“Inhale into the belly, inhale into the chest, exhale.” A simple breathing pattern, with powerful impact.
In 2018, I experienced a somatic healing modality, breathwork, for the first time. At a weeklong retreat in the mountains of Canada, I was guided through what would be a truly healing experience, just by using my breath. This was the beginning of a long and transformative journey with breathwork. Two years after my introduction to the modality, I became a breathwork facilitator and guide through intensive training. I was deeply moved and inspired by the change that had taken place within myself, from something so simple yet profound, and wanted to provide that opportunity for others. So, what is breathwork?
Breathwork comes in many shapes and forms. There are different breathing patterns, lengths of breathing, and styles. Some are laying down, some are sitting, some involve movement, some don’t. At its foundation, breathwork is an intentional way of using the breath to create new physiological, mental, and/or emotional states. When we look more deeply at what breathwork can involve and beyond its foundation, it becomes more nuanced. However, I can speak to the type of breathwork I was trained in and facilitate, which is a 3-part breathing pattern, laying down, for around 45 minutes. It is used as a somatic practice to access deeper emotions, work through past wounding, and experience new states of consciousness or perspectives. By using the breath, stagnant energy, emotion, and belief systems that we are no longer willing to carry are given the opportunity to move and be released. When this occurs, we are invited to step into new ways of being, thinking, and showing up in the world, that are oftentimes in alignment with our deeper, more authentic selves and soul.
While everyone’s experience of breathwork is different, and one’s individual experience of breathwork can change from one class to the next, there are some general themes I’ve noticed in my time as a practitioner. People report experiencing feelings of intense physical and emotional release. Some experience visions of future, empowered versions of themselves; and sometimes, past or younger selves. Trauma or painful events may be revisited and processed with a sense of healing and closure. Decisions that once felt confusing are seen with newfound clarity or peace. Desires and dreams are taken more seriously, and we can see the ways in which we’ve been holding ourselves back from them. Sometimes, one might experience all of the above, or something entirely different altogether.
Some look to breathwork for a spiritual experience, others for a purely physical or emotional one. Oftentimes, all three. When done with intention, I believe that breathwork can provide healing for a wide range of needs.
Sound pretty unbelievable just from breathing? Well, when we give our conscious mind something to focus on (the breath), it allows our subconscious mind, body, and emotions to come to the surface more easily. Our bodies are intelligent vessels that can hold so much more than what is at the forefront of our awareness.
As a breathwork facilitator and a therapist, I believe that each person is the authority of and has the capacity for their healing and growth. We each hold within us the answers for what we need and are truly capable of. My job is to walk alongside you to uncover these answers.