Breathwork is a bit of a new trend in self-development; some call it Yoga/Meditation 2.0 due to its very powerful benefits…a bit of a “hack”. It’s an advanced breathing technique (Conscious Connected Breathing is what we practice at y42), a safe and natural way to feel deeply relaxed & joyful, release trauma & gain clarity of mind. For some, it’s an experience of “the real you” behind the veils of fears & trauma, limiting beliefs, ego masks and other barriers.
How does it work?
Through filling yourself with energy and oxygen, the body is powered to heal itself. This can mean releasing emotional traumas, clearing accumulated tension or self-limiting patterns, which may be holding you back either subconsciously or consciously. Also tapping into our intuitive insights to guide our lives and realise the true potential of our unique talents of whom we were born to be. Mostly we keep ourselves busy, distracted and don’t give the body nourishment it needs to do what it is designed to do naturally. When breathing we give ourselves space, time and permission/intent to heal & transform, powering our body with huge amounts of Oxygen/Prana/energy that body uses as it needs at physical, energetic & emotional levels.
Benefits and what you might feel
Breathwork works at many different deep levels as it’s a powerful healer for your body, mind, emotions, and to connect with your higher intuition. It can feel like a relief or release, freedom, energy and confidence to follow your dreams, balance & harmony, love & connection at many levels and mental clarity – as my teacher says, he feels like a genius… & he is! Our teacher’s experience was on a yoga mat and even as a Buddhist monk on a meditation cushion for years. He experienced more in one session of breathwork then his whole time on other techniques!
Physical level | You may experience tetany or claw hands, itchy legs, dizzy, dry throat, hot/cold flushes, energy movements/tensions in body or tears for no reason.
Mind and emotions | You may feel tension in the brain and then a release followed by vivid mental clarity. You may be deeply relaxed and clear of thoughts, but some get powerful visualisations, which might hold deep meaning. Some can be blessed to go through deep emotional trauma releases. Making noises and expressing emotions are very welcome, and by doing so, it might help others also feel into their experience.
Cosmic/Connection | Practice has nothing to do with any religious or spiritual beliefs; it is just a personal experience. For some it can be a very profound cosmic type connection and experience of who we really are.
Some may just feel relaxed lying down & listening to nice music…and that’s it! Which is good too; when did you last take that time for yourself to just relax? The main thing is to trust that your body will do whatever it needs to heal and rejuvenate itself; every persons experience is different, and each experience will be different.
Sharing your journey
The invitation is to breathe through whatever comes up, with a curiosity for the experience and what might be on the other side. You can set an intent for a breathwork session, such as a particular situation, relationship, something limiting you, goal or emotion…or just go with the flow and see what comes up.
It is WORK and there will be barriers to go through
We encourage you to work hard, keep the breathing strong, stay present and not get lost in thought, as this is how you will get the biggest healing and transformational experience. But of course if it feels too intense you can slow down your breath at any time.
Critical to this process is to share your experience with others.
This is important as it can deepen your experience by verbalising what you might otherwise not be clear about, and also will likely help others. We will be doing this as a group after each breathwork, but we do encourage you to continue the enquiry with each other afterwards. What did you feel? What questions came up? What visions did you have? What might that mean for you moving forward?
Trauma healing type conversations are especially welcome. The first stage is to acknowledge it; having the courage to articulate it with a witness can be very healing. It can then burn off – welcome it, feel it, get used to talking about it and it will discharge.
This can be a very deep process for many, so following this process, be kind to yourself, relax, and of course continue to share with each other if that feels right (journaling is also very powerful). Lots of water is always good, but especially recommended after breathwork. The main thing is to enjoy your very special journey!
