Learn how to reclaim your power, feel safe in your body, and process unresolved emotions and belief systems.
Breathing is easy right? I mean it’s something that our bodies do without thinking about it. Yet even though breathing is literally the most important thing we do, most of us aren’t breathing properly. Enter Breathwork.
So what is this modality called Breathwork? Simply put, Breathwork is when we consciously use our breathing to change the way we feel and think, changing our state of being. Anytime we use a technique involving our breath to change our physical, mental or emotional state, that’s Breathwork.
The technique I teach is called is called Holotropic Breathing. This style was developed by Stanislav Grof, who worked with mind altering psychedelics in the 1960s until they were made illegal. He then discovered that accelerated breathing could put you into a mind-altered state similar to psychedelic experiences where openness and clarity are readily available. All of that without the use of any drugs? Yes, it’s true!
During a session I will look at a person’s breathing patterns and where they are holding onto blockages and tension which are released during the sessions. Every breath correlates with our experiences in life and we tend to hold our breath when we are trying to control emotion or pain. This is a self-healing technique empowering the breather to become a master of their own breath.
I love teaching breathwork because I have seen how the more people experience the beauty of this life force that they already have, the desire (and need) to harness this power helps them create new mindful patterns and habits in their lives. How do I know this? Because breathwork has changed my life, helping me go deeper into my healing and in turn, helping others heal.
Breathwork has been construed as the link between consciousness and the spirit realm. Some maintain that it’s a shortcut to meditation. Whether you practice Breathwork in a yoga class or as part of therapy engaging in controlled accelerated purposeful breathing can actually help control the inner workings of your body, from heart rate variability to calming anxiety. The way we deal with the world, dealing with everyday anxiety, stress, traumas is completely off. Incorporating a mindful breathing pattern for a few breaths, can actually help us literally shift our mood and energy within minutes.
So, how does it work?
When we can get to a place where deep breathing helps us focus on the breath and breathe slowly enough, we are able to deeply connect and better understand what is happening with our outer and inner worlds. When we let go our “monkey mind” and focus on our breath, we are accessing altered states of consciousness where we can begin to heal and clear emotions and negative energy from our body and mind.
Which, unfortunately, due to the fast pace, over stimulating, social media addicted, anxious style of operating that we all fall prey to in our lives, it is difficult to reach that level daily. That’s why I believe EVERYONE should at least give Breathwork a try. Being able to intellectually process what is happening withn yourself is half the battle. The other half is the release that comes from Breathwork.
Now on the scientific side, studies now reveal how breathing may be used to relieve stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD as well as stress-related medical problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease. When we speed up or slow down our breathing, we activate the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses.
By controlling our breath, we can influence the brain and the autonomic nervous system and literally change our mind-body state. By changing the pattern of our breathing, we change the pattern of the information being sent to the brain. Breathing affects every organ, system, and function in the body. Every physiological, psychological, and emotional state has a corresponding breathing pattern.
I guarantee your first Breathwork session will be what we call a “Breathwork Win” and if you really drop in to your breath, you may just end being the next person walking out of class saying “Wtf just happened” and that is what I call a “Breathwork breakthrough”!
Either way, you will leave having a new, easily accessible self-care tool to add to your mindfulness tool belt. This modality has truly been a life saver, heart saver, mood shifter, for me and I am so grateful to teach it!
If you are ready to take the plunge and try a private Breathwork session with me (either in person or via Skype) reach out via email: katherinemcwong@gmail.com
