What is breathwork?

There are many forms of breathwork around: Rebirthing, transformational, holotropic, functional, shamanic, and of course the multitude of pranayama breathing practices that have been around for millennia. It can be overwhelming to know what's right for you. For me, the best place to begin is to develop an understanding of your relationship with your breath, learn how you can engage the breath to intentionally calm or activate your nervous system, and to experience directly how you can expand your consciousness using breath. Since the moment we took our first inhale to the moment we will take our last exhale, becoming more aware of our breath is our hidden superpower.

Primarily all forms of Breathwork will change our physiology to a greater or lesser degree and therefore affect our emotional and psychological experience as well. This most gentle resource holds the key to our greatest healing potential.

Breathwork offers an opportunity to visit with conscious intention the many aspects of our mind, body, spirit and soul.

  • Why breath?

    Using the breath, we can either up-regulate (increase the pace) or down-regulate (decrease the pace) of our central nervous system function. We can use breath to calm and centre ourselves, or we can use breath to energise and motivate ourselves. Breath practice can be experienced as a  profound tool to make inquiry into our place within our personal life story and the collective understanding of human consciousness.

    We are here because of our ancestors. Whether we know and love them, or whether we have an absent or difficult relationship with them, we are here breathing the same air air they breathed. The entire planet breathes! We are united by breath and we are here as long as we are breathing, so why not make your breathing conscious and intentional?

    What can Breathwork offer you?

    • The ability to reduce stress and anxiety.

    • The opportunity to regulate your own nervous system.

    • Routes into releasing old stories and emotions that may still be driving your life.

    • Opening into expanded awareness and potential.

    • Energising or calming the body.

    • Detoxification of the body.

    • Inner peace and stillness.

    • Increased energy and focus.

    • Improved sleep.

    • Improved digestion.

    From gentle deep breaths to dynamic activating breaths, all will affect changes in our system.

  • The Body's Systems

    The human body has a number of different systems and functions. The ones we most commonly know about are:

    • The nervous system (mood regulator)

    • Endocrine and exocrine system (hormone regulator)

    • Musculoskeletal system (movement).

    • Circulatory system (flow of energy)

    • Digestive system.

    • Immune/lymphatic system (proper excretion & detoxification)

    • Respiratory system (breathing).

    • Cardiovascular system (heart rate variability & blood pressure)

    • Reproductive system.

    Every single one of these systems is influenced and affected by our breathing.

    My practice typically focuses on circular connected breathwork for expanded consciousness and trauma release, using functional breathing guidance as the foundation for processing and integration. Within that I engage many of the other modalities in my experience to support my clients to truly understand themselves on all levels.

    There are some contraindications for the more dynamic practices so it’s important to look for a well trained facilitator. Please do not try these without proper guidance, or when driving/operating heavy machinery. Dynamic practices should also be avoided in open water, or other places where changes in your physiology maybe less optimal/desirable.

    Now to the more personal aspects of our breathing story…

We are all products of our upbringing. We are born in innocence with unlimited potential but as we move through life more often than not we begin to shut down. Why?

“What seems like a reaction to some present circumstance is, in fact, a reliving of past emotional experience.” ~ Dr Gabor Maté

In other words, we are endlessly re-living our past. Unlearning these patterns isn't always easy but it’s always possible and always liberating.

Breathwork, like meditation, can change our brainwave states and almost immediately change our physiological state but this takes practice. How can we expect to be good at anything without practice? I'm here to support you in that exploration of your internal and external experiences of the world and deepen your practice by giving you practical tools you can easily adopt in your life.

Using breath, movement, and the awareness of the subtle consciousness, my work opens a deep inquiry into who you are, and perhaps more importantly into your potential for transformation. Together we uncover the hidden aspects of your psyche that may be holding you in repeating patterns and experiences. Bringing them into awareness opens a quality of newfound freedom in your life choices. Breath awareness and the link to consciousness has been well documented scientifically in evidence based research. This work really does shift our perspectives when we are open to change.

I am a grounded, open-minded, open-hearted and experienced facilitator and teacher of breathwork. I welcome you to come explore your inner world with me.