Talofa friends,
My name is Daniel Gaitau, as the founder of The Locker Room Barbershop and MĀNAVA Breathwork, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our community.
THE MĀNAVA STORY
MĀNAVA is the Samoan word for breathing. Being of Samoan descent, I incorporate not only my culture, but also other cultures from around the world in the spaces I create; honouring the land we are on here in Canberra and also your culture/background also.
In 2020 The Locker Room Barbershop was born, dedicated to Mens Mental Health. I wanted to create a safe space for others to communicate openly and vulnerably, as you would in a ‘Locker Room’, free from judgement. A place where you can be “you” without the many masks we all wear.
Since our opening in 2020 we have held space for a multitude of people in different capacities, but our community was in need of something more, so I placed myself in different environments to not only heal my own story, but to go in search of the missing piece of the puzzle I was looking for. This is when I discovered Breathwork. The tool that changed my life forever. I realised this tool was far too powerful to keep to myself so I dedicated my time to learning from the best in Australia, so that I could bring this medicine back to my community here in Canberra. And so MĀNAVA was born.
If you are reading this far, maybe you are in search for that missing piece also.
Would you like to reconnect and rediscover your inner joy and purpose? You might be looking for a safe authentic environment where you can remove your masks. Or in search of the right place to start in your own healing journey. Maybe you’ve tried talk therapy but you have suppressed emotions and unresolved trauma that needs to be released. Or maybe you are overwhelmed with stress and just need an environment where you feel supported. Whichever the reason, I am so grateful you are here. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first timer, all of you is welcome here.
REVEALING THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
“your circumstances were not in your control, but your healing is your responsibility”
Throughout the course of our lives we have picked up and learned lessons, habits, belief systems, trauma and thought processes that don’t necessarily serve us anymore. We often move through life unconscious to these, on autopilot and numb to what lies beneath, which is not our fault but has been created from our conditioning and belief systems we have picked up along the way.
By addressing what lies beneath the surface, we are able to explore, feel and let go, helping us to reconnect with who we truly are, our authentic selves. Being a healthy masculine man requires us to feel these emotions so we don’t unconsciously pass them on to those we love the most.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A BREATHWORK SESSION
During our Breathwork sessions you will be guided through ancient breathing techniques designed to reduce stress, clear emotional blockages and stored emotions from the body. These breathing techniques bypass the part of the brain that protects us from accessing and feeling the emotions we suppress, allowing you to enter a deeply relaxed state. Here we are able to address the cause and not the symptom.
We will activate a nervous system in our body called the Parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is in charge of all our involuntary body functions like digestion and breathing. When activated, we are able to step out of our ‘fight or flight’ state that we often live in, allowing our nervous system the opportunity to regulate itself. In this state we have access to our bodies true medicine – stillness, presence, love and intuition. It is here in this deeply relaxed state where we are able to let go of these old stories, wounds, belief systems and emotions that don’t serve us anymore and hold us back.
But it is not just about the science of what we can achieve. Humans are designed to be part of a tribe just as bee’s are designed to be part of a hive. Our events are designed to reconnect you back to yourself while feeling the support from other men that stand beside you. As a collective, we will connect and allow ourselves to receive what our body needs, whatever that may be.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
NEXT EVENT : JUNE 8TH, 6-9pm. For more information simply click on the button below.