As some of you know, I opened up a part of my practice to some new and exciting work that I am so grateful to be supporting you with, Breathwork.
I never had guessed that this tool would become one of such nourishment and alignment. But as I continue, the resonance is very very clear.
Since I announced this practice, I have been getting a lot of questions as to what it is, why, how, etc?
The interesting thing is that the breath seems to do that… stir our curiosity. Awaken us to so much, which is why I have fallen in love with this transformational work. It not only has shown me how to deepen my own healing, but deepen my ability as a healer.
In honouring your questions, I wanted to create some clarity. Well… the most I can without just first hand experiencing it.. which I will be honest, is where ultimately you will find your answers.
What is Breathwork?
It is important to articulate that Breathwork is in general, a term which can be an umbrella for so many different types of practices and a practice itself. I suppose it is part of what makes it so beautiful and inclusive and also hard to differentiate.
For the sake of the conversation, I am focusing on the type of Breathwork that I now facilitate and support people with. This type of breath, which does not have a *tm title before or after it in staying in integrity of the lineage it originated from in India, and the teachers also that have passed it along to me now. It is what we could refer to as however as an active breathing meditation which deeply connects to our soma and soul.
A lot of people will ask what the difference is between this and other general breathwork practices that you might find through say yoga studios and wellness spaces, and the real answer is, a lot. Although the confusion around the ‘name’ of the technique is ambiguous, what is less ambiguous is our understanding of it after we have experienced it. This is not about controlled, or even ‘mindful’ breathing. This is a deep dive into the layers of our humanness through the power of the breath.
This process process itself is not challenging however can be in fact, profound and life changing. Even more so when supported in a surrounding that honours its depths. That this specific practice of breath can do all of this speaks to the sophistication of our bodies and our possibilities.
What is this technique:
In this work together, the active breath acts as a conduit for us to access not only the body and the emotional life that has often been stored there, but also becomes a direct path to connecting with a deeper part of our sub conscious that often our thinking mind, gets in the way of. This type of Breathwork opens us from these limitations.
For some people, this practice can deepen a connection to vision, insight, intuition, spiritual realms and more. It moves the expanse of practical support for the nervous system and body to something grounded in something much more.
How does it work?
The active breath, under guidance and supervision of support like myself, is sustained for a period of time and intensity to facilitate a connection, to put us in touch with what needs to be held and alchemized in order to heal. It does the work alongside us, but is no way a passive or subtle breath. You may feel a deep sense of relief or relaxation at the end but the breath in its active state is powerful and at points can unsettle and release stored emotion and charge.
What are the benefits?
There are really too many to name. But some of the top of the roster in my experience have been clarity, stress relief, anxiety relief, trauma resolution, deeper connection to our body, stronger immune system, self empowered healing (you are the one doing the work) and in time this practice can be self lead if desired. Emotional integration and synthesis. The list goes on…and you also get to make intentions that could help lead the way.
What is most important to know?
Out of the many tools in my toolbox, what I have found, is that this type of breath may offer one of the most direct paths towards our healing. It has an innate ability to alchemize and transmute what has been there for us, even without knowing, and provide the spacious clearing and clarity towards integrating the work into our waking lives.
It also supports us in what we are wanting to call in. Great clarity and connection can be touched upon so that we are not only supporting what is there be it pain or despair, but also, what we might want more of.
We are humans walking a brave path. For a lot of us, we have unresolved emotions, grief, and challenging relationships with our bodies. These all can create interruptions for us in our experiencing. Our breath is a connection to supporting the resolution of this.
The breath connects us to the places within that words cannot always do justice or the mind always hold space for.
It can be uncomfortable, freeing, joyful, tearful, clarifying, loving and too many other things for me to try and articulate… it is again, about embodiment and embodiment can’t be clarified, it can only be felt.
This likely does not answer all the questions you have. There are plenty that are still surfacing for me even as a facilitator. Bring your questions to the work, this is part of what it can do.
If Breathwork interests you, you are now able to book in a Breathwork healing session with me and experience for yourself how Breath might support your process. I believe this work lands with the right people. Perhaps this is you….
