Healing Modality: Breathwork
Breathwork is a healing practice using different techniques and styles of breathing for specific increments of time.
The most widely and well documented ancient and indigenous origin of “breathwork” is pranayama. This is a foundational fourth yogic limb. In Sanskrit, prāņa is vital life force energy, and yāma means to gain control.
Essentially, breathwork is using breath regulation to invite restorative energy back into our bodies.
Why Breathwork Journeys Are so Powerful
I like to think of meditation as a practice for cultivating a relationship with the mind. Whereas breath work is a devotion for cultivating a relationship with the body. Any person can use different breathing techniques for a short period of time to improve their overall wellbeing. However, doing a breathwork journey involves consideration.
A breathwork journey is a purposeful application of consciously working with a connected breathing pattern to create an increased state of oxygenation in the body. This allows one to access expanded states of consciousness (theta brainwave), tap into their subconscious and rebalance the emotional body.
These intentional, facilitated sessions offer an unparalleled opportunity for deep somatic (of the body), emotional and energetic healing, reconciliation and catharsis.
Breathwork journeys are 60 minutes minimum, with at least 45 minutes of active breathing and at least 15 minutes of unwinding.
breath work and breathwork journeys aren’t for everybody, all the time. Here’s what you may experience during breathwork:
Repressed emotions coming to the surface to be felt
Sense of release and relief from heavy baggage or burdens you’ve carried
Dormant memories reappearing without warning
Pure joy and a euphoric state of being
Physical sensations or natural movements that may make you uncomfortable or confused
Examples could be tingling (fuzzy, bubbly), giggly, tearful, anger, orgasmic
Tapping into altered states of consciousness
As a healing arts practitioner, I believe these experiences are important and necessary. However it’s clear that some of these outcomes require a trauma-informed approach and experienced facilitation.
It’s recommended to talk with a Breathwork facilitator to find out if breathwork would be ideal for you and what type of breathwork would be best.
Incorporating Breathwork as a Ritual
Similarly to flower essences, most, if not all, breathing techniques are quite simple to follow, and yet, the impact of breathwork can be complex and powerful.
You could do short breathing exercises on a daily basis or during times of high stress by watching videos or following apps.
For even greater healing benefits, you could attend breathwork classes, follow alongside a digital recording or partner with a practitioner. The latter would be a bigger commitment as these sessions can last anywhere from 90 minutes (1.5 hours) to 180 minutes (3 hours).
Personally, I commit to longer breathwork journeys on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis, depending on what my needs are. I love resorting to shorter breathwork rituals when I’m super stressed out and needing to feel reconnected to my body within an hour.
Options for Getting Your Breathwork On
There are many companies and practitioners offering resources and support to help you practice breathwork! Here are two that I trust and recommend:
How Breathwork is Incorporated into My Healing Offerings
Breathwork is a form of energy healing. It is a major component of my botanical healing ceremonies.
It serves many purposes during ceremonies: opening our intuitive channels, dropping into the body portal and releasing stagnant energy.