Stanford experts prefer breathwork to meditation. According to research by Stanford University, breathwork is by far more effective than meditation for reducing stress and anxiety. Here's why: Meditation is nothing more than watching your breath. Breathwork is different. It's a tool that allows you to take full control of your breathing patterns and everything attached to those patterns. This means you are no longer an 'observer'. You are now an active participant influencing the outcome, and can therefore change the blueprint of your health status.
Your unconscious mind is responsible for the blueprint of your current health status. What do I mean by this? The unconscious mind stores memories, organises memories and runs the body. It's job is to preserve the body and works on the path of least resistance. Where you are right now with your health is driven by your unconscious mind. This is your unconscious minds' perception of perfect health, even if you consciously know you can be healthier, fitter, skinnier, stronger. It is the result of years of meaning making that create internal representations tied to an emotional charge. This is known as a memory. Your body has stored this exact memory of perfect health, whatever that is for you.
If something is dangerous and scary to your unconscious mind, you will be avoiding it consciously. Any kind of unknown change, including weight loss and strength gain, is outside the comfort zone of the known, and therefore scary. Healing is the remembering of good health and your unconscious mind needs to be supported towards this remembering of how to heal.
Breathwork can help you with that.
Not going to lie, I am a little bit obsessed with breathwork. It is the tool that has personally propelled me forward in health, wealth and relationships and is helping my clients achieve their desires. Do you know the cost of choosing not to self develop? A life you'll never live. This rung true to me 3 years ago when I created a fork in my life and had a decision to make. To go back amongst the drama, or to go all in with personal development. It rung true again a year after that. To ignore my new awareness, or to choose conscious living. I went all in. I continue choosing to go all in.
I wanted to share with you what it looks like to go all in. Below are parts of the confirmation email that clients receive when they commit to the 3 month Breathwork Journey which consists of 10 breathwork sessions.
Breathing Style:
Generally speaking, we can divide bretahwork into 3 main categories which branch of further:
Holotropic - conscious connected mouth breathing (thanks to Stanislav Groff)
Rebirthing - conscious connected nose breathing (thanks to Leonard Or)
Functional - think Wim Hof, athletic performance
Rebirthing Breathwork is a rather unique style as it is underlined by the belief that healing can be gentle. It is activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System (Rest & Digest, Tend & Befriend) rather than the Sympathetic (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn) response that we all mostly live in nowadays. Holotropic breathwork stimulates the sympathetic nervous system.
Why fight fire with fire?
It is time to relearn how to use our PNS which is responsible for our digestion, immune system, thyroid function and reproductive system which will enable our metabolism and therefore physical body to work optimally.
How We Breathe:
We will go through this together in your first session and the more you breathe the better you get at it!
Conscious Connected, circular - there is no pause between the inhale and exhale which naturally exists in daily breathing
Diaphragmatic - from the diaphragm
Through the nose - the nose is the passageway, the breath is coming from the diaphragm
If you are called to breathe through your mouth because your nasal passages have closed up, do not hesitate. Trust this is part of your experience.
Inhale = diaphragm drops and creates space for your heart = our ability to receive
Exhale = diaphragm contracts up = our ability to let go, surrender
Why We Breathe:
On a simply physiological level breathing in and out through the nose is antibacterial and antiviral - We should all be nose breathing 24/7!
It creates a build up of Nitric Oxide which allows better athletic performance, a healthier body
Helps detoxify the body by stimulating the lymphatic system
Stimulating the lymphatic system enables the release of chemicals called neuropeptides (AKA emotions!) that have built up over years
It creates brain wobbles that may release DMT by our pineal gland (known as the spirit molecule)
Breathwork is about flexibility
Creating space for relaxation so the body can heal itself
To expand our sense of self-awareness
Remembering our purpose, passion, playfulness, peace, prayers
Reconnecting with our intuition
Breathing in acceptance and commitment
Bypass the conscious mind to access the unconscious
Heal the first breath
Access our inner child, inner teen, re-parenting
Empowering ourselves to create the changes we desire
Relearn Self-Love
Connection to self, others, something more (God)
Session Outline:
30min Spiritual psychology & Intention setting where we discuss
What it is you want to work on
Where in your life you want to see improvements
What you want to breathe into today
What you want to understand better about yourself/ an event/ situation
45min - 60min Breathe (with music)
30min Integration time to reflect on the breathe, journal, discuss, make notes
TOTAL = 2 HOURS
What to Expect in a Breathwork Journey:
Healing is an energetic experience. What I mean by this is that it literally requires energy. If you have had a surgery, after you have been stitched up by the surgeon your body is still healing from the inside out! Your physical body requires nourishment through quality foods, thoughts and grace to fully heal. Hence the NuFit Wellness model to holistic health includes the mind, body and spirit model governed by emotions at the centre of our experiences.
During your energetic healing experience through breathwork, you may or may not experience some of the below. Keep an open mind. Your experience will be unique to you.
Physical Body:
Tingles, Hot/Cold, Tension, Numbness, Heaviness, Sweating, Shaking, Pins & Needles, Pleasure, Joy, Blocked Nose, Dizziness, coughing, Yawning
Tetany - This is a cramping of the hands and curling of the feet. It is uncomfortable and it will pass. Your hands and feet will return to normal the more you breathe through it.
Emotional Body:
Holding on or avoiding emotions can amplify physical sensations which may result in cathartic responses
Tears take priority over the breath, if you feel sadness and want to cry give yourself permission to do so. Encourage tears to flow gently.
Energetic Body:
Visions, Memories, Making sense of why things are, Acceptance, Embodied Knowing, forgiveness of self/others, "Aha" moments, What to do moving forward, Messages from God, Feelings of oneness
Why we don't breathe ourselves:
Even I have not gotten to the stage of "breathing myself" yet after a full year of breathwork practices. There are standards we want to meet before we self-guide. I described the physical, emotional, energetic experiences one may have. For safety reasons a well trained breathwork practitioner like myself is here to support you through this with voice commands, affirming language, safety words and procedures we discuss beforehand.
Whilst it is not recommended you do full breathwork journey sessions by yourself, there are modified breathwork practices you can give a go at home. After a 7 day modified breathwork challenge my client dropped stubborn weight for the first time in months!
According to research, the average person produces 60,000 thoughts a day. Furthermore, 75% of these thoughts are negative and 95% are repetitive. Breathwork is a tool to support you in becoming above average and skew these results. Be the outlier. Be the person who has 95% positive thoughts. Now there is no worry about them being repetitive because they serve your desires.
Breathwork can help you with that
Whether your goal is to loose weight, get strong, sleep better, lift the brain fog, lower cholesterol, breathwork can help you with that.
FINAL WORDS: BREATHWORK JOURNEY AFFIRMATIONS
Trust that the experience is exactly what you need
The body knows what it needs to bring up for healing
Nothing will come up that you can not breathe through
Whatever is ready to be felt - will be felt
The breath is safe, the mind needs to be reminded to stay safe
The breath is the bridge between the mind and the body
Fear is excitement without breath. Breathe to restore faith
The only validation you need is your own
Even though I feel vulnerable, I choose to continue accepting myself
Self love takes action
Remember, the breath will do most the work
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Did you find this blog helpful and informative? Share with your friends who would love it too! Sign up for my Free NuFit Wellness Newsletter to stay in the loop. Attend my Wellness Workshops. Promoting consciousness in food choices helping people heal. Start your wellness journey today by booking in a Discovery Call. Dietitian & Wellness Coach, Breathwork Practitioner, Health Presenter, Gut Health Specialist - Kathy Ozakovic.
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KEYWORDS: Mediterranean, Diet, Lifestyle, Traditional, Plants, Plant Dominant, Rainbow, Colour, Color, EVOO, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Eat, Eating, Health, Longevity, Healthy, Healthiest, Best, Dietary, Gut Health, Gut Microbiome, Leaky Gut, Gut Linning, Microbes, Bacteria, Fibre, Intolerances, FODMAPS, Variety, diversity, Probiotics, Prebiotics, Postbiotics, Breathwork, Breath, Breathe, Energy, Spirituality, Unconscious, Journey, Shadow Work, Emotions.
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