Crystal Clarity: A Journey Through Baccarat Breathwork

In a world that moves at dazzling speed, true luxury is found in stillness. At Baccarat Hotel New York, that stillness takes form in Baccarat Breathwork, a 45-minute ritual offered twice weekly within Spa de La Mer designed to restore balance, presence, and clarity through the art of intentional breathing.

Guided by Daria Shendrik, Holistic Wellness Practitioner, the practice draws inspiration from the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—awakening these forces within rather than seeking them outside. Through rhythm, visualization, and sound, each session becomes a journey inward, where every breath dissolves tension, gathers strength, and elevates the spirit into luminous clarity.

Much like Baccarat’s master craftsmen refine the elements of nature into crystal brilliance, breathwork mirrors this transformation within. What begins as the unseen currents of stress or distraction is polished into serenity, lucidity, and radiant presence. For those new to the practice, the shift is often immediate: the mind grows quiet, the body softens, and a sense of harmony returns. What was once complex becomes clear, what was once restless becomes still. Every detail, from the crystal butterflies evoking the four elements to the intentional design, sets the stage for breathwork to transcend wellness and emerge as art. Within this union of inner beauty and Baccarat refinement, guests discover something rare: serene strength, illuminated clarity, and the luxury of presence.

The Art of Breath with Daria Shendrik, Holistic Wellness Practitioner

This ritual is inspired by the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. How do you weave those into the breathwork experience, and what do they symbolize for guests?

The four elements are not merely forces of nature — they are eternal powers from which life itself is woven. To encounter their majesty, we often journey to the ocean, the mountains, or untouched corners of the earth. Yet within this practice, there is no need to travel anywhere — earth, air, fire, and water awaken within you, unfolding like the most precious facets of your own energy. I weave the elements into the experience through intention, the rhythm of breath, visualization, sound, and a finely crafted structure. Guests often describe this journey as “a passage through the elements, from which one returns revitalized and refined.”

Here, every breath becomes an art form. Guided with awareness, it dissolves tension, gathers strength, and elevates it into a state of clarity, confidence, and luminous presence. This is the breath where power and harmony move together, creating a rare state of serene strength from which vision expands and new horizons emerge.

Baccarat transforms the elements into crystal brilliance. How do you see breathwork creating a similar kind of inner transformation?

Baccarat captures what is intangible and refines it into shimmering clarity. Breathwork mirrors this same alchemy within: it takes the unseen currents of the self — tension, distraction, unconscious weight and transforms them into lightness, lucidity, serenity, and radiant presence. Here, breath becomes the artisan of the soul, polishing what is hidden until it gleams. In this way, the inner world reflects the crystal itself, transparent, luminous, exquisitely alive.

For someone new to breathwork, what is the most powerful shift they might notice after a session?

The very first sensation is often awe: “I never knew breath could feel this way. I never knew I could feel such harmony.”
The most powerful shift is an inner refinement, an experience as rare and exquisite as Baccarat itself. The mind grows quiet, the body softens, the breath settles into its natural rhythm and for a timeless moment, everything falls effortlessly into place. What follows is clarity where there was once complexity, and presence where there was once distraction. From this refined state, life begins to unfold differently: decisions align with greater ease, and opportunities flow in a rare symphony of harmony and grace.

How do spaces like Baccarat Hotels elevate or enhance the impact of this practice?

At Baccarat, every detail is crafted with intention, inviting you into your most elevated state of being. Here, breathwork transcends practice and becomes part of the very aesthetic of living,  you are not simply breathing; you are inhaling presence.
The atmosphere, luxury, beauty, and uncompromising attention to detail,  supports the unfolding of the inner self. Within this rare synthesis of environment and practice, something unforgettable comes alive. Even the Baccarat crystal butterflies, each one charged with the energy of an element: earth, air, fire, and water amplify the breathwork, allowing you to truly feel the elemental forces within.

Here, breath and meditation become a conduit for the purest energy. Hearts and souls open, vitality flows, and a luminous clarity arises, inspiring extraordinary creation. This is far beyond relaxation; it is the union of inner beauty and outer refinement, where strength and inspiration awaken life at its most remarkable.