I'm so happy. Cured. And I keep telling people, advocating that if you want to heal from the root, from your root cause, this is the only way. Don't go for shortcuts, don't go for the Band-Aid method, you know, where you're just putting, you know, Band-Aid on the surface level, quick fixes, because it will only give you side effects.

And Devsti, I've been seeing you consistently in all the classes, right? So many people join the program, they'll be there for 1 month, and they'll go away. What really inspired you to stay connected for this many years, almost 3 years, like 2 and a half years?

I would say, sir, it takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a community for a person like me to grow and find that Swadharma. I found my Swadharma with this CBS journey. And like, you know, whenever I feel like, you know, I'm missing on something, there's this fear of missing out. And this is for my own good and for the good of the community. So like, you know, each class you come up with certain asanas or any breathing technique which is very, very useful, and you can use it instantly and see the result. And you can also teach whoever is ready to learn. So like, uh, just to keep in momentum, like, you know, whatever you're teaching, I don't feel like missing. And that's how Like, you know, it kept me into the loop. I was always in that orbit. Got it.

And back then, when you are having migraines, how was your day like? How it used to look like?

It was like, um, like it was a very, uh, you know, you can say uncertain. So, you know, everything was decided by my migraine episode. So I have canceled plans, I have canceled gatherings, So it all depended on whether I was having that episode or whether I could go out. I could not actually plan my schedule. It was very, very difficult. It was like you were controlled by your migraine.

That became bigger than you.

Yes, it became much bigger. And like you said, that when you have health challenges, you just have one goal. My goal was to come out of migraine, and I found you.

Yeah, now you got your real goal.

Yeah, real goal I'm working towards, like, you know, helping people to breathe correctly, like, like your mission. Yeah, I'm also in that journey and I'm loving this. I'm doing it passionately. So like, uh, this, this journey has taught me to, uh, like, you know, raise the consciousness among people, like, like how to just be, uh, like, you know, conscious of your breath, be mindful of how you're breathing, and And that's it. You don't have to do much. You just have to change the way you're breathing. You just have to be more aware whenever you feel you are breathing from your mouth or you're doing shallow breathing, fast breathing. You can just pause for a few seconds, do some deep breathing, and that's it.

Yeah. And you are some few among the Level 2 Breath Healer certification certified students. We got only like, I think we had around less than 5 people, but you are one among them. And how it really helped you, impacted you personally? Can you tell us, like, certification program?

Yes, it has boosted my confidence, and with that also I understood the nitty-gritties of, like, you know, how yogic living is actually raising the consciousness in me, in my family. And also I am more conscious about what I'm consuming, like, you know, the food. The clothing. I've reduced, like, you know, buying too many clothes, and I go for the eco-friendly products. So that's how it has impacted me.

You become more conscious.

Yeah, more conscious.

Can you tell us, share that story in Goa?

Yeah, recently we went for a trip to Goa, and I usually have this habit of picking anything that I see. So I buying stuff. I decided not to buy anything, but I only wanted one thing, that was a yoga pant. I found it, I bought only that, and I'm very happy. I shop consciously.

And Satya was asking, right?

Yes, Satya, my son, was asking me again and again, Mama, buy something, buy something. So like, I had to buy that because I like the fabric, this linen. And that's eco-friendly. That's why I chose that product, and it is something I'm going to use. And that's how I, I changed my way of shopping and became more conscious of the things.

Yeah, I think to be precise, like, you reduced accumulating the things. Yes, we started living yoga, like, like where we reduce the consumption of the things, and whatever is needed, you started buying.

Yes, and minimize, minimizing things that we don't know.

Minimal living.

Yes.

That impacted on your lifestyle as well.

Yes. And like, I think it impacts the way you think also. You become like, you know, more organized and you become like clutter-free in your mind also.

Yeah. So that day I still remember like Satya was asking, how come you're not buying?

Yes, yes, yes. He was concerned why she's not buying anything now.

Got it. Got it. Awesome. And, um, like, um, you also started spreading this knowledge. You have done various social projects. I've seen you— can you talk about those? Like, what— where are the places you have taught this and how it really impacted them?

Yes, um, I would be speaking about the project that I have done, uh, when I visited my hometown last year. I visited one of the relief camps where people who got affected by the riot of May 2023. Uh, they're—

where, in Mizoram? Sorry, in Manipur.

So their houses, uh, like, you know, are no more there, and they cannot go back to the places where they belong. And they are staying in such a state, like, you know, it's very unhygienic. It's like, you know, the bulk of people, they are put there in one room. It's actually in a college, a girls' college. And the way they're staying is like nothing less than a hell. And when I taught breathing and I did some laughing exercises also, the way they released their emotions and they participated fully, I felt very good because at least for a few minutes they could relax, they could forget the pain they were going through, and they were very happy. And they were like, when you come to our hometown next time, please make sure you come and meet us. So that kind of fulfillment, the kind of happiness you get by doing such sessions, it is like, you know, priceless. And yeah, going and teaching breeding, how to breed correctly at old age homes, senior citizens, kids. So like this also helped me because People who are staying at old age homes, they also feel very lonely. When somebody comes and meets them and teaches something like this, they feel very happy and it's meaningful for them also. And kids also, they are having a lot of posture issues. They slouch and they don't even realize that they're having a lot of mouth breathing, shallow breathing. And some of them, they were complaining that they have panic attacks before exams. So they asked me, come and teach, auntie, please come and teach breathing before our exams. So this is the scenario they are going through.

But it's very tough to teach kids. Like, how did you manage?

Yeah, so, uh, to engage them, like, you know, I have to do something like balloon breathing, then hugging breath. When you inhale, you spread your arms like this, then you hug and exhale like that, and using straw to exhale so that they take it as a fun And they do keep doing blowing. Even my son keeps doing whenever we go out. So he keeps blowing through the straw and creates bubbles while exhaling. So that's how we have to engage and make it a little fun for them.

That way, like, I think he's also part of children's club.

Yes, Conscious Children's Club. So he's also enjoying the classes.

Awesome, awesome, Devsti. And can you tell us about that air hostess?

Like, when I was traveling to my hometown, During the flight, I talked about conscious breathing to the air hostess, and they were very excited to learn. And I gave that 21-day breath planner given by Badri sir, and I've also requested them, can I meet pilots in the cockpit? So they allowed me, and I talked about how it can help them, like, you know, on the higher altitudes where the oxygen concentration is low. So, uh, they were very open to this knowledge and they were very happy. Uh, they have taken that 21-day breath planner and they said that they are going to definitely use it. And the air horses, they were saying like it's going to help them a lot because they keep flying on higher altitudes and they were very excited to get.

And also want to congratulate you because you are also government certified now. You got a certification from Government of India, AISHA also. Can you tell us that journey?

Oh yeah, during the exam I was having a little bit like, you know, nervousness. Then I paused, I practiced conscious breathing, some techniques, breathing techniques. And for practical also, I again, I got a little nervous, and there also I kept smiling. I worked on my breathing, I did deep breathing. And that's how I maintain my calm and I could answer the questions during the practical exam also. And staying calm is, I think, the most important thing during those challenging moments. So that's— that helped me. And moreover, sir, your goal writing. I used to write goal every day. I am Level 1 Certified Yoga Protocol Instructor. And whenever this self-doubt used to come, I used to say, no, you are already certified. You are already certified. Certified. You already have that certificate with you. So this visualization and training the subconscious mind helped me a lot because I could not complete the syllabus. Frankly speaking, I could not complete the syllabus. I, whenever I studied, I made sure that all whatever I'm studying from this portion, uh, things are going to come. And that's how I prepared. And I'm very happy and so thankful to you, sir, that, you know, you pushed us, go, go, go, go for this, uh, certificate program and Yeah, training from CBH also. Yes, a lot. And you took out time to teach us asanas, checked on like, you know, the theory part and all. Everything, the group study, everything helped. And I can't thank you enough, Badri sir, because you have given me wings. I will keep saying that you've given me wings and it's so beautiful.

Thank you. So how is like your experience with the Diamond? Like now it's like a family, right? So, so how is your experience? Can you talk about like Diamond beyond health? Like one is like, of course, our health is taken care. Beyond health, what are the improvements?

I have made some lifelong friends with, like, you know, in Diamond, because you feel connected, you know, and you keep talking. And when you call also, there are some meaningful conversations that's happening, and more of consciousness. And this, this, I feel like, you know, it's very, very important because we waste a lot of time on unnecessary things, and we feel that, like, you know, we need social life, but when you have meaningful social life, your children are learning from you. And, and like, you know, whatever we are seeing in the world is a reflection of the total consciousness. So when we are raising the consciousness, the world is going to become a better place.

True, absolutely. I agree. Like, because that is the only way we can solve the problems. Awareness— many people know that we should not eat unhealthy, we should not eat this, but they don't do it because of lack of awareness.

Sometimes when I have the craving, I always remember you, Badri sir. So like, that is there. Sometimes I do eat, you know, pani puri and all, very rare, but yeah, but while eating also I remember Badri sir, what will he say? You know, that kind of thing is there.

You have become more conscious and now—

Yes, very much, yes.

And someone who is struggling silently, like they are also having problems but they're just struggling silently and watching this What message would you like to share to them?

I would say don't doubt, just do it. Until and unless you do, you will not understand. All the people in CBH, they came from that comfort zone. They did not have the doubt, they just tried. Because there is nothing wrong in trying. You are not going to lose anything, you will gain when you try. When you work on your breathing, it is going to help you and it is going to help your family. And your circle. So just go for it, because enough of analysis and paralysis. Don't analyze, just do it.

So I know you are waiting for this part, especially this segment of this podcast. Devshree, I want to ask you, what is your favorite breathing practice?

My favorite breathing is diaphragmatic breathing, sir.

Why?

Because I realized that I was holding my breath unconsciously, and that's when I engage my diaphragm and start breathing, doing this diaphragmatic breathing, and that's how I break that cycle of holding the breath unconsciously.

Wow, great!

Thank you.

Like, shall we practice now?

Yeah, definitely.

Yes, please sit comfortably. And diaphragmatic breathing is one of the powerful breathing practices that everyone must do it. This is the first practice before you start any breathing exercises. This is the important one, the first one you need to practice. This will help you to correct your breathing patterns, stimulate your digestive organs, improve your lung capacity, and many more. So let's do it now. Sit comfortably, roll your shoulders back, palms facing upwards, shoulders relaxed, spine erect. Breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly. If you see, the diaphragm is below our lungs, above our stomach. So we are engaging that muscle, diaphragm muscle. When it goes down, the belly should come out. Many people have the reverse breathing habit, which is where the belly goes in. But when we are doing right diaphragmatic breathing, the belly should come out. So place a palm on your belly. Breathe in towards your abdomen, bulge your abdomen. Breathe out, relax your abdomen. Now close your eyes. Inhale, bulge your abdomen. Exhale, relax your abdomen. Now let's make it rhythmic. Breathe in, 1, 2, 3. Breathe out, 1, 2, 3. Inhale slowly. Exhale slowly. Breathe in. Breathe out. With every inhalation, bulge your abdomen. With every exhalation, relax your abdomen. Breathe in slowly. Breathe out. Last time. And slowly release your hand. Keep your eyes closed. Observe the changes. And slowly and gently open your eyes. Practice this at least, at least twice a day for 5 minutes, in the morning, in the night, with empty stomach. If you practice before going to the bed, it will improve your sleep quality also. One of the simple and easiest practice which you can integrate into your lifestyle. Thank you, thank you so much, Devshree. Like, it's a very, very inspiring journey. You healed yourself first.

Yes.

And help your family members. And now you started helping the society. This is the true vision behind CBH. This is what we really wanted to see, like you heal yourself, heal the family, and heal the world. I think your husband might be really proud of you.

Yeah, he said, yeah, you're going places, he says.

Okay, awesome, awesome. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Thanks a lot, Badri sir. Thanks a lot.

You have just watched another powerful episode of Conscious Breathing Podcast. Thank you so much for staying with us till the very end. It truly means a lot. If you haven't subscribed yet, don't miss out. Your journey towards a healthier, medicine-free life and more conscious life can begin today. And if you are ready to go deeper, register for my upcoming workshop. The link is in the description. I would love to see you there. That's it for today. I am Madhuranath Gella, founder of Conscious Breathing Hub, and I'll see you soon in my upcoming workshop.