Pranayama & Breathwork - it’s all about breathing science.
Nowadays, there are many breathing practices out there in the world. It can be easy to get confused by all of this. The breathing exercise that you might have experienced in a yoga class is completely different to a transformational Breathwork session. Not all Breathwork techniques will be relaxing and entirely enjoyable. Let’s take as an example a yogic pranayama technique that is called ‘alternative nostril breathing‘, which is there to relax you deeply. Then there are Breathwork sessions that can be totally exhilarating, such as Conscious Connected Breathwork sessions.
“One transformational Breathwork session is equivalent to about two years of psychotherapy.”
— Dr. Henry Rohrberg, Ph.D
PRANAYAMA
Breathing exercises within the yogic tradition are known as Pranayama. Prana means vital energy (life force) or breath. Yama means control. Pranayama is a practice of controlling the breath that helps regulate the flow of prana or life energy throughout the body. Controlled breathing achieved through a various range of Pranayama techniques lets you slow down the five-lane highway that is your mind. Pranayama involves different breathing techniques and exercises for enhancing the quality and quantity of the breath, promoting physical and mental balance and harmony. Pranayama techniques are an essential component of yoga practice and are believed to offer numerous health and wellness benefits such as calming the mind, reducing stress, enhancing lung function, improving circulation, and boosting immunity. Pranayama can be practiced on it's own or with movement, and pretty much anytime anywhere.
BREATHWORK
Breathwork is a more general term that encompasses a broader range of breathing techniques used for different purposes and in different contexts, such as meditation, therapy, team buidling and fitness. It is an umbrella term for the act of consciously affecting our breath. The term Breathwork is often used to describe different styles of circular or Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB) but also Functional Breathwork.
There is no prior experience needed for Breathwork.
CONSCIOUS CONNECTED BREATHWORK
Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB) is a powerful self-healing modality that uses conscious, connected (circular) breathing to enter an altered state of consciousness while simultaneously unlocking repressed emotions and clearing stagnant energy from the mind, body & spirit. CCB allows the entire system to oxygenate in an intentional way through the elimination of the pause between the inhale & exhale. By gently increasing oxygenation of the body it invokes profound healing and inner transformation as it helps you to let go of what no longer serves you. This transformational breathing technique is used to create physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being for the participant. A CCB session typically is between 60 to 120 minutes in length and practiced alongside powerful ceremonial music that will have a big influence on the breather’s experience.
Conscious Connected Breathwork should always be done with a sitter. The sitter is a crucial element in this somatic container as they ensure that the process can unfold in a safe and undisturbed way, they can offer support to the breather if it's required and can help to ensure that the Breathwork process itself is completed as much as possible in that moment.
Doing this style of Breathwork and diving deep into your subconscious mind can be confronting at times as it can bring up parts of you that you have kept hidden for a long time. However, it needs to be highlighted that the great advantage of this type of healing modality is that you have total control of how far you would like to go during a session.
Popular variants of CCB include:
Transformational Breathwork, Rebirthing Breathwork, The Wim Hof Method, Biodynamic Breathwork and the Sacred Breath Method.
THE SACRED BREATH METHOD
The Sacred Breath Method (SBM) is a method of Conscious Connected Breathwork. The SBM is a nose-inhale mouth-exhale cycle which specifically activates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body to enter states of altered consciousness, deep recalibration, unwinding and rejuvenation. The intentionally-crafted nose-inhale methodology is to invite a more full-spectrum and holistic quality to the work. The SBM honors longer journeys, nourishing, safe and therapeutic containers and free-form/ uninhibited expression. We celebrate the intelligence of the body in that each person’s innate wisdom knows exactly what it needs to do to heal and rebalance, and in our journeys we give you the sacred space to do just that. An important pillar of this method is the recognition and focus on the fact that post breath processing and integration is equally as important as the journey itself. Many who have studied and implemented the SBM say it is the next caliber of transpersonal healing and find it to be completely life-changing.
Coming back to your BREATH is like coming HOME to yourself.
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