Midlife, Sobriety & the Power of Breathwork - Jon Paul Crimi

Send us Fan Mail What does midlife actually feel like from the inside — especially for men? In this episode of The Midlife Rebel Podcast, I'm joined by renowned breathwork pioneer Jon Paul Crimi for a wide-ranging conversation about ageing, identity, addiction, sobriety, and the work of turning towards ourselves rather than continually finding ways to escape. We begin with midlife. The changes in our bodies, the strange new health routines we suddenly find ourselves adopting, and the deeper question of who we are when some of the things we've relied upon to define ourselves begin to change, and Jon Paul shares his perspective on navigating midlife as a man. From there, we move into Jon Paul's own story. He speaks openly about his early struggles with drugs and alcohol, the path that eventually led him to sobriety, and what he's learned about the emotions and experiences that can sit underneath addiction. We also explore the grey areas — when life can look perfectly functional from the outside while something inside you knows it's time for change. And then there's breathwork. Jon Paul has spent years teaching conscious connected breathing, and we explore what can happen when we use the breath to move beyond the thinking mind and into the body. He explains why breathwork can feel uncomfortable at first, what may arise during a session, and how it can help us access emotions and experiences we may have spent years avoiding. We also talk about nervous system regulation, intention, integration, finding space for practices like breathwork in ordinary life, and the importance of giving ourselves somewhere to put our attention other than the endless distractions competing for it. This is a conversation about getting older, getting sober, knowing yourself more deeply, and discovering what can happen when you're willing to feel what's actually there.  Because when nothing changes, nothing changes. Because there’s a little bit of rebel in all of us. Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest. All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do. https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directory If you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast