What is Breathwork/Rebirthing?
Breathwork/Rebirthing is an American form of prana yoga that is closest to Kriya Yoga. It may be called scientific breathing rhythm or spiritual breathing. Simply described, it is a relaxed, intuitive, connected breathing rhythm, in which the inhale is connected to the exhale, and the inner breath is merged with the outer breath. This merging of pure life energy with air sends vibrations through the nervous system and circulatory system cleaning the body, the human aura, and nourishes and balances the human mind and body.
Breathwork/Rebirthing is a safe and powerful breathing process that releases tension from the body, freeing it, so that we may live to our highest vision and unlimited potential. The breath is the ultimate healer. It is the umbilical cord to the divine. By using a variety of smoothly connected breaths, energy which may be called Prana, Chi or Ki, or life force, is taken into the body dissolving and washing away anything that is contrary to life. When this takes place we become aware of our blocks and what has been holding us back; an inner cleansing occurs.
In a Breathwork/Rebirthing session - which lasts about 2 hours - you have the opportunity to clear completely all the negative patterns that you've built up, the fears of not feeling good enough, the destructive patterns, the behaviors that you've built up over time. It's like being a sponge and finally getting an opportunity to clear and release everything. You literally breathe underneath the pain, fear, trauma, and let it go. This is not a mind therapy, it works with and on an emotional level. Different people react in different ways: some people cry, some express anger, some are very quiet. It does not matter how you react, what matters is that the process works and works very quickly.
Rebirthing/Breathwork is a powerful breathing process, based on the philosophy that thought is creative. Transformation occurs through the use of a simple, yet profound, connected breathing technique together with life enhancing thoughts and declarations. The process helps you release old, negative thought patterns and feelings and so gives you freedom to develop new ways of living, loving and connecting. The essential breathing technique that is used has been known to Yogis and mystics for centuries as a way of cleansing the body and liberating the spirit. In the 20th century it was developed in America as a tool to go deeper into examining and healing the most profound trauma of our lives, the birth process.
You remember your birth in every cell of your body. This is true even though there may be no conscious memory of what happened. Together with the safe, loving guidance of a breathworker you can begin to connect with your birth, start to see where your most life-diminishing patterns have come from, and change them
Breathwork Sessions:
In a breathwork session the client focuses on maintaining a connection between inhale and exhale, breathing as fully as possible for an hour or more. Your body gets filled with energy and is nourished as it receives more oxygen than it is accustomed to.
Toxins are released from the muscles and cells, and exhaled. As the body and cells are cleansed and energized they also release emotional and mental "toxins" that are the result of emotions and traumas that have been suppressed and held in the body.
The client becomes more aware of thoughts, behaviors, and emotional patterns that are holding them back from living their lives the way they desire. Many times just breathing through and releasing the suppressed energy is enough to create a profound psychological/emotional shift for the participant.
Many times the suppression that comes up and is released is related to birth trauma. When a client has released enough suppression (usually in 6-8 private sessions) they have mastered the breath and feel safe enough with the process to breathe by themselves whenever they want.