Oct 25, 20214 min read

Healing with the Breath

Does anyone else get completely overwhelmed by information when they are learning about a new subject? Well, that has been my experience over the last few months with healing modalities. I have become absolutely enthralled with the methods people can use to heal trauma, depression and anxiety (to name a few):

Talk therapy
EMDR therapy
Plant medicines
Creative expression (art, music, dance, etc)
Yoga
Energy healing
Breathwork

The list goes on and on. Although my goal is to compile many of these techniques into an integrated healing experience for future clients, that is not the point of my blog today.

The point of today is to introduce you to the most underrated life force. The healing tool that we carry with us every day. The one thing that has been with us in the past, is with us in this very moment and will be with us in the future. Our breath.

Inhale. Exhale.

We unconsciously complete this sequence throughout our entire life, yet most of us are completely blind to the magic of it. Especially when it comes to healing.

When I first came out of my life-altering plant medicine experience - my body was processing A LOT. I spent 2 months in and out of body-dissociation and was experiencing panic attacks - particularly at night. Throughout the day, I would keep myself relatively busy and calm, but at night, when everything was settled and it was dark, the energy that had surfaced would overtake my sleeping body and I would wake up in a sweaty state of impending doom - aka, a panic attack.

With the help of a mentor (my beloved (basically) brother-in-law) and therapy, I was reintroduced to my own breath. To regulate my heart rate, settle my nervous system and ground myself, all I needed to remember was that same action we complete all day, every day, “inhale, exhale.”

Accepting in a full inhale deep into our belly, into our lungs and up to our collar bone, and then exhaling fully, slowly and effortlessly can allow our bodies to create awareness and relaxation.

For those of us with anxiety and/or panic attacks - this realization is life changing.

When we heal from trauma, energy will come to the surface that our body has no idea what to do with. We can learn to channel that energy into peace & calm using breathing techniques. My two favorite, thus far, have been the long inhale and exhale (described in the paragraph above) and waterfall breath (I will link the video I learned from below).

This awakening of breath-awareness led me down a rabbit hole of incredible breathwork techniques.

The most fascinating thing I’ve learned is that techniques such as Holotropic and Somatic Release breathwork can induce a (completely sober) psychedelic experience where people can uncover, accept, feel and overcome trauma that they have endured. Although my trauma healing began with a psychedelic journey, this leads me to believe that anyone can dig deeply into their mind and soul, regardless of their interest in trying plant medicine or therapy, simply by doing a breathwork class.

For the sake of not overwhelming you, I will link a few podcasts at the bottom if you are interested in learning more about the trauma-releasing breathwork techniques that I mentioned above.

My message today is simple - reconnecting with your breath will change your life.

When we feel anxious, panicky, angry, sad, overwhelmed, bored… really anything, we can use the breath to change the state of our body and mind.

As you’re reading this my hope is that you have stopped at one point and taken a deep breath in and out. Or maybe you did just now ;)

This healing tool (our breath) is the reason we are alive and most of us don’t even pay attention to it. So, I have an assignment for you. The best way to start practicing breathwork is to start in a way that is realistic for you and your schedule.

Since I know (at least most of you) shower or bathe a few times a week - this is a perfect place to start. Because you are already naked, this is a perfect time to connect your body and breath. As you are shampooing your hair, take a minute to put one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. Close your eyes. Breathe in a full, smooth inhale through your nose into your belly and your lungs. Now slowly and gently exhale all of your air out through your nose. Complete this cycle 5 to 10 times, or continue doing this if you have the extra time. I challenge you to do this every time you shower for the next two weeks and see your relationship with yourself and the world change.

Practicing breathwork can: