We recently had the chance to connect with David Richards and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning David, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Mornings hold a great value to me. The time before the doing begins, when I’m simply just being. I begin each day as slowly and quietly as I can. I start with a seated meditation, observing the mind and utilizing a single point of focus technique to sink deeper into the present moment. It’s such a fascinating experience to notice some days the mind is so active from the moment I wake up, flooding with stories and thoughts, jumping from the past and into the future. And other days there’s no story at all and the stillness naturally arises. It’s a practice to be with myself and to just notice what is occurring here and now. After my meditation I offer thanks and gratitude in a variety of practices, honoring the divine masculine and feminine energies and connecting to source.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! It’s so wonderful to connect with you all. My name is David Richards, founder of Cosmic Breathing. I facilitate breathwork journeys, teach yoga classes and guide meditations. I am a lover of learning and expression. From this place of curiosity I discovered yoga in many modalities in southern California where I have practiced for the last decade. After multiple journeys to the foothills of the Himalayas in India to submerge myself in the ancient wisdom, as well as deep immersions with my teachers in the Peruvian Amazon and Sacred Valley along with years of consistent, devotional practice, I have welcomed the role of sharing these transformational teachings with others. The life-altering effects of these practices are undeniable, truly limitless and can be seen all throughout my life. The power of the breath, the deep silence of meditation, and the activation of untapped energy are all at the foundation of my own practice and how I teach. I launched Cosmic Breathing to connect with anyone who seeks transformation, discipline, release, expansion and healing. There is no dogmatic belief system, no religious affiliation, no experience is necessary, and all sexualities, races, and gender expressions are welcome here.
I utilize a variety of techniques from the Yogic Vedantic Himalayan tradition to create these customized offerings. I offer a variety of class structures, available in group or 1 on 1 settings, development of personal daily practices, and personalized initiations into meditation. The upmost importance is placed of maintaining the integrity of these techniques as they have been passed down by the yogic masters for thousands of years.
Yoga asanas are the shapes we make with the physical body, we practice how to align the body, activate the different systems of the body, cleanse and detoxify, bring the system into equilibrium, quiet the mind with physical exertion in order to prepare for meditation.
Breathwork is utilizing controlled breathing techniques to access deeper states of consciousness and awareness. Some of these techniques are deeply meditative helping us to calm the mind, ground the physical body and move towards greater stillness while others are expansive, energy building, expressive and activating.
Meditation initiation in the Vedantic Himalayan tradition is a specific set of breath, activation and mantra, that is helping us move in the direction of stillness. This is not a “no-thought” exercise, but instead a continued practice and refinement of the mind. We work with the mantra and when we find ourselves engaging in the thought based mind we simply return to the technique and connect with the breath.
My teaching style is deeply rooted in respect to the lineage, combined with my love of learning, and the desire to share the practices that helped me heal so deeply with others. I am truly honored to have had the opportunities to learn so much of this ancient wisdom, and it is such a joy to teach it as well.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Trust and safety. I believe that when either of these are not present in a relationship, environment or exchange it is not possible to have authentic connection between ourselves and others. When we don’t feel safe to show up as our authentic selves, we can’t share and receive from an open, honest place. Without safety there is always separation we create to try and protect ourselves. From that separation we forget that we are all having our own human experience, but we are all the same. And our subtle differences become barriers to connection, they become the reasons we judge each other and treat one another badly.
When we feel safe, we develop a more trusting relationship with ourselves and others. We can show up as who we are and accept others as they are. Remembering that our essential nature is loving, longing for connection and moving in the direction of oneness.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Oh I love this one so much! Learning to love myself started with the sweetest invitation from a teacher of mine, to imagine myself at 5 years old and begin to tell him how much I love him. Through the years this practice has expanded to speaking to all the versions of my younger self of all ages. What I come back to the most is telling him, you are going to be so proud of the man you will grow up to be. That the things you will do will be beyond what you can even dream of. And this is possible because each phase of my life, each David I can speak to, was exactly who he was supposed to be. Perfectly imperfect, and deserving of praise and love for being exactly who he was. And I can hold so much gratitude for every experience I have had, and extend so much compassion and understanding to myself for all that I have been through and see it all from a place of love.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
The belief of working towards being someone of a certain title or status was the goal. That being called the master teacher or achieving accolades would mean I am that. Now I more fully embrace what it means to be an embodiment of the teachings. To be in my loving awareness, showing up in honest integrity, and holding truly safe space. These are the markers I aim for now, how does it feel for myself and my participants rather than what I am called by myself and others. The felt experience being more valuable than the words.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What light inside you have you been dimming?
This is something I have been made aware of fairly recently. The story of calling myself “a forever student”. I am always learning and am so grateful for the opportunities to receive wisdom from anyone willing to share it. I bow to the many lineages and traditions who have welcomed me and allowed me a place to sit and listen. However, I am understanding that calling myself a “forever student”comes from a place of protecting myself from potential mistakes. It’s showing up in a way of lowering myself, preventing me from fully stepping into my own knowing and mastery. So it’s been something I am working to let go of and fully trust that I am always learning, expanding and evolving without needing to label it. To step into my role of sharing what I have learned, fully claiming that I am doing my good work by making the teachings available to others, in the same ways it was shared with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cosmicbreathing.online/
- Instagram: @cosmicbreathing
Image Credits
Emily Johnston @creative.well.being
David Ortiz @davidantonio.ortiz
