The Benefits of Breathwork

Healing often gets painted as this complex, daunting process, but here's the truth: it's simple but not always easy. Health is a flowing state and illness and sickness are forms of resistance. When you begin to understand what this feels like in your body you can begin to discover the reason behind your symptoms. And you can practice techniques daily to increase your energetic frequency and release your stuck energies. It doesn't need to be hard or complicated...just like breathwork.

​

​

What is Breathwork?

Breathwork is intentional breathing that facilitates healing on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic.  It isn't about hyperventilating or holding your breath until you pass out. Its about allowing a connection to be re-established between the structured mind and the wisdom that lies within the physical body. Breathwork is an ancient healing modality that has been proven to work for healing and well being for thousands of years.  It can easily help with so many different things. The main one I use it for is for the continued healing of chronic pain and disease. 

​

When you’ve lived numb from the neck down most of your life it can seem really scary to sit with what comes up. Keep in mind the sensation or emotion will pass quickly once expressed or felt by you. The body brings you these messages because it wants to process and integrate a life experience. However, when you numb out or ignore what the body has indicated needs to be dealt with, trauma pathways and disease formation occur.

​

Fluidity is key here. Water just like energy and electricity needs to flow...and emotions are energy in motion. So when you push down your emotions or stifle them because you think it will make your life easier but it doesn’t. Many times you hold your breath to avoid the experience of your sensations and emotions as you fear the pain from them. When numbed, held in and not felt they become stuck and stagnant. This is what leads to illness and disease. And this is what causes the pain, not the emotion or sensation.

​

Science has shown that when you actively feel your feelings they move through much quicker as the body processes to clear and integrate the experience successfully. In the ninety seconds it takes to allow the experience to occur you avoid creating more trauma and later disease.

​

Breathwork allows this process to occur easily without the re-telling or re-living of a story or past experience. The body is much smarter than its given credit for. When it is in a healing state it knows what past energy can be released from the body and this is when pain and symptoms can ease.

​

Why is Breathwork a cornerstone to my coaching?

As I've said, its easy, doesn't involve learning any new skillset and it works without much effort on your part. You just need to be willing to show up for yourself and trust in the innate intelligence that lives in the body to do what it was designed to do. Being trauma-informed means that I prioritize your well being over an agenda. I am here to support you on your healing journey however that may look and affirm that you are seen, heard and believed.

​

I've found that breathwork allows for you to connect back to the wisdom that lives in your body in a simple and effective way. It also allows for curiosity to grow and build so that you can be open to new ideas that before may have seemed too easy or elementary before. I've discovered that simple and basic techniques work best for healing the body. Breathwork fosters a connection between all aspects of you; the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and energetic. And all of these components are needed in order for healing to occur.

​

Research has shown that the nervous system, immune system, hormone system, and stress levels are all connected. And the busy world you live in requires your nervous system to handle more information and constant stress than at any other time in history. Your system as a whole can only do one thing either fight off pathogens, virus, stress, dangers, etc. OR work on healing and rebalancing your system. No wonder the nervous system can go haywire sometimes. It never gets a break. Many people with Chronic Pain and Disease have dysregulated nervous systems.

​

 

Here is what common dysregulation looks like:

• Unable to relax and let go of things

• Difficulty sleeping

• Trouble with concentration 

• Trouble handling change

• Feels wired after too much activity

• Sensitive to lights or sounds

• Can't tolerate supplements

• Reactions to foods

• Reactions to things that doesn’t bother others, like smells

• Startling easily

• Weak or very strong gag reflex

• And many more

​​​

 

Why does any of this matter you may be wondering?​

​Your nervous system needs balance to work well and help your body to heal. When your nervous system becomes dysregulated, it has a hard time switching from a sympathetic state (fight, flight, or freeze) to a parasympathetic state (rest, digest, and heal). You may actually become stuck in a functional freeze state which is why "standardized" protocols and programs don't work for you.

​

​And both branches of your nervous system can’t both be turned on at the same time. Your body has to choose one or the other. If your sympathetic nervous system is stuck on all of the time, it can't rest and heal.

​

​

​So, what do you do?​

​There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to calm your nervous system. Each person is unique and has had different experiences which have led them to where they are today.  This is why my coaching is tailored to your specific needs and experiences not anybody else's. 

​

I've found that simple approaches, like breathwork actually work better than more complicated ones. More isn't better in most things in life, especially healing. ​I’ve found, that it’s a different rhythm that is needed to establish a new relationship with your body; one that creates long-lasting health and relief rather than short-term “fixes”.

​

I’ve discovered from my own life experiences with chronic pain and disease as well as with working with clients, that you need to be open to trying something different when it comes to healing.

​

Breathwork is a great first step in creating a partnership with your body.

​

​

​

During breathwork you can:

• Shift your physiology

• Take back your power over the moment, (which is all we really have)

• Choose something different.

• Work with your body rather than against it

​​

When you can experience what it feels like to be in the physical body you can allow the body to let go of what it deems is ready to be released. This is how and where the healing occurs.

​

 

Listen to a sample of a breathwork session here:

​

 

Q&A about what my breathwork sessions are like

If you'd rather listen to my explanation: 

​

​

 

Q:  So I'm just breathing????? I don't need to do anything else?

A: Nope you just need to breathe and pay attention to what your body is trying to communicate with you...its a time for your mind to rest and the wisdom of your body to be activated. This is not a time to create a story about what comes up from the body. It's instead about creating a connection to your higher self, where the innate wisdom resides.

​

​

Q: ​What do I need to be prepared for a breathwork session?

A: Here are some recommendations for what to have on hand for a breath session:

• Any props you may like to have-headphones, eye mask/eye covering, a journal & pen, blanket, etc.

• Set up your space so you can lay down or sit up and be comfortable. I like to use my weighted blanket as it helps me to feel grounded, connected to the Earth and safe.

• You can have your favorite crystals nearby, a diffuser or candle going with a calming scent if that feels good.

• Be in a private space to minimize any possible disruptions so you can give yourself the time and space for healing. Life happens but I want you to take this time for yourself and get the most that you can from our time together.​

• Set up your computer or phone in a way that I can see your whole body while you are breathing. You can stay muted once our session begins but your camera must be on at all times so I can safely hold the space for you.

​

​

Q: Where do the breath sessions take place?

A: Because safety is so important to me I find it works best if you are in your personal space and I'm in mine. This is the main reason why I work virtually. There is a level of safety already established which helps when you are embarking on a new endeavor. I am trained to be trauma-informed which means that I put your well being above all else. I don't push an agenda or an activated breath onto my breathers. I trust that their body is the expert, not me.

​

​

Q: What happens in a breathwork session?

A: Basically anything and everything goes in a breath session. There are no rules like in some other modalities. This is what I like so much about it, the freedom. You get to express yourself in any way that you want. You can move, yell, shake, rock, lie down or sit up. You can experience temperature changes, emotions, physical sensations, the desire to sleep, the release of pain, crying, yelling, and muscle tightening (tetany). In regular life you don't take deep breaths so your body is unable to process stuck energy. With intentional breathing the focus is on the breath so you might notice things that you usually ignore.

​

​

Q: Who is breathwork good for?

A: Um everyone. But especially for those who struggle with meditation. One of my teachers aid breathwork is for those who can't meditate and that was me! I've found personally and in my experience it is great for those with anxiety, overwhelm, depression, chronic pain and disease. There is no agenda, no checklist and no re-telling of past stories which leads to more trauma in the body. You just focus on breathing and through this process you switch out of fight, flight, freeze into rest and digest where you body can heal.

​

​

Q: What does a breathwork session with you look like?

A: I ask that your camera be on so that I can monitor your session but you can stay muted if you are feeling shy. You can either sit or lay down so that you are comfortable and feel supported. I start the session asking if you have an intention you would like to focus on. I curate a playlist of hertz frequencies, binaural beats and music based on your feedback. If you have no preference I go with my gut on what you may need for that session.

​

​Maybe you need to allow for more movement and expression so I will play faster songs. Maybe you want a relaxing and restoring vibe-then I choose a playlist that fits for that scenario. Each playlist is unique to that person's session. I allow my intuition about what you may need to guide the session as far as music, affirmations and what sense needs to be expressed.

​

My own breathwork practice has strengthened my connection to my intuition so I gain more insights for other people's messages for healing from their body. I mirror the breaths I instruct you to use and make lots of noise so that you feel less self conscious. When I introduce the breaths if you feel apprehensive I will pivot to maintain the safety and comfort of the client.

 

Keep in mind that each session can look different as your body processes whatever needs to be released from your system.

​

​

​“There is the in-breath and there is the out-breath and it’s easy to believe that we must exhale all the time, without ever inhaling. But the inhale is absolutely essential

if you want to continue to exhale”.

~Brene Brown

​

​

The most common benefits of breathwork include:

• Enhanced connection to your intuition

• The ability to shift your physiology

• Work with your body's wisdom rather than against it

• Immediate stress reduction & anxiety relief-because everyone needs this right?​

• Connection with your emotions & the ability change your response to them-huge for healing...​

• Revitalizes your organs-Who wouldn't want this?​

• Gives you access to your higher power, higher self and intuition-a game changer for me, someone who wasn't spiritual at all​

• Reduces toxins in your body & provides an energetic release-just breathing can do this???? Yes it can!!​

• More energy & mental clarity-Who can say no to this??​

• Deepens your relationship to your body-so important for healing chronic pain and other symptoms from disease​

• Release trauma that has been stuck in your system for years-YES!!! Without telling a story even once or naming the issue-this is how smart your body is

​

Want to try breathwork for yourself? 

​