SVARA
A Somatic Training in Breathwork & Nervous System Based Facilitation
SVARA is a professional training in breathwork and somatic facilitation for people who want to learn not only how to guide a process, but how to meet the person in front of them.
We work with conscious connected breath, the nervous system, somatic practice, personal process, nature and ritual.
You will learn how to work with individuals and groups while developing your capacity to observe, listen, respond and stay present with what emerges.
Because facilitation is not only about knowing what to do.
It is also about knowing when to wait, when to intervene and when less may be more.
SVARA Breathwork Training
Our carefully designed program offers 4 different Modules.
EARTH Module, Foundations: (10 Days)
Oct 2-4 &Nov 7-8 (online), October 19-25, 2026 in Portugal (Hybrid Version)
Learn the foundations of 1:1 breathwork facilitation while developing your understanding of the breath, nervous system, safety and relational work.
You will learn how to structure a session, work with what emerges and respond to the person in front of you rather than simply following a protocol.
WATER Module, Expansion: (7 Days) TBA
Deepen your intuitive and energetic awareness while exploring the relationship between breath, creativity, sexuality and the elements.
The Water Module invites you to work beyond structure, developing sensitivity, intuition and trust while remaining grounded in clear facilitation.
FIRE Module, Blossom: (7 Days) 29th of Nov- 6th of Dec 2026
Learn how to facilitate groups with clarity, confidence and responsiveness.
The Fire Module explores group dynamics, leadership, music, ritual, ceremony, assistants, safety and the practical skills needed to hold larger spaces without losing connection to the people inside them.
AIR Module, Deep healing: (7 Days) Spring 2027
Deepen your capacity to work with trauma, nervous system responses and complex emotional processes.
The Air Module brings together somatic practice, bodywork, and deeper personal inquiry, with a strong focus on the facilitator’s own nervous system and capacity to stay present.
Breathwork is a powerful entry point, but it is not the work on its own.
At SVARA, breath is one of the ways we enter into the body, the nervous system and the patterns that shape how we feel, respond and relate.
What matters is not only what arises through the breath, but how it is met.
For this reason, the training goes beyond learning a breathwork technique.
You learn to recognise nervous system responses, read the breath and body, work with emotional processes, and respond with clarity and care.
We place strong emphasis on pacing, consent, discernment and the ability to recognise when more is not necessarily better.
Your own process is part of this learning.
Because the way you meet another person is deeply connected to your own capacity to stay present with emotion, uncertainty, silence and intensity.
The aim is not simply to create an experience in a session.
It is to support something that can actually be integrated into the person’s life.
OUR VISION
SVARA exists to evolve the field of breathwork into a grounded, professional somatic practice that supports real and sustainable change.
We see conscious connected breath not as a tool for expansion alone, but as a precise entry point into the nervous system, emotional patterns, and embodied experience.
At the core of this work is safety. We recognise that transformation is only possible when the body is supported, regulated, and met with care. From this foundation, breath becomes a method of access, integration, and relational work.
Our vision is to bring breathwork into a wider context of somatic facilitation, coaching, and embodied leadership. This includes supporting practitioners to work with individuals and groups in a way that is structured, responsive, and ethically grounded.
We integrate nervous system science, trauma informed practice, and embodied awareness into a clear and applicable framework for working with people.
SVARA also holds a strong relationship to nature and cyclical intelligence. This is not positioned as concept, but as orientation, a way of remembering the body as part of a wider living system.
We are committed to developing practitioners who are able to hold space with clarity and responsibility. Leaders who understand regulation, presence, and relational awareness as core competencies of their work.
The result is a community of practitioners who are trained not only in breathwork, but in how to work with people in depth, with skill, integrity, and respect for the intelligence of the body.
I am Mela Mariposa, the founder of SVARA.
SVARA grew from more than 20 years of working with people, groups and processes of change.
My work focuses on creating spaces where people can engage in real processes of change, through the body, the nervous system, and lived experience. At the centre of this is the ability to hold a safe and steady field for exploration, regulation, and transformation.
SVARA integrates conscious connected breathwork with somatic practice, ritual, and nature based awareness. These are not separate elements, but part of a coherent approach to working with the human system in depth.
Nature remains a central reference point in this work, not as concept, but as a reminder of rhythm, regulation, and relational intelligence beyond the individual.
SVARA is not a one-person practice. It is a collective field of facilitators and practitioners, each bringing their own depth, perspective, and embodied experience into the work.
Together, we hold a shared commitment to clarity, responsibility, and grounded facilitation.
ABOUT SVARA
The term "swara" or "svara" (Sanskrit: स्वर) originates from the root "svr," meaning "to sound."
This word is found in the Upanishads, where the rhythmic cycle of the sun and the world is described as "the music of spheres." The sun is depicted as "humming the wheel of the world." According to Ananda Coomaraswamy, the root "svar" also conveys the meaning "to shine."
For us, "svara" embodies the sound within the space, where awareness aligns with each breath, engaging all our senses and becoming attuned to the breath of Mother Nature. Additionally, the training focuses on supporting each participant on their journey to shine their light in the world.
