Whitney Tappan Locke
Whitney has been guiding breathwork sessions since 2023, but her journey of helping people breathe deeply and fully spans over a decade.
Her background as a Registered Respiratory Therapist involved long, demanding hours in the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department, where she specialized in understanding and optimizing lung function. With ten years of hands-on experience, her expertise has always centered on the mechanics of breathing and respiratory health.
After welcoming her son in 2021, Whitney completed her Master of Science in Health Informatics, building on her Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy. In April 2023, she became a certified Breathwork instructor through Jon Paul Crimi’s teacher training program—a respected leader within the International Breathwork Foundation. She also earned certification from Brené Brown’s “Dare to Lead” cohort, further enriching her skills in leadership and emotional resilience.
As a breathwork teacher, Whitney has shared her practice at events both local and national, including Burning Man, The Balance Bend Mental Health Festival, and the SteamPunk Music Festival. She regularly hosts monthly writing and breathwork workshops in Bend, Oregon, at venues like Nature’s Bling, The Yoga Shala, The Lookout Lodge, Benham Hall, as well as in private group settings.
Based in the stunning outdoors of Bend, Whitney cherishes time with her three-year-old son, practicing yoga, mountain biking, snowboarding, traveling, and soaking in live music. She is deeply passionate about how integrating the mind and body fosters collective healing and self-awareness. Through her rich life experiences, thorough research, and spiritual insights, Whitney lovingly guides her community toward a balanced, healthy state—empowering each individual to access their own healing power through breathwork.
Why Breathwork?
“The first time I did breathwork I felt an energy shift. My hands got crampy, my face got numb and tingly, and I felt more relaxed than I had been in a long time. In 2022 I took a class with Jon Paul Crimini. During the class, I had a more profound experience than the last. I was transcended into another life. I felt as though I had died and been reborn. As I lay there quietly breathing on the floor with around 100 other participants, I was amazed by what had just happened.”
“I signed up for Jon Paul’s teacher training and researched scientific articles to possibly explain what was happening to me during breathwork. I found many articles, books, and peer-reviewed case studies confirming how powerful breathwork is and can be. I also found that my experience can be different every time I practice and that the spiritual experience cannot be researched or spoken for; you have to feel it to believe it.”
Zaccoaro et al. (2018) concluded that practicing voluntary breath control can change your life, by improving autonomic cerebral and psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility allows us to learn, grow, and heal. Using EEG (electroencephalogram) studies on healthy human subjects revealed an increase in alpha and a decrease in theta power (brain waves) when subjects were practicing voluntary slow breathing techniques.
Astrology
I added astrology into my practice setting an intention to start a class. I love reading natal birth charts and believe it offers some insight into how we perceive ourselves. This is an additional offering to my breahtwork teaching. You have the option to do a natal chart reading only or have a combination of both! If you would like astrology integration for your breathwork practice or are primarily curious about your chart, please sign up for a one-on-one meeting with me in person or on Zoom!
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