"Knowing others is intelligence, knowing yourself is true wisdom." -Lao Tzu
Your embodied experience is uniquely your own
Breathwork
For centuries communities across the globe have used Breathwork as a sacred gateway to healing, transformation, and inner truth. The act of breathing is associated with life itself. In many languauges "breath" also means "spirit" or "lifeforce".
Ancient Yogic texts, describe breathing techniques to regulate energy flow, prepare the body for meditation, purify the mind & connect to self and universal consciousness.
Aborigional Australian healers used breath to assist in energy healing, storytelling & linking it to dreaming or spiritual creation.
In ancient China, "Qi" or the breath of life is used to harmonize our place in the family of the natural world.
In First Nations & Native American traditions the breath nutures a living thread between the individual and Great Spirit.
African & Afro Diasporic traditions use rhythmic breathing to shift consciousness and connect with ancestral wisdom.
The breath is not a new discovery. It is an ancient homecoming - a return to what healers, mystics, and wisdom keepers have known for countless generations. We carry this knowledge forward with deep reverence for all who came before us. To practice breathwork is to join a lineage of seekers who have always known that the answers live within.
What to Expect:
This breathwork practice is an active meditation. We will use a 3 part pranayama style of breath. You will settle into a comfortable position & be guided as you begin to breathe & establish a rhythm. In the early phase, you may experience resistance from the mind, which likes to keep control. Much of the payoff lives beyond the mind, in the opening toward the subconscious. Staying connected to the breath will keep you open to the flow & to what is there for you to experience. Your breath will only take you as far as you are ready to go. Some experience emotional release; tingling, warmth, movement or tears. Physical tension may peak & then dissolve. There is no right or wrong thing for you to feel. Vivid imagery or insights may arrive. What arises is different for everyone. Every breathwork session has it's own medicine. We slow the breathing & move into a resting phase. The rest phase is just as, if not more important, than the heart of the breathwork journey. Giving your nervous sysytem time to recalibrate & metabolize your experience, so that you can rest into the opening & claim lasting change.
Somatics
Somatics is a field of movement studies & bodywork which emphasizes internal physical sensations, perceptions and experiences, "the body as perceived from within". In greek, "soma" means "the living body in its wholeness".
Scientific research has proven that, as humans, we store memories, experiences and emotions on a cellular level in the brain and the body. These stored experiences can show up as a myriad of symptoms. Mindful somatic approach guides one to focus on underlying physical sensations, creating an elevated level of self-awareness. This is an opportunity to help your body complete its natural stress cycle. When patterns of tension are acknowledged & expressed, we experience a feeling of release, relief or liberation this helps us digest, integrate and reconnect. Leaving us feeling fully present, emotionally regulated, balanced, resilient, & more flexible.
Somatic integration offers an approach to healing and
personal growth by fostering a deeper connection between
mind, body & spirit allowing individuals to integrate experiences, manage stress & anxiety while cultivating a greater sense of awareness & resilence.
