Share this
Twitter
Digg
Del.icio.us
StumbleUpon
Yahoo
Blogmarks
Diigo
Technorati
Googlize this
Blinklist
Facebook
Wikio
Hear this text
Print
E-mail
Vote (0)
RSS
Tags
Ancient Tradition has it that God created man by breathing life into mud. Many people today are rediscovering this primal creative breath and in so doing opening the door to an astounding experience of Self. Breathwork not only opens this door but also becomes a self-guided tool for daily centering and creativity.Measuring ourselves and our worth by external standards is what has led to competitive and shame based egos. Honoring and experiencing our connection to the Spirit of Breath within is the great equalizer, the leveler of egos and the birth of new life based on our essential Self.
The entrance to this life of heightened awareness is literally right under our nose–our breath. It is so simple as to be easily dismissed. But the most profound is the most simple–not necessarily the most easy. Forms of breathwork have been with us probably since breathing was invented. Various forms of yoga have used breath awareness and mastery for thousands of years. It was a rediscovery and a popularization of new breathwork techniques in the 1970's (known as rebirthing) by Leonard Orr that has ignited a fire that is spreading around the globe at an astonishing rate.
A breathwork session typically involves approximately an hour of concentrated connected breathing that works on the levels of body, mind and spirit.
Body:
Learning how to sustain a relaxed yet full breathing rhythm through whatever tension that arises in the body is a precious gift. Chronic holding patterns in muscle as well as connective tissue can be released without exterior manipulation. Once this is learned, a life-long method of tension relief is attained. This is an art form and not a mechanical process. One must sense the right breathing pattern for the appropriate circumstances. Like any skill, it develops with practice.They are individually developed tools for the reconstruction of a new consciousness. Along with the continued practice of the breathing technique, the affirmations provide a daily reinforcement of a new level of enjoyment in life.
Spirit:
Breathwork's underlying philosophy is that the key to new life is accepting total responsibility for union with your Self or oneness with the Divine Spirit. This means a willingness to go beyond your small self and letting your breath be your guide and friend en route. This is not a process of speculation and philosophizing but rather of direct experience. No one tells you your truth. You know it directly by virtue of your courage to go past fears and self doubts. Others celebrate with you on your path but do not control or interpret it for you.Cycle of Breath:
A breathwork session often involves:- a beginning in which one experiments and discovers how to sustain a connected full rhythm,
- a middle period of building an energetic charge to a point of release, and
- an ending period during which the released energy is grounded and suggestions for application are integrated.
Breath and Energy Releases:
Holding patterns in our breath mechanism frequently date back to our very birth. Many people have actual memories of their birth and the fear that generated their holding. But this memory is not necessary to the release process. There is a distinct difference in the ease and pleasure of the breath after the moment of breath release. This is most often followed by an energy release felt throughout the body. The physical sensations of this vary with individuals and relate to dissolution of our chronic areas of suppression.Completion:
Most people work through a series of five to ten sessions with a breath coach or breathworker to gain the confidence to continue the practice on their own. This practice involves a heightened awareness of the breath as a moment-by-moment barometer of our conscious states. The practice is furthered by occasional formal sessions done alone, with a friend or a breathworker. This does not guarantee permanent bliss but gives me direct access to a "powerful medicine" for the altering of stuck energies–physical, mental and spiritual. More and more I experience the truth that all that I need is inside me.Resources:
The International Breathwork Training Alliance (breathworkalliance.org) is a central source for information on affiliated breathwork centers worldwide as well as research and literature in several languages. Groups, seminars, books and tapes are available to reinforce the skills. These are many and varied.Professionals and non-professionals have used the trainings to enhance their healing skills. Some of the disciplines incorporating breathwork include psychotherapists, occupational and physical therapists, nurses, physicians, dentists, massage therapists and other body and energy workers.
The uniqueness of this skill is that its origins are grassroots and always seem to defy sole ownership or patenting. Its principles can be adapted to virtually any healing or growth medium.
Breathwork transformed my life in the 1970s and continues to be my major vehicle for self-discovering and growth. People from all over the planet are finding this new way to measure their growth - not against externally imposed standards, but with a tool that enlarges their experience to their higher Self - indeed to an experience of themselves beyond measure.
