"Breathe to Live": How Panenko Olya Conducts Master Classes in the Emotional Epicenter of War
In the heart of Kharkiv, the sounds of air raid alarms and broken offices, lives a person who not only continues to work - she shares knowledge, keeps herself and the people around her in good shape, emotionally and mentally - this is Panenko Olya.
Despite the pain, anxiety and daily challenges, Olya is one of those who continues to conduct master classes. She does not just pass on knowledge - she keeps in touch with life, with people, with her depth.
War as a restart point
Olya has a second psychological education, and only with the beginning of a full-scale invasion did she dare to apply it.
“I was the first to conduct a master class at Omega //. This is not my main job, but I have always had the need to share. This is my inner calling,” she shares.
How to breathe when anxious?
One of Olya’s main resources is breathing. She practices various techniques: for calming, for activation, for concentration.
“We are born with a scream - with a breath. And we end our lives when breathing stops. This is a natural mechanism. Breathing is our resource that is always with us. I practice active breathing every morning,” she says.
Living in the moment - and sharing it
Her philosophy is simple and profound: to be in the moment, accept losses, acknowledge emotions, not run away - but go through them.
“Our body can withstand short-term stress. But long-term stress - it can't. That's why we have to recover. And it's important to allow ourselves weakness. Because I am a person. And I have the right to everything I feel,” Olya concludes.
Each of us has our own internal battles. But when there are people like Olya around, it becomes easier. She doesn't save the world. But she saves the space around her - with knowledge, honesty, breathing.