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Articles Breathwork Varieties of Breathwork: Choosing what is right for you by Jim Morningstar, Ph.D.
Articles Breathwork Varieties of Breathwork: Choosing what is right for you by Jim Morningstar, Ph.D.
01 February 2010
Posted in
BreathWork
In this article you will
see the great variety and tradition behind the healing and transformative
powers of conscious breathing. You will also begin to explore what techniques
might be beneficial for your personal health and well- being. Breathing is a unique process
in our body. It is both under the control of the autonomic nervous system,
taking place automatically whether we are aware of it or not. And it
is under our conscious control, we are able to alter it with our conscious
will.
Conscious Breathing
Modern medicine addresses
the issues of autonomic dysfunction of breathing through pulmonary therapies
from simple devices to support upper airway flow during sleep through
surgical methods like tracheotomy with ventilator support. Breathwork,
on the other hand, is the art and science of using our conscious intention
to alter our breathing for specific purposes. Control of our breathing
is accomplished in many ways. On the physical level, the principle breathing
muscle is the diaphragm, the dome shaped muscle upon which our lungs
are supported. The diaphragm in some traditions is called the “spiritual
muscle” because of its role in lifting our spirits, maintaining our
health, vitality and well being. Other muscles of the ribs, stomach,
back and pelvis also play an important role in our freedom and openness
of breathing.
Besides controlling our breathing
muscles, other ways of affecting our breathing include the use of: movement,
e.g. aerobic exercise; posture, e.g. Hatha yoga; touch, e.g. massage;
and sound, e.g. toning or singing (Lewis, 2004). Breathing techniques
will tend to focus on:
- abdominal (diaphragmatic) breathing, engaging the parasympathetic nervous system to process calm meditative qualities such as many yogic techniques provide,
- costal (chest) breathing engaging the sympathetic nervous system to process emotional energy such as early forms of rebirthing or primal therapy promote, or
- integrative (using both
diaphragm and chest) breathing such as Therapeutic Breathwork
teaches. Each will vary with using the nose or mouth or combinations
of the two for inhaling and exhaling, as well as the rate, amplitude
and patterning of the breath.
Traditions of Breathwork
In China, for example, very
precise breathing exercises have been developed at least since the rise
of Taoism in 2,700 BC. Some estimate the number of there exercises,
collectively called Qigong (or Chi Kung), to be between 3,000 and 10,000.
Good mental and physical health was regarded by the Chinese monks as
part of spiritual development to reach higher levels of consciousness.
Breathing exercises are used in Chinese medicine to correct yin and
yang life force imbalances, seen as the source of illness. Very lyrical
descriptions are given to these exacting practices such as: The Breathing
of Usefulness, The Breathing of Harmony, The Breathing of Self Esteem
and the Breathing of Love. Breath control was also essential to the
mastery of martial arts (Minett, 2004).
At least as old are the yogic
breathing exercises developed in India called pranayama. Many of these
exercises stress “inner breathing” which result from a relaxed body
and mental openness which the science of yoga strives toward. The various
forms of yoga use conscious awareness of the breath to achieve union
with the universal forces that surround us, bringing the body and mind
into harmonious alignment. Pranayama is used in traditional Indian Ayur-Vedic
medicine as a vital healing agent.
The ancient cultures of Tibet,
Greece and Egypt all had important breath practices. Islamic and Christian
traditions and native cultures around the world used breathing to affect
transformative changes in ritual and healing arts. The !Kung people
of the Kalahari Desert today, as for thousands of years, use ritual,
dance and rapid breathing to reach !kia, a transcendental state giving
them supernatural powers.
More modern developments in
the use of breath in physiological and emotional as well as physical
healing have come with the advent of body therapies from Wilhelm Reich
(Vegetotherapy) and Alexander Lowen (Bioenergetics) to current Therapeutic
Breathwork techniques (Morningstar, 1994). Specialized forms of breathwork
have evolved to deal with specific issues such as the Buteyko Method
created by a Russian doctor to reverse the effects of asthma. More of
these developments will be explored in later articles.
For now, however, how does
one begin to make sense of this plethora of breath wisdom available
from so many sources? To make a sound choice for yourself let’s review
our vowels A, E, I, O, U and Y (sustained sound comes from an exhale
and a vowel).
Choosing what is right for you
Attention - pay attention
to the quality of your breathing. Is it free and easy? Answer the questions
from Gay Hendricks (p. ix, 1995).
THE BREATH TEST
Find out in a minute if you
need conscious breathing
Take a moment to answer these
twelve questions:
- When you take a deep breath, do you inflate your chest?
- Do you tire easily or wake up tired?
- Do you experience racy or mildly queasy sensations in your chest or stomach?
- Do you often feel you are not getting a full breath?
- Do you get mild or severe headaches, often in the afternoon?
- Is you breathing shallow?
- Is your breath mostly up in your chest?
- Are your muscles often tense or sore to the touch?
- Do you sigh often?
- Do you sometimes have painful sensations in your rib cage or shooting pains that make you want to hold your breath?
- Do you feel breathless fairly often?
- In repose, do you breathe more than fifteen times a minute?
All of these symptoms can
be caused by ineffective breathing. All of them can disappear as you
learn to breathe more effectively. If you answered yes to any of these
questions, you can benefit from conscious breathing practices. If you
answered yes to three or more, you will find the activities extremely
useful, perhaps even life-changing.
Experiment - try the
exercises recommended in the various references I have cited or on the
Web site of the IBTA <www.breathworkalliance.org>. Contact a breathworker or bodyworker
who focuses on helping you breathe more effectively.
Intuition - trust your
intuition about what will best serve your physical, emotional, mental
and spiritual well-being. This may not always be what is easiest or
most logical - or it may be. By following your intuition, it will either
confirm what is right for you or lead you to the next step of your growth.
Observation - notice
the results of your practice on the quality of your life. This does
not always mean an immediate improvement in all your symptoms. Even
when your “pot gets stirred” you may still know you are on the right
track to clearing.
Understanding - put
the changes, slow and steady or quick and dramatic, in the context of
your life. There is a bigger picture, perhaps, than just symptom relief
as to why you were called to breathwork. Breathwork is a holistic approach
to putting all of you together. Breath is the rainbow bridge uniting
all levels of our being.
You - are the “proof
in the pudding.” Do you feel a deeper partnership with the breath
in generating greater awareness and aliveness? This is the final test
as to what is right for YOU.
Therapeutic Breathwork Exercise
#2:
Direct your attention to a
part of your body each day that seems to call for healing or care. Have
your body in a non-constricted position. Imagine sending your breath
to that area easily and freely with a loving intention for three to
five minutes without forcing or trying to make something happen. Simply
bathe that area in your breath. Again, making notes on your observations
will be helpful.
References
Lewis, Dennis. Free Your Breath,
Free Your life. Buston:
Shambala, 2004.
Minett, Gunnel. Exhale. Edinburgh,
UR: Floris Books, 2004
Morningstar, Jim. Breathing in
Light and Love. Milwaukee: Transformations, 1994.
Hendricks, Gay. Conscious Breathing.
New York: Bantam, 1995.
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Jim Morningstar, Ph.D. is
director of Transformations Incorporated: Creative Consulting and Counseling
Services, the School of Integrative Psychology, the Transformations
Breathwork Training Program, and Continuing Education for Professionals
in Milwaukee, WI. Jim is also the co- Director of the IBTA (International
Breathwork training Alliance) info@transformationsusa.com
(414) 351 5770
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IBTA Mission:
The International Breathwork Training
Alliance (IBTA) is a consortium of professional breathwork schools,
trainers, and practitioners who support and promote the integration
of breathwork in the world as an accessible and vital healing modality
that facilitates physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual wellness.
You can reach the IBTA by visiting: http://breathworkalliance.com/