Context: In a world where all living systems are in decline, what does it mean to be human? Despite ample evidence that our collective way of thinking no longer works, we still naturally default to a belief that only material things are real and have lasting value. We pay lip-service to the notion of the creativity of spirit, but our language and motivation remain strapped by the fear of lack and loss. This keeps us in chronic stress and breeds a distrust of our fellows – and ourselves.
BreathWork
The purpose of BreathWork is to allow us to experience and practice a sense of ownership of our bodies and our lives. At the core of our life process is our breathing – it is intimately connected with our moment-to-moment sense of self, our ability to be present and available. BreathWork is a simple and at the same time profound way of becoming conscious of the relationship between our thoughts and our feelings. It has been called a Western yoga – a means of linking directly with our essence. It teaches a breathing technique that gently and systematically repairs the damage and sense of separation we all carry from our past – before, during and after birth.
BreathWork is a methodology that should be practiced initially in the company of an experienced breathworker (one who has unravelled a fair chunk of their own breathing impediments and who is safe with the considerable energies that are released in this process). The work can be done individually or in a group. It combines identifying the dominant thought patterns that run our lives and becoming aware of the breathing that reflects these thought patterns. After a few such training sessions it can be practiced on our own forever.
A BreathWork group runs from half a day to two or more days. It will be in two parts:
1. an interactive exploration to discover our significant unconscious thought patterns - ones that determine the quality of our life experience and are reinforced by our unconscious breathing patterns;
2. a group “breathing session” in which we practise a circular breathing rhythm which gives our body-minds a rest from these limiting thoughts so we can begin to contemplate the possibility of letting them go and allowing more mastery and ease into our lives.
The work is best done in a group of ten to twenty – enough to provide energy and diversity, not too large to inhibit intimacy.
