Lydia Becker is a therapist, instructor, and midwife with over three decades of experience in Skan-Reichian bodywork. Rooted in the tradition of Wilhelm Reich, her work uses breathwork and bodywork to release emotional and physical tension held in the body — supporting people in softening long-held patterns, breathing more fully, and rediscovering their natural aliveness.
In 1988, she became a licensed midwife — and it was through her midwifery work that Lydia experienced the power of breath and the importance of softening the social persona during birth, which led her to deepen her study of breath and body-oriented therapy. In 1993, she began a three-year training in Skan — a form of somatic psychotherapy rooted in Wilhelm Reich's work — receiving her certification to teach in 1999. She has since been offering individual sessions and leading workshops and retreats throughout the country.
In this episode, we explore Wilhelm Reich's revolutionary approach to therapy and healing, the theory of armoring, and how unconscious layers of trauma, tension, and stress become stored in the body, and what makes Skan body-psychotherapy uniquely powerful as a somatic healing modality.
We get into the relationship between sexuality, life force, and neuroticism, the relational aspect of healing, how to breathe when engaging with Reichian breathwork, what the mechanism behind de-armoring actually is, and why we often have to move through anger and grief before we can reach genuine forgiveness — including a live Reichian breathwork session Lydia guides us through.
A profound conversation for anyone drawn to somatic healing, breathwork, and the body as a pathway to psychological and spiritual liberation.
🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗
🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️
0:00 - Intro
2:10 - Artem's experience with Lydia's work
5:09 - Working in midwifery, going through a crisis, and getting into Reichian breathwork
13:30 - Unconscious layers of trauma, tension, and stress stored in the body
15:18 - Wilhelm Reich's approach to therapy and healing
23:19 - Theory of armoring, character structures, the core, and directionality
31:07 - Sexuality, life force, neuroticism, and going beyond the story
35:13 - How Skan body-psychotherapy is unique
37:10 - The relational aspect of healing
44:53 - How to breathe when engaging with Reichian breathwork
47:10 - Lydia guides us through a live Reichian breathwork session
1:03:06 - Reflecting on the experience
1:05:06 - What is the mechanism behind de-armoring?
1:13:40 - The liberating impact of long-term Reichian work
1:19:49 - The role of emotions in Skan and what an in-person session looks like
1:26:02 - We often have to feel anger and grief before we get to forgiveness
1:28:00 - The structure of a Skan Reichian breathwork group retreat
1:32:17 - Opportunities to train in Skan
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