An Introduction To Breathwork
In ancient societies the breath was used as one of the principal tools for healing and self-realisation. This connection between breath and spirituality is reflected in language:
CHINESE: CHI : air that we breathe & energy of life
HEBREW: RUACH : breath and creative spirit
LATIN: SPIRITUS: breath and spirit.
Modern breathwork
The lineage we are trained in is called Neurodynamic Breathwork, and originates from a technique that was founded by Stanislav Grof called Holotropic Breathwork. These two styles lay the foundation and basic guidance for the way we hold breathwork sessions.
The word Holotropic means movement towards wholeness (Holos=whole , tropic=movement)
Stanislav Grof, the founder of Holotropic Breathwork, is a pioneer of modern breathwork, who studied the potential growth and healing benefits of expanded states of awareness. Neurodynamic Breathwork evolved from the principles of Holotropic Breathwork, taking a more modern approach. There are a few differences in Neurodynamic Breathwork, such as shorter sessions (1 hour instead of 3 hours), but the key principles are the same.
Physiological and psychological effects
Breathwork causes various physiological shifts which contribute to inducing an expanded state of awareness. Brainwave activity is regulated down from beta-waves (normally present in daily life) towards theta waves (present in deep meditative states and trance). The body produces higher levels of CO2 when breathing deeply, and this process lowers blood pH temporarily, making blood more alkaline. Higher blood alkalinity results in reduced electrical flow in some parts of the brain - most importantly in the prefrontal cortex.
The prefrontal cortex is part of the Default Mode Network, which controls our everyday consciousness and our sense of self. It can be thought of as the ‘conductor of the brain-orchestra’: it controls which signals get precedence over others, thus inhibiting other parts of the brain like the limbic system, which involves emotion and memory. The Default Mode Network plays a key role in the creation of mental constructs such as self and ego, which are important for survival, but also result in a sense of separation from others and nature. The Default Mode Network is what quietens down during meditation and flow states.
When the activity of this brain network lessens, the ego mind can temporarily quiet. The limbic system comes online, receiving increased blood flow and O2 consumption as you breathe deeper and faster. This explains why previously unavailable, avoided or suppressed emotions and memories float from the unconscious to the surface of awareness, where they can be worked with and eventually released. Once unconscious patterns, blocks, and traumas become conscious, we are able to understand where they come from, work with them, and release them from our system in an effective way.
Psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich summarises:
“restricted breathing is associated with psychological resistance and defence, and faster, deeper breathing typically loosens psychological defences and leads to emergence and release of unconscious material“
Breathwork and the body
Alongside its impact on the brain, breathwork also directly addresses the body. Modern neurobiology indicates that we also have a heart (cardiac) and gut (enteric) brain, each containing neurons able to sense, process and store information. The Heartmath Institute found that our heart and gut communicate more information to the brain than the brain communicates to the rest of the body. Here modern science circles back to ancient teachings across cultures speaking of different intelligent energetic centres within the body, like the chakras (Vedas) or the Dantian (Dao).
By practicing full, deep breathing we open a doorway to release psychospiritual blockages throughout the body, acknowledging the interconnectedness between mind and body.
That means that breath-work, which may be better thought of as BREATH-SURRENDER, can release tension and blockages that in your everyday awareness may have gone unnoticed. By making the subconscious conscious, we are able to clear out what no longer serves us and make space for what does. This is what the holotropic paradigm, this movement towards wholeness, is all about.
Breath is a language
The breath is the link between the unconscious and the conscious parts of ourselves. It is the only physiological function that is both unconscious and conscious.
When we consider what this means, we can discover that by breathing deeply we communicate with our unconscious, which makes up approximately 95% of our being.
The first and most important step towards remembering our own true nature is the communication we have with ourselves. By giving ourselves permission to look at our suppressed material, our unconscious blocks, our unresolved traumas, that create destructive or disharmonious behavioural patterns in our lives, we begin to understand them, which gives us the possibility to create more harmony in all of our relationships and communities. We can impact the global heart, by healing our own heart first, step by step.
As you read this sentence, you’re invited to take a moment to connect with your breath, and give thanks. Our breath deserves a deep bow of gratitude, for remaining with us, from our first inhale to our last exhale, and every moment in between, and for fueling the innate healing capacity of our body, minds and soul.
Thank you for breathing with us!
