Breathwork

Breathwork is a form of therapy that involves focusing on a method of breathing in order to stimulate and coerce unidentified emotional states. It was developed by Leodard Orr, Kris Cassidy, Stanislav Grof, and Christine Grof. Becoming fully aware of our emotions allows us to gain control of them and minimizes the hold they have on us. In addition, the recognition of one’s emotions enables them to feel more positive, aware and liberated. When one learns to control their breathing they become able to breathe in challenging situations or under circumstances in which one would ordinarily hold their breath. This liberation allows the release of pent up energy and can provide a client with an intense feeling of relief and calm. Many people who practice breathwork report feeling a sense of being “reborn;” and this form of therapy is often referred to as “rebirthing.”

• Premises of Breathwork
• Resources Related to Breathwork

Premises of Breathwork

1) Most people have had their natural state of breathing compromised since birth by various conditions, internal and external. On average, a person’s breathing apparatus functions at a minimal capacity due to mental, physical and emotional stimuli experienced throughout his lifetime. Past circumstances have programmed a person to breathe in a particular way during specific situations, usually those that cause stress or anxiety. Rather than being forced to relive that pattern of abbreviated and stifled breath, the techniques taught in breathwork allow a person to focus on the present and stay grounded in the current events surrounding them while maintaining a fuller sense of energy flow throughout their body.

2) The body as a whole functions at optimal conditions when the breathing apparatus is performing at its maximum level. Proper breathing is known to rejuvenate and stimulate the body’s own healing processes and the mind, body and spirit connection is strengthened. This simple technique can be a very powerful tool for self-healing, inner growth and physical and mental transformation.

Resources Related to Breathwork:

Breath Mastery.com - The Teaching of Dan Brule

Heart Centered Living

Eupsychia Institute - Integrative Breathwork

The Association of Holotropic BreathworkTM International (AHBI)

Wikipedia's Page about Breathwork