Sobriety, Breathwork, and Reclaiming Indigenous Roots with Ariana Fotinakis

Sobriety, Breathwork, and Reclaiming Indigenous Roots with Ariana Fotinakis

Ever wondered what it takes to rebuild life after alcohol without a dramatic rock bottom story? This conversation with coach and breathwork facilitator Ariana Fotinakis offers a quieter, but no less powerful, version of recovery. Hosted by SHE RECOVERS co‑founder Taryn Strong, the episode follows Ariana’s 10-year stretch of heavy drinking, the years she spent “literally running away” from her emotions through fitness and work, and the simple mirror moment that made her say, “I need to do something.

I can’t keep doing this.” She talks about getting sober largely on her own, then later realising that sobriety on its own didn’t mean her body had released the “stories” it still carried. A pivotal part of the chat centres on breathwork. Ariana explains how a first intense session felt like “everything that I had ever numbed… came to the surface to be felt” and why she now prefers slower, gentler breathwork that keeps the nervous system feeling safe.

Her approach lets people choose their pace, rather than forcing breakthroughs on a deadline. You’ll also hear Ariana speak about being the daughter of a Sixties Scoop survivor, growing up knowing she was First Nations yet feeling deep shame and disconnection, and how she’s been reclaiming her Anishinaabe and Greek roots. She shares the seven generations teaching and links it to recovery: each healing choice ripples forward and backward through family lines.

Finally, the episode highlights Ariana’s work on decolonising recovery spaces, bringing together nervous system awareness, cultural reclamation and systemic change. She and Taryn unpack the difference between genuine belonging and assimilation, and how recovery communities can be “hard on systems, soft on people.” It’s a candid, tender conversation for anyone curious about sobriety, burnout, identity, and creating safer spaces in recovery. What might change for you if healing didn’t have to be intense to be effective?