Mictlan is the shadowed realm beneath the earth, where the breath of the living fades and the journey of the soul begins. It is not a place of punishment or reward, but a vast passageway through nine trials—rivers of blood, mountains that clash together, winds that cut like obsidian. For four long years, the spirit wanders, shedding the weight of the world, until at last it reaches the silent domain of Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl, Lord and Lady of the Dead. There, in the stillness of eternity, the soul finds its final rest.

Just as the soul in Aztec mythology journeys through Mictlan, the underworld of nine trials, a breathwork journey is a descent into the unseen realms of the self. Each stage of Mictlan mirrors the inner passages of breathwork:

• The crossing of rivers becomes the release of held emotions.

• The mountains that crash together reflect the resistance and tension we face within.

• The winds of obsidian are like the sharp truths that cut away illusion.

Through breath, we die to old patterns, surrender to the trials, and emerge lighter—reborn into stillness, clarity, and renewal. Like the soul resting in the care of Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl, we too arrive at a place of peace, where breath and spirit are united.