Breathwork FAQs

 

What is breathwork?

There are many different techniques and styles of breathwork. Simply, breathwork is when we consciously use our breathing to change the way we feel and think, thus changing our state of being. Western research is now proving what yogis and eastern practitioners have known for thousands of years: Breathwork can deliver extraordinary mind and body benefits and is a powerful way to access your body’s innate intelligence to heal itself. At the foundation of my work, is helping people understand the importance of proper breathing mechanics and diaphragmatic breathing for optimal health and for calming your nervous system. By retraining our body to breathe through our diaphragm, we can impact our overall health and well-being in miraculous ways. These practical, yet powerful, concepts and exercises are the core of what I teach in most corporate & community workshops. However, I weave this training throughout all my work, as it is fundamental to health and healing.

integrative & meditative breathwork

The two primary types of breathwork I facilitate in my individual sessions, programs and retreats are integrative breathwork and a transformational style of meditative breathwork ~ designed to help you unhook your mind, get into your heart and body and clear out stuck or stagnant emotional energy, and allow your body to heal naturally. Through the breath, we are able to quiet the mind, and reconnect to our heart’s wisdom and our Spirit.

What are the benefits of breathwork?

This is by all means not a comprehensive list of benefits, but some of the most commonly reported include:

  • Immediate stress reduction and relief from feelings of anxiety

  • Increased energy & mental clarity

  • Detoxifies your body and revitalizes your organs

  • Connecting with your emotions

  • Reduces toxins in your body & provides an energetic release

  • Increased cognitive performance

  • Attune to your inner wisdom/intuition & Spirit

  • Release trauma and stuck emotional energy

 

Are there any side effects?

Although breathwork is a completely safe practice, everyone’s experience is different. Some common side effects one might experience in a session include:

  • Dizziness and feeling of being light-headed

  • Temperature changes in the body - we are changing the pH in the body when we do breathwork and some people get really cold and others may sweat.

  • Tingling and/or tightness in our hands, feet, extremities and around the mouth - this is called Tetany and is a common, but harmless, physical response when our muscles involuntarily contract. This can feel a little odd, but you’ll be guided on how to relax and/or move your body in a way that this tetany will subside. This is all part of the energetic release.

  • Emotional releases - when we breathe in a deep, conscious way, we are able to bypass the mind and allow the body to release what it may be holding on to. We are stimulating the limbic system in our brain, which stores our memories and emotions. This might include crying, laughing, feelings of extreme bliss or love, and even screaming or yelling. All of this is normal and perfectly welcome in this space. Some sessions, you may experience nothing at all. Trust that whatever experience you are meant to have in that particular session, will happen.

  • Visions and/or vivid memories - many of my clients have experienced powerful visions or colors/light. Often, memories will resurface during a session.

  • A deeper sense of connection to self, of being in your body and self love.

 

Is there anyone who shouldn’t practice breathwork?

Common contraindications to more deep, conscious breathing and meditative breathwork include (but are not limited to):

  • Pregnancy (some integrative breathwork is safe)

  • Cardiovascular issues

  • Angina

  • Heart attack

  • High blood pressure

  • Recent surgery or injury

  • Glaucoma or retinal detachment

  • Osteoporosis

  • Severe mental illness or psychosis

  • History of aneurysms, epilepsy or seizures

  • Frequent dizziness or vertigo

I’d encourage you to please consult your physician before engaging in breathwork of any kind, if you have concerns or are unsure whether or not breathwork is safe for you to practice.

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

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