My Story

I’m an American Paris-based Spiritual Coach, Breathwork Guide, Reiki Master, founder of Breathe in Paris® and The Breathe in Paris School. I am recognized as one of the pioneers of Breathwork in France and am the co-author of the book “Breathwork : Respirez pour changer” (Flammarion, 2020), the first book to be published on this subject in France. Breathwork is an active breathing meditation that can transform lives.

I offer - online and in-person - 1:1 Programs and group classes in French and in English and collaborate with global brands as a keynote speaker. By combining Breathwork with Reiki, Mindfulness, and Spiritual Coaching, I provide the keys to well-being and inner peace.

Born in San Francisco and brought up in Boston, I moved to Paris in 1990 to follow a childhood dream : to study and work in fashion. Since then I’ve lived in Milan, Casablanca, Paris, and Vancouver, working 27 years in the fashion industry with renowned brands such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Italy, Stella McCartney, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and collaborating with celebrities such as Peter Lindbergh, Spike Lee and Dennis Hopper. Always believing in the power of intention and hard work, I’ve held many positions along the way : Art Director, Photographer Agent, On-Camera Talent, Producer, Consultant, Stylist. I achieved my glamorous fashion dream, but halfway through my career, at the age of 35, I couldn’t handle the pressure. I felt anxious, unempowered, unhappy. I was missing out on being ME. Where had “I” gone?

Was I Happy?

Not really. And it was time to face reality. I began resenting my dream job. The trappings of a sixteen-year career in fashion had stripped away my healthy values and my sense of self-worth. I saw my life heading in a direction that was no longer bringing me joy and peace. I was stressed, burned out and unhappy. I refused to admit it, so instead I buried all of my emotions down, until the day I finally realized enough was enough.

Reiki Saved Me

I knew I had to take hold of the steering wheel and start my journey back to Susan. And the drive would be long. I tried endless conventional routes to healing - medicine, nutrition, sport and therapy - but it took just one Reiki session to understand that this was what I needed. I noticed positive results immediately. Over time, and with practice, Reiki allowed me to get to the source of my stress, to recalibrate what I valued most and to gain confidence and peace of mind. 

Driving in two parallel lanes : fashion during the week and spirituality during the weekends. I began attending workshops and training sessions. I read voraciously, in the quest for a more authentic life. I spoke with leaders in the field, pursued additional training, found mentors. And since then I’ve become a Usui/Holy Fire II Karuna® Reiki Master and Professional Member of The International Center for Reiki Training. The solution was deceptively simple but demanded deep and sustained commitment. Over time, I fell back in love with myself, my family and even my job. I learned very early on that I would not only be a life-long student of Reiki, but that I would also be helping others one day. Yet, something was still missing. And that’s when I discovered Breathwork.

Breathwork Transformed Me

My younger sister, Tanya Bentley, a Research Scientist and Breathwork Guide in Los Angeles, had been telling me about the benefits of Breathwork for years. In 2017 I finally took the plunge. After a profound transformational experience during my first session, I was hooked. This simple yet life-changing technique was what was missing in my spiritual toolbox. My most gratifying work today is Breathwork because it has so many natural benefits and anyone can do it. Contrary to Reiki treatments, which are calm and stress-free, Breathwork sessions shake you up, bringing out emotions like pain, tears, doubt and negative feelings allowing you to let go of them and make space for joy and inner peace. I was trained under Jon Paul Crimi and completed his Breathwork Teacher Training Certification program in Los Angeles. I continued my studies with internationally renowned author, researcher and speaker Dan Brulé, one of the pioneers of Breathwork in the world. Passionate about this little-known technique, I took up the challenge of popularizing it in France by putting it at the heart of my personal development method, Breathe in Paris®.

Fast Forward to Today

While continuing to work in fashion, I opened my private Spiritual Coaching and Reiki practice in 2011, first in Paris, then in Vancouver. On my return to Paris in 2017, I made the ultimate decision to retire from fashion. A year later Breathe in Paris® was born and I opened my private studio in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and began teaching Breathwork classes in Paris. In October 2019 I participated as co-organizer and teacher in the First Breathwork Summit in Paris with Dan Brulé and EthosFlow. My book, co-written with Emilie Veyretout, is the first about Breathwork to be published in France: ‘Breathwork: Respirez pour changer’ (Flammarion, 2020). Humbled by the generous French press coverage – Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Madame Figaro, Le Figaro, Paris Match among many others, I’m incredibly grateful for how they’re enthusiastically spreading the word about Breathwork. In 2021, I launched The Breathe in Paris School, a Breathwork Teacher Training program, dedicated to creating exceptional Breathwork leaders and changemakers.

In my spare time (not much!), you can find me walking my English Cocker Spaniel in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, going for a run along the Seine, sweating it out at Cross Fit, creating a new Breathe in Paris® Spotify playlist or enjoying dinner with my husband at a Parisian sidewalk café (as long as we’re not in confinement!).

See you soon!
With love,
Susan Oubari