The Power Of Breathing

The past few years has shown a recent surge in Breathwork and the more popular it becomes, the more we see that the breath has a corresponding effect on how we think and feel. The power of breathing is very underestimated and yet, it is the one thing that we cannot live without for more than a few moments.

Breathwork has shown to positively effect conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression. Even a few deep breaths can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels and increase parasympathetic tone. Breathwork is also known to alkalise the blood PH, increase muscle tone, it has anti-inflammatory effects, elevates the mood, and can bring clarity of the mind, as well as bring emotional and physical release of old tension patterns stored in the body. Clients who receive regular breath sessions have reported profound shifts in mental and physical health and are able to learn tools and techniques to support them in their day to day life.

Breath is the way we access life force, sexual, creative, kundalini energy. We are often afraid to allow this energy to flow, sometimes afraid of it’s power. And in some cases there is shame related to this energy due to religious, family or cultural conditioning. We breathe shallowly and contract our body to prevent us from feeling, as well as numbing and disconnecting from our emotions and physical sensations. Through breath work, bodywork and movement, we can begin to awaken and connect with all energy and sensations available to us, bringing about long lasting changes and shifts. We begin to feel truly alive and once again, open to the possibilities of life and connection.

The breath is the ultimate multi-functional tool for life which we can use to regulate our system as and when is required. Through the breath it is possible to charge and energise the body with the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. It is possible to move into rest and digest through the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. You may achieve deep states of relaxation, heightened states of consciousness, or release long held trauma and emotions from the body. There are many types of breathwork to choose from. Some teach nostril breathing, some teach mouth breathing, some teach breath retention. Some experience breathwork as an outer body experience, some experience it as an IN the body experience. Others describe it as a shamanic or healing process. Each persons experience is highly individual and unique. And one session can be very different to the next.

We highly recommend you have a series of sessions with a professional. It is common for old traumas to reveal themselves through a breath session, and the involuntary physical sensations which can show up in a session may also take a little getting used to. It is therefore advisable that you are held in a safe space and come to experience your body as a safe container before you try this at home. Please consult your doctor before you start a breathwork practice if you have a history of cardiovascular issues, including high blood pressure, or are currently taking antipsychotic medications. Please ensure you inform your breathwork practitioner of any existing mental or physical health conditions to ensure that the session can be adapted to support your needs.

The benefits of breathwork include:

• Increased energy and vitality, deep relaxation and a sense of presence and connection with oneself

• Somatic healing and integration; release of the tension patterns which are held in the body related to stress and trauma exposure

• heightened resiliency; increased capacity to respond rather than react to all that life presents

• A multitude of health benefits may be achieved through regular breathwork sessions

• Mental clarity, connection to creative, inspired, life force and sexual energy

• Release of self-limiting beliefs; self empowerment and connection to intuition

• A return to innocence, remembering the joy of play, wonder and curiosity

• New awareness of relationships and life circumstances

• Connection to source and oneness through heighented states of consciousness

• Integration of the Fight/Flight/Freeze energy which is stored in the body