The Pulmonautika Origin Story
I was first properly introduced to the idea of “self-discovery” at the age of 16. My father created a six-week course he aptly named “The Self Discovery Process”, which I was forced to take along with a group of other “troublemakers” from school.
Every Saturday, we would meet up at my house and endure a six-hour long session ranging from philosophical discussions, problem solving dynamics, and preparation for our final exam. We were to organize a trip to the wilderness with one caveat – we couldn’t use any of the resources of our parents!
To give you some background on my father, he was ex Special Forces in the South African army, fought and survived two wars, and was built like a bulldog! He was a specialist interrogator and NLP master, and had a deep love for people.
He was discipline, but with a big heart.
Nonetheless, at the age of 16 I had no intention of giving up my Saturdays and fought the instruction the entire time – but in the end, all of those lessons I learned on all of those Saturdays has helped me in more ways than I can count.
After he passed, these lessons were guiding principles in dark times and helped me and my siblings remain sane during a very surreal part of our lives.
The meditative mishap...
I don’t remember when I was first introduced to meditation, however, at the age of 18 I really began taking it seriously and started to practice a few hours per day consistently. A few years down the line, I had achieved a certain level of mastery over my thoughts.
At one point, I felt ready to challenge myself. Meditating for an hour or two per day became standard and I felt that if I wanted to reach the next level I would have to push myself.
One Friday evening I sat down and decided to Meditate for at least six hours straight. The room was pitch black, there was no noise, no music – just me and the silence.
At first, I emptied my mind of all thoughts. As one thought came prancing into my awareness, begging for my attention – I simply thanked it for its presence and let it go. At one point, time stopped losing meaning and I reached a point of absolute stillness.
It was at this moment when I felt like a hand entering in through the crown of my head, traveling down the throat and into the pit of my stomach where it clenched a ball of energy and immediately transported me to some – in between dimension.
I intuitively knew that if I were to “continue with the meditation” beyond this point, I would never be the same again. I was twenty-three-years old…I still wanted to party!
I suddenly opened my eyes. Heart pounding in my chest. Darkness. I reach for the lights, turn it on – walk to the kitchen and pour myself some water. I shut the door in destiny’s face.
A Return to the path of Self-Discovery
It took about 10 years for me to get back into regular meditation. I began focusing on other activities, work, games, anything to distract myself from myself – but ultimately, I had to return back to the Self.
Over the past five years, I have discovered the breath and its significance within the realm of Self-Discovery. If my father knew what I know today, those lessons so many years ago would have been amplified within my psyche.
Now, after fifteen years of being scared by destiny, I’m finally ready to answer the call. This is the unknown origin story of Pulmonautika.
While I continue to be a seeker, I know that what I’m doing here today is larger than myself. I hope that the work me and those within this community will do today and in the future, will add value to your life. I hope that you find value in the lessons that my father taught me, that I utilize within the exercises that I create.
I hope that you get to meet like-minded people who are on a path towards their own greatness by healing and integrating the traumas of the past.
If you are here, reading this…welcome!
I can’t wait for us to get to know each other.
Take a deep breath, your adventure starts now!
All the Best,
Jeandre Gerber