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Breathwork: Distinctions

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It’s an assumption of understanding, a confusion of techniques – breathwork is defined by public perception, with no distinction offered for its teachings. Inhalations are believed to be identical; intentions are too often tangled; and each practice is exchanged for another, the names ignored and the meanings lost. They are thought to be the same. They are thought to be without individual purpose.

This is incorrect.

There are many unique forms of breathwork – each with their own beliefs, processes and history. The differences between them are offered in every exhalation; and these must be understood to receive the advantages they provide. There can be no confusion, only relief.

To obtain that relief, however, individuals must be made aware of the various practices. It is through this that knowledge can be found – and subsequently used.

The most common forms of breathwork to be noted are:

1. Rebirthing. Established in 1974 as a psychological practice, Rebirthing emphasizes the connected breath; a process in which the follower does not pause between inhaling or exhaling. It is instead a continuous motion. This is meant to stimulate oxygen levels within the blood and cause a sensation similar to be born.

2. Holotropic. Determined to unlock unconscious secrets, Holotropic breathwork was formed within the late 1960’s. Through group sessions, the purpose is to control all breathing (steadily quickening the rhythm as the hour unfolds). This is meant to relieve stress and leave the mind open to exploration.

3. Vivation. With an intention to remove fear, Viviation is rooted most in the practices of Yoga. It calls for mediation, self-awareness and circular breathing. This allows it to be without the usual forced exhalations and removes the concerns of hyperventilation or hypoxia.

The many processes of breathwork share a common goal – to ease tension and pain. Their attempts to do this, however, are distinguished from each other. Individuals must understand this to create the best decision for themselves.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: Alternative, Breathing, Breathwork, Exhalation, Government, Health, Rebirthing-breathwork, United States

Holotropic Breathwork: The Importance of Partnering

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It is a common misconception – crafted from misunderstandings and flawed reasoning, the consequences of forgetting the purpose of inhalations. Breathwork is thought to be a singular study, without need (or desire) for the support of others. Air is to be kept solitary. There are to be no shares of conversation. There are to be no tangled experiences. Instead there is merely to be the silence of an individual and his own thoughts.

But such thoughts are not to be tucked away from the world, kept without companionship. They are instead to be expressed – received by others and examined for their many meanings. This can be a process of partners, and no process proves that more effectively than Holotropic Breathwork.

Simply explained: Holotropic Breathwork is the use of rapid breaths to stimulate memories or emotions. By filling the veins with an excess of oxygen, blood is enabled to move more efficiently through the brain. This helps to generate the necessary functions to retrieve long since forgotten feelings.

Those feelings are not to be shaped into secrets, however. They are instead to be given to a partner. Holotropic Breathwork relies on relationships to succeed. During a meeting there are Experiencers (who are the subjects for that hour) and there are also Sitters (who stay with the Experiencer, ensuring they are without pain or confusion). The purpose of this is to establish a sense of trust within each individual. The process becomes a less frightening thing when another is present to share in it. This breeds familiarity and in turn allows the session to be a calm one – which is vital.

The utilization of partners is uncommon within the world of breathwork. It is not, however, to be dismissed because of that. Instead it is to be embraced as a revolution of inhalations and their intentions. Holotropic is both a comfort and an ease. It works.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: A Course in Miracles, Alternative, Breathwork, Disappearance of the Universe, Gary Renard, Health, Holotropic Breathwork, United States

Vivation: The Necessity of Relaxation

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There is a common fear within the world, a concern of breathing and its potential – while all exhalations are deemed natural, the force of them through rapid succession (or too long pauses) is instead considered worrisome. Breathwork is defined by many as dangerous. Its desire to regulate air to unnatural patterns is thought to promote panic within the mind and body: lungs can swell beyond their expected forms; thoughts can be tricked into fearing for their existence due to a sudden decrease in oxygen; and the throat can suddenly bubble with nervous words and laughters, the signs of hyperventilation. There are, it is argued, too many concerns with this practice. It can fail often and cost much.

And this is why Vivation has become such an easy alternative.

Defined without messy jargons or technicalities: Vivation is the use of mediation to relieve stress. It practices recognizing sensations by becoming aware of a body’s needs and responses – which reflect emotional states. Most importantly, however, it does not require the use of too quick breathing or too disconcerting lulls. It instead employs a circular reasoning; and this becomes vital for those who are concerned with possible dangers.

Circular breathwork allows for every exhalation to be relaxed. It is not forced to awkward rhythms, strange sequences. It is instead allowed to form naturally, with the individual controlling its speed and depth. This helps to ensure that no anxieties are triggered. The mind will not turn frantic with the unfamiliarity of air. It will instead recognize the pattern and remain comforted – which will allow the breather to continue with the process, rather than having to stop to appease the constant panic attacks.

Vivation allows for a safe and successful experience. Breathwork is no longer considered too upsetting. It is instead merely natural and offers an ease that cannot be denied.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: Anxiety, Breathwork, Disorders, Health, Hyperventilation, Mental health, Panic attack, Vivation

Breathe Work

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It’s an all too easy mistake, experienced by all too many individuals: breathwork is assumed to be simple, with its techniques confused to mere inhalations and its warnings ignored. There can be no danger, it’s assumed. Plucking air from the world is, after all, a common thing – it shapes our very existence. Believing it to be anything more than natural seems to be the greatest of impossibilities. It can be accomplished by anyone and there is no need for supervision or concern.

It is this philosophy that has caused far too many complications. Breathwork is confused for mere breathing and offers dangerous results; such as hypoxia–which is the deprivation of oxygen within the brain–and its resulting symptoms of exhaustion, nausea, seizures or even comas. This occurs when those who are not trained in appropriate practices simply mimic what they assume to be correct (learned often from online suggestions or occasional videos). A miscalculation is made and the mind is denied the air it needs. When this occurs, panic immediately breaches every thought; with an individual unable to return to his normal patterns. Further oxygen is lost and hypoxia begins.

And it’s because of this that breathwork has received a reputation of failure. All assume it to be unreliable and dangerous, offering nothing beyond concern. This is not true. When performed properly, and with the assistance of a certified teacher, this process can be highly successful. Its practices are steeped in the past, learned from countless centuries. It is recognized throughout the world as a legitimacy.

Too often, however, are there accidents to accompany that legitimacy. Without supervision (or at least a well learned understanding of all steps), breathwork can become anxiety inducing; which will lead to the dreaded hypoxia. It must be stressed, though, that this not because of the process itself. It’s because it is tried without knowledge.

Do not feign understanding. Breathwork must instead be mastered carefully before any attempt is made.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: Alternative, Blood pressure, Breathwork, Harvard Medical School, Health, Hypoxia, Mental health, Shopping

Easing Stress: Breathwork

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Yours is not an easy life. It is defined to obligations – the demands of family and friends, the hectic hours of a job. No day is easy. It’s instead a collection of little exhaustions, the never ending pleads for your time, your attention. The world, it seems, would be lost without you; and so you must continually answer its calls, ignoring the tension they cause, the burdens of anxiety. Your body is knotted tight with worry but you can’t even offer a promise of relief. There is always something to do and somewhere to be. Even sleep denies you the chance to relax. All thoughts are consumed instead to what the next morning will bring.

You need a change. You need to breathe.

And breathwork therefore is the best alternative.

You are, of course, skeptical. The notions of meditation and controlled air seem too simplistic. You think them without merit – wastes of seconds and consideration. The truth, however, is that this practice can instead offer the comfort you’ve been lacking. It’s not a replacement for the too long forgotten vacations. It’s instead a utilization of natural support.

Breathwork allows an individual to gain mastery over his or her body. This is done by following carefully detailed techniques (which must first be learned from a certified instructor) that force a change of breathing patterns and depths. Variety allows oxygen to enter the blood with far more potency, stimulating the mind and that ever reclusive energy that always seems lost when the afternoon arrives. Through this stress can be reduced – with all anxiety shaped into a far easier sensation: clarity.

Breathwork is recommended for those who have far too many duties and far too little time. It requires meager moments to be completed and can offer immediate rewards.

The purpose is not to ignore your obligations. It is instead to be able to face them now without panic.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: Anxiety, Books, Breathwork, Disorders, Health, Mental health, Shopping, Stress

Breathwork: Answering Criticisms

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There has forever been a call for proof within the scientific world. No theories are enough to earn interest. No evidence of anecdotes can persuade. Facts and figures must instead be offered – with data able to repeat itself again and again, its results defined as credible. There can be no variations. There can be no doubts. All experiments must validate themselves to be considered worthy. Without repetition there can be no assurance – and, because of this, breathwork is often thought to be false by its peerage.

It is assumed that the mere practice of controlled breathing cannot sustain itself. The medical community views this notion with contempt (or, worse, apathy). There is no offering of trust, only the refusal to concede even the possibility of success. Breathwork, it is claimed, cannot be justified. It is therefore not to be acknowledged.

But achieving the necessary justification is an improbability within itself. This is a highly individual (and highly malleable) process. It reflects the emotions and efforts of the ones who try to obtain it. This leads all consequences to be wildly distinctive. One breather’s measure of success may be quite different than another’s – and it is those differences that lead breathwork to be above the normal criticisms.

These are not contained experiments. Their reactions cannot be quantified without change. They are reliant on pure human feeling; and that makes them unable to be calculated to the typical degrees. Breathwork is not a common medicinal process. It is not formed on hypotheses and eventual solidity. It is instead an ever evolving evaluation of air. Its meanings will always be unique.

Criticisms therefore are often without meaning or rationality. The demands for proof cannot be answered – at least not in ways that will satisfy. It is instead found in the response of individuals and the rising statistics supporting breathwork and its practices.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: A Course in Miracles, Alternative, Breathwork, Disappearance of the Universe, Health, Medicine, Stress (biology), Yoga

Spreading the Word About Breathwork

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There are hundreds of types of breathwork that have been around for a number of years. There is breathwork that deals with psychological issues, breathwork that handles stress and even breathwork that can help you quit smoking. If there’s a medical or psychological issue out there then there is probably a breathwork course that claims to cure, help or relieve the symptoms associated with the medical issue.

Even though breathwork has been around for centuries it’s still a relatively new concept. Breathwork has just started gaining momentum over the past decade or so. As people are turning to holistic and natural cures for various medical and emotional problems, breathwork has started to gain a bigger following.

Even with the huge following there are still many people who haven’t heard about breathwork. They don’t understand what it is, how it can help medical or emotional problems and how they can benefit from taking part in breathwork courses. Due to the limited amount of information that is out there about breathwork it’s up to practitioners and those that practice breathwork to spread the word.

Here are two ways that you can help spread the word about breathwork.

1. Hold informational seminars. Many people who take part in breathwork sessions hold informational seminars so that people can learn more about the benefits of breathwork. These seminars can be held at libraries, hospitals, assisted living facilities or even on college campuses.

2. Invite a friend to come along. Many people who practice breathwork do so in a group setting. If you have a friend that might be interested invite them along to see what breathwork can do for them. Sometimes you have to see it to really understand the benefits. Inviting a friend along allows them to be able to experience breathwork while getting information and having first hand experience with it.

Filed Under: Alternative Practices, Breathwork Groups Tagged With: Alternative medicine, Assisted living, Breathwork, Health, Medicine, Psychology, Seminar, Smoking cessation

Breathwork Retreats: Support Found

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There is one great truth of humanity: we were never meant to stand alone. Civilizations were formed on what had once been solitary borders; isolated shepherds led their flocks forward, seeking more than mere hills. A singular existence was (and is) deemed an unwanted one. Thoughts are instead to be explored. Conversations are to be given to more than the wind. We are to seek each other out and experience the world together – as well as, of course, experiencing breathwork together.

While it seems an impossible thing to share air with others (mediation is thought to be a lonely process, quiet in its effects and hidden from intrusions), it is instead a logical one. There is comfort to be found in the presence of similar individuals, all seeking to learn of breathwork and its advantages. There are lessons to discover and techniques to trade. This is not meant to be an independent practice. It’s instead to be offered to all.

There is often confusion, however, on how to accomplish this. Classes are considered too challenging; they can’t be scheduled with the frequency they require, unable to be placed within the obligations of family and a career. Occasional sessions seem unworthy. They allow no chance to build relationships, find friends. Breathwork, you’re certain, cannot be achieved as it’s meant to be – unless a retreat is considered.

These unique gatherings (typically lasting for either a few days or a mere week) enable you to separate yourself from the distractions of the world, giving your time instead to the philosophies of breathing. You can seek out certified instructors, fellow beginners and those with far more experience than yourself. Such a wide range of individuals will allow you to receive the full benefits of this process, without having to spare too much of your everyday life.

Retreats can be found by simple searches – look for the craved locations, types of breathwork and costs. Schedule then accordingly.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: A Course in Miracles, Alternative, Breathwork, Colorado, Disappearance of the Universe, Fly fishing, Health, Religion and Spirituality

Buteyko Breathing: Explained

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It’s a rush of panic, the tight curl of a throat – a season has come, summoning all the vicious symptoms, the unfortunate consequences. An asthma attack is a common horror for the spring but no less a frightening one. It leaves you staggering to your knees, trying to find air for your desperate lungs. You fail and medication is instead required, injected into veins to ease their trembling. The effect is to be quick but it’s still not enough: anxiety has shaped you helpless. You cannot control your body. You cannot control your mind. You are instead captured to the whims of a disease, and there seems to be no cure.

There is, however, a relief.

Buteyko Breathing (established in the late 1960′s) is a form of breathwork that seeks to soothe the perils of asthma. It is rare in this purpose. Often these techniques are meant for spiritual pursuits or mediation. Buteyko, however, attempts to offer medicinal aid – and has proven itself to be worthy.

Created by Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko – a Ukrainian physician and health revolutionary – this breathwork practice borrows from its Hindu roots in its call for controlled inhalations, variations of speeds and relaxation. The intention is to train the body to calm itself through the rhythms of exhaling; and this calm is essential in countering asthma.

When an attack begins, the first impulse is to provide an excess of breaths. Individuals sense the impending complications and try to combat them by offering more air, thinking it will help the tension to cease. This is counterproductive, however. Such a rapid sequence only inflames symptoms, making them cause even greater stress. The cycle is exaggerated and then continues on.

With breathwork, however, that cycle can be ended. Buteyko teaches individuals to suppress their instincts and instead remain relaxed. This can stop asthma before it even begins – a truly vital asset.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: Allergy, Asthma, Breathwork, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Inflammation, Respiratory Disorders, Symptom

Concerns of Hyperventilation: Beginning Breathwork

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It seems the easiest of notions: inhale, exhale, repeat again and again. Breathwork is approached with confidence, with mastery assumed before its techniques have been taught. Lessons are pursued with dull interest; the intention is to begin this practice as quickly as possible, rather than letting it form slowly (as it is suggested). And you are certain you will be able to understand its subtleties without the recommended aid. You shall succeed.

But success is instead replaced to panic – your body betrays you, undone by the unfamiliar patterns. You claimed too little air and gave away far too much; and the result is a spasm in the mind, a closed defense from a throat. You are hyperventilating, panic leading you toward erratic breaths and wet glances.

Too often is the practice of breathwork thought to be simple. Its process is regarded with little respect, branding it instead an amusement. Such an idea, however, has led to many complications; and hyperventilating is one of them, unfortunately.

This should be impossible, you are certain. The purpose of breathwork is, after all, to counter this problem. Anxiety is meant to be soothed; wild tempers are to be tamed; and skin is to become comfortable within itself, controlled by an individual’s desires. Achieving all of that within a first attempt, however, is often unlikely. Humans are conditioned to follow the familiar. When a change is offered, bodies can rebel – trying to regain the equilibrium that they have become accustomed to. This can cause symptoms of quickening pulse, nausea, fatigue and worry; each which can lead you to hyperventilate.

Proper respect for breathwork is therefore necessary to ensure the process is performed correctly. All instructions must be strictly adhered to. All teachings must be understood. This is not merely to force you to learn patience. It is instead to allow you to introduce yourself to a new concept – ensuring your own safety and contentment.

Filed Under: Breathwork Groups Tagged With: Anxiety, Blood pressure, Breathwork, Disorders, Health, Hyperventilation, Mental health, Panic attack