
MysticMag chats with Kavita Golia – an Embodiment, Breath, and Psychedelic Integration Coach dedicated to helping individuals recognize subconscious patterns, nurture self-connection, and move forward in life with authenticity and purpose. Drawing from a decade of experience and training, including an MSc in Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology, Kavita blends trauma-informed psychotherapeutic practices, breathwork, embodiment techniques, and transformational coaching to guide her clients toward healing and growth. Her mission is rooted in her own journey of self-discovery, which began with yoga training in Thailand and evolved into a passion for helping others reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and live with confidence, authenticity, and kindness.
Kavita, your approach combines breathwork, compassionate inquiry, and embodiment practices. How do these methods interconnect to support transformative healing, and how does each contribute to your clients’ self-discovery journey?
My background is in psychology, and I’ve always been drawn to science. However, when I first embarked on my yoga training, it wasn’t to become a yoga teacher—it was something deeper. I felt a strong connection to the body that went far beyond the physical practice of asanas. At the time, I was dealing with several unexplained health issues: I hadn’t had a period for over a year, and despite extensive testing, doctors couldn’t explain why. I also suffered from severe alopecia. My body was manifesting these imbalances, but I didn’t understand why.
It was only when I went on this journey through yoga that I noticed a profound change. I began to heal, and I truly believe it was due to the connection I started building between my mind and body. This realization led me to breathwork, which became a transformative part of my journey. During my breathwork training, I experienced intense emotional releases—screams and deep emotions that I had suppressed for years surfaced. I realized how much had been stored in my body without my conscious awareness. That experience completely shifted my understanding of the mind-body connection.
This led me to dive deeper into the science of how our emotions and traumas are stored in the body. Books like The Body Keeps the Score reinforced what I had experienced firsthand: that unresolved emotions and stress can manifest as disease in the body. In our fast-paced lives, we suppress so much—pushing through with coffee, numbing with alcohol, and rarely taking the time to face what we’ve buried within ourselves.
Breathwork became a cornerstone of my work with clients. My initial training was in conscious connected breathwork, which is cathartic and powerful, but I’ve learned that it’s not the right approach for everyone. For many, I use nervous system regulation techniques to help them reconnect with their bodies in a gentler, more accessible way. This creates a foundation of calm and connection, enabling us to move forward with coaching.
Another key part of my approach is rooted in my training in Compassionate Inquiry with Gabor Maté. This work uses psychotherapeutic techniques to explore childhood experiences and the origins of self-limiting beliefs and patterns. While this is essential, I don’t believe in staying stuck in talk therapy, endlessly revisiting the past without embodying the lessons or addressing the present moment.
My process involves integrating psychotherapeutic practices to explore the past, breathwork to anchor clients in the present, and transformational coaching to help them take actionable steps toward their goals. By working with the past, grounding in the present, and taking meaningful action for the future, my aim is to support people in creating lasting change and alignment in their lives.
Can you elaborate on your research on psilocybin microdosing and how it has shaped your approach to psychedelic integration and facilitation?
I could talk endlessly about this topic, but to give some background: I did my Master’s in Consciousness, Spiritualities, and Transpersonal Psychology. This field covers the psychology of the individual as well as transpersonal aspects—everything beyond the individual, from phenomena like sleep paralysis to astral projection. At the time, I was particularly interested in psychedelic research, which has now grown at an incredible pace. It’s hard to tell if it’s just the echo chamber effect, but the acceleration of this field is undeniable.
When I was completing my Master’s, the research on microdosing and psychedelics like psilocybin was just emerging, particularly in the context of treating depression and anxiety. This was primarily focused on the medical model, but I was also deeply curious about how psychedelics could support personal development—enhancing creativity, fostering openness, strengthening connections, and even promoting neuroplasticity to help build better habits.
Due to legal restrictions, I couldn’t conduct quantitative research, but I was permitted to do phenomenological research. This meant interviewing individuals who had been microdosing for some time to gather in-depth qualitative insights. The findings were fascinating. The anecdotal evidence surrounding microdosing is remarkable—it seems to work for thousands of people, whether through actual mechanisms or perceived effects. Whatever the case, it’s having a significant impact on those who use it.
My deep dive into this research inspired me to explore how I could work with people in this area. I now host retreats abroad where psychedelics are legal, creating intentional, safe spaces for these experiences. I also focus heavily on education, as it’s completely legal to educate people about psychedelics. My work includes harm reduction, helping individuals integrate their experiences—whether from larger doses or microdosing journeys—and supporting them in applying these insights to their lives.
For me, it’s essential to emphasize the importance of intentionality, ceremony, and a supportive container around these experiences. Psychedelics aren’t just about “popping pills”; they require mindfulness, preparation, and practices like meditation to fully benefit from their transformative potential. Everything I do—from retreats to education to integration—aligns with supporting these journeys in a thoughtful, meaningful way.
On a personal level, I’d describe my experiences with psilocybin as awe-inspiring and expansive. It’s been a deeply personal journey, and what stands out the most to me is that profound sense of wonder—like being completely awestruck by the realization that there’s something so much bigger than us. For me, it’s not about believing in a traditional concept of God, but rather feeling an undeniable connection to spirit, source, or the universe. Whatever term resonates—spirit, God, source—it all points to that sense of connection to something greater.
That said, psilocybin is incredibly unique to each individual. While it has brought me a sense of awe and expansion, for others, it might unearth deep, unresolved trauma, requiring them to confront and process what comes up. That’s why having strong practices—whether breathwork, meditation, or grounding techniques—and a solid support network is so crucial. For those who don’t have a coach or guide, leaning on a strong, trusted community becomes essential for navigating and integrating these experiences.
In my personal experience, psilocybin has always left me with that sense of wonder—feeling like the universe is vast and interconnected, and there’s so much more than what we can see or understand. It’s humbling, inspiring, and deeply spiritual in a way that’s hard to fully put into words.
You emphasize a deep connection to purpose and clarity. How do you guide individuals who struggle with self-doubt or self-sabotage in reconnecting with their innate wisdom?
Self-sabotage was something I deeply struggled with, and I was truly the “queen” of it for years. My life was filled with partying, a lack of self-belief, and unconscious patterns that I didn’t realize were rooted in my early beliefs. I thought, on a cerebral level, that I could push through it, but there was always this block, something holding me back. The challenge is that many people don’t even recognize that they’re sabotaging themselves. They might say, “I’m going to use these mindset techniques and go for it,” only to find themselves doing something that undermines their progress without even realizing why.
When working with clients, it’s crucial to get to the root of the issue. This is where practices like compassionate inquiry come into play. We explore where their beliefs originated and how these self-sabotaging patterns developed. Self-awareness is the first step—understanding where these subconscious drivers come from.
Each journey is unique, and some people are more in tune with their bodies than others. I used to take it for granted that people could feel their heartbeat. When I asked clients to place a hand on their heart, some would be shocked to realize they couldn’t feel it at all. This disconnection from the body is much more common than we think, and it’s something I really try to address. In somatic practices, there’s a term called titration, which refers to making tiny, manageable steps toward comfort. It’s essential for clients, especially those who’ve experienced trauma, to take small steps and not jump into intense practices like breathwork, which could be triggering.
The goal is to help people uncover the origins of their beliefs and understand the subconscious fears that drive their actions. Then, we can work on reconnecting with the body and expanding their window of tolerance, allowing them to step outside their comfort zone. But it’s always a slow and individualized process. Some clients might have a breakthrough and realize exactly what’s holding them back, while others need more time to work through it.
For those who feel ready, I might introduce conscious connected breathwork or other embodiment practices like movement, dance, or feminine embodiment coaching. The approach can vary depending on the person and their unique needs—what works for one person might not work for another, and sometimes the process is more tailored for women versus men.
Ultimately, the key is to heal the root causes of self-sabotage, helping clients feel safe and supported as they move forward. Our nervous system is incredibly strong, and once we feel threatened, we instinctively recoil. Think of it like an elastic band—if it stretches too far, it snaps back. The goal is to slowly stretch that band bit by bit, allowing clients to move beyond self-sabotage, step by step.
Your mentorship includes trauma-informed techniques. Could you discuss how this lens shifts the way you approach healing, especially in the context of emotional and psychological blocks?
The training in compassionate inquiry really helped me understand that everyone’s journey is so different. Before, I had this idea of a “cookie-cutter” approach—this happens, then that happens, and this will work for everyone. But I’ve come to realize that each person needs their own unique path, and titration plays such an important role in making progress. It’s about moving forward slowly, taking small steps, and always ensuring the person feels safe at each point.
A big part of that safety is helping people reconnect with their bodies. Many of us don’t feel safe in our bodies, or we are so disconnected that we don’t even know what’s happening inside of us. When emotions or memories do come up, it can be intense, and sometimes people look for those huge, cathartic releases—there’s a lot of that energy on social media now, people shaking, screaming, and having these intense moments of release. It’s true that these practices can be powerful, and I’ve been through them myself, but I’ve also learned how important it is to approach healing with a level of caution, especially when people are still processing deep trauma.
I’ve been to some festivals where the intensity of the practices was overwhelming, and looking back, I now realize how potentially unsafe it could be to have people go through such experiences without proper support. If someone is triggered deeply in that kind of setting, they might not have the resources or guidance to process everything in the moment.
That’s why it’s so important to build a strong, safe container for people as they begin their healing journey. Healing isn’t just about big, dramatic releases—sometimes, it’s about small, quiet steps, done with a sense of safety, support, and integration. Being aware of how trauma shows up and offering gentle guidance is crucial in helping people feel grounded and capable of moving through it.
How does your work with corporate clients differ from your individual mentorship sessions, and what unique challenges or opportunities do you encounter in those settings?
In a corporate setting, this approach strikes a balance between the spiritual and the scientific, allowing for a deeper connection with participants. The opportunity to dive into the science behind practices like breathwork and yoga helps bridge the gap for individuals who may be unfamiliar with or skeptical of these methods. By explaining the mechanisms, such as how the vagus nerve influences stress or how breathwork can regulate the nervous system, the facilitator provides a more tangible understanding of their benefits. This scientific insight complements the experiential aspects of the practices, making them more accessible and relatable to a wider audience.
The blend of science and spirituality makes these practices more approachable, helping individuals not only feel the effects but also understand why they work. This can encourage people to integrate these techniques into their everyday routines. In the corporate world, where managing stress, improving performance, and enhancing emotional intelligence are essential, this approach offers both practical tools and a deeper understanding of their impact.
While the corporate sessions focus on group education and practical tools for stress management, emotional intelligence, and well-being, the one-on-one work allows for a more personalized approach. In individual sessions, the facilitator can tailor practices to meet specific needs, ensuring a more customized experience. The combination of these two methods—educational and experiential—provides something beneficial for every participant.
If you would like to find out more about Kavita Golia, please visit https://www.kavitagolia.com/ or follow on https://www.instagram.com/kat_golia and https://www.linkedin.com/kavitagolia