5. LEARN MORE ABOUT BREATHWORK
In this section, you will gain an understanding of what breathwork is and how it will help your life.
SECTION 5
In this section, we aim to give you a really good understanding of what breathwork is and how it will help you in your everyday life, and for healing and growth. Let’s dive in.
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What is breathwork?
There are many forms of breathwork and breathwork techniques, essentially, breathwork is when you become aware of your breath, and then change it to create some form of physical, emotional or mental benefit for yourself. All forms of breathwork change our physiology and will have an effect on our emotional and psychological experience. You can use breathwork in your every day and explore more dynamic sessions and techniques for deeper healing, personal growth and exploration journeys.
Techniques used in breathwork vary and focus on speed and depth of the breath, breath pattern, counts of the inhale and exhale, breath suspension, using the nose or mouth, breathing into certain parts of the body, using movement for example.
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Breathwork is one of the fastest-growing modalities and is recognised as a must-have tool for the modern day. It is effective, natural, drug-free and has no side effects. It has been shown to be the quickest route to battle stress and anxiety - plus, you already breathe and it’s free!
What The Social Breathwork offers
The Social Breathwork offers a variety of everyday breathing solutions, integrative breathwork, hypnotherapy and daily wellbeing tools. Our methods are focussed on full body-breath connection and reconnecting you back to your body, and breath! Breathwork and body-breath awareness is the missing link for wellbeing, health, healing and personal growth.
Why breathwork?
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The really short answer is - because it works. Breathwork is the method of communication between the body and mind. Change how you breathe, and you can start to positively influence how you think and how you feel.
In your everyday life, it can arm you with effective tools to support improved health, wellbeing and performance. You can use breathwork at any time of the day or night to shift your energy and emotional and mental states and to improve resilience to stress and anxiety. At work, out and about or at home, breathwork is always there available for you to tap into, even without having to stop what you are doing or put it in the diary.
did you know?
A natural process for healing
Breathwork can remove chronic tension, trauma and stored energy that is deeply rooted within the body. This allows a natural process for healing, from the inside, and offers a powerful full-body connection.
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The benefits of breathwork
Breathwork will allow you to reconnect with yourself and those around you. Exploring your breathing habits and using breathwork is proven to be one of the most effective ways to help reduce anxiety and stress, and manage the daily challenges of our overstimulated and fast-paced lifestyles
A regular breathwork practice can help you:
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Restore balance in the body and brain
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Provide you with a lifelong tool you can use
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Have a deeper connection to yourself and others
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Improve overall health and outlook on life
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Reduce anxiety, depression and stress
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Heal past pain and trauma
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Improve your sleep quality
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Boost immunity and reduce inflammation
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Increase concentration and focus
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Unlock the untapped potential and thrive
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Feel more confident with clarity and purpose
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A brief history of breathwork
Breathwork has roots in Eastern cultures and a wonderful history that dates back thousands of years. Breathwork was/is used by many ancient cultures and religions for very similar reasons we are turning to breathwork today - to alter consciousness for spiritual purposes, self-discovery, to support everyday living and healing. If we had only taken more notice much sooner!
did you know?
A forgotten art
Breathwork was mostly forgotten by Westerners until its re-emergence in the 1960’s by Leonard Orr and Sondra Ray and Stanislav Grof, M.D and Christine Grof who created and introduced Holotropic and Rebirthing Breathwork, two of the original foundations of many modern-day practices you see today.
Although many more practices have evolved and become known and popular in Western cultures, and modern-day living.
Today we see many different forms of breathwork and thousands of breathing techniques as it continues to become a popular modality to support growth and healing in the modern world.
Let’s take look at some of the forms of breathwork.
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Different forms of breathwork
There are so many forms of breathwork these days, and thousands of techniques on offer, which can feel overwhelming for anyone wanting to try it or to know where to even start. This is why The Social Breathwork was created. Making it simple to get started, with understanding, education, and practical experiences to guide you along on your breathwork journey, without the guesswork, and making it sustainable for everyday living.
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Below are some common forms of breathwork – we have highlighted (yellow background) which ones you will experience with The Social Breathwork.
Restorative breathwork
Restorative and corrective techniques to restore your breathing mechanics to improve day-to-day breathing
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Performance breathwork
Techniques designed to improve performance in sports and physically demanding activity
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Everyday breathwork
Using quick techniques throughout the day to quickly change your state. Use to reduce stress and anxiety, calm nerves, create energy, improve focus, and better sleep.
Mind-body breathwork
Practices and breathing techniques designed to further enhance your overall physical, mental and emotional health
Integrative breathwork
A deeper transformational experience with breathwork. Used for therapeutic purposes, self-exploration, spiritual experiences, trauma release and healing
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Focussed breathwork, hypnotherapy and reprogramming sessions
Breathwork is the foundation of our work, however, in certain focussed sessions (these will be advised separately) we bring together two healing modalities for powerful mind-body medicine. By using breathwork and hypnotherapy together, we can tap into the power of your breath, and your mind.
During a Breathwork session any insights, new perspectives or messages you receive are openly accepted by the subconscious mind. This helps explain why Breathwork can lead to such rapid and profound healing and transformations.
The Social Breathwork provides individual hypnotherapy sessions and integrated hypnotherapy breathwork sessions. We will advise you of this so you can choose the right path for you.
WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY
Open to gentle guidance
When hypnosis is used on its own, your conscious mind is quieted, and you’re able to tap into the part of your brain where your thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, sensations, emotions, memory and behaviours originate. In this state, you’re more open to gentle guidance to help you modify or replace the unconscious thoughts that are driving your current behaviour.
The session is relaxing and calming, and you will just feel as if you are nice and relaxed. During hypnotherapy, you remain in control. You will be tuned in to the work at hand, and so may not pay attention to your surroundings, but you will always be in charge of your own actions, behaviours, and statements.
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What happens in a breathwork session
That will depend on the session and the form of breathwork being used. Sessions will be designed and guided by the breathwork facilitator. In every session, you are fully supported and assisted to feel safe, comfortable and informed.
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You will be invited to either sit or lie down, and you are guided through relaxation and breathing techniques, often to music. The breathing techniques used will vary depending on the breathwork session, so it's always good practice to fully understand the format of the session before booking in to make sure it is in alignment with your needs and health. The Social Breathwork will design a variety of sessions and will always provide an outline of each session for you.
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Sessions may also include things like movement, stretching, music, sound and use of vocal tones, meditation or tapping for example. Sessions can vary in time and can last anywhere from minutes to hours!
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The Social Breathwork always provide a pre-session check-in, post-session integration time and follow-up support.
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Is breathwork safe?
Yes! Essentially breathwork is a safe practice, however, when exploring dynamic breathwork or conscious connected breathing there are some contraindications that you need to check before embarking on a breathwork practice – you can view these here. Should any breathwork technique have contraindications, we will advise of this. If you are ever unsure about whether breathwork is right for you, please consult with your GP.
The Social Breathwork has your best interests and safety at the forefront of all that it does. Our background as practitioners of hypnotherapy and psychology means that we work to a set code of ethics, set out by a Professional Standards Authority, with client safety, care and confidentiality being paramount. We are on the Accredited Register with the Professional Standards Authority.
BREATHWORK FOR HEALING
Breathwork offers profound healing potential for people dealing with trauma
Focussed sessions and certain breathing techniques work by removing chronic tension and stored energy that is deeply rooted within the body, and subconsciousness. This allows a natural process for healing, from the inside, and offers a powerful full-body connection.
Breathwork allows your body to bring 'stuff' to the surface, often referred to as the process of releasing of physical and psychological impacts of trauma and its memories. This can be a liberating and life-altering experience for many, but it may become uncomfortable at times as you move through this process, therefore, having support and an integration plan is advised.
Support and integration plans
Being fully supported and understanding how to work with this is crucial for your overall wellbeing and healing, and needs to be done with an integration plan and an ongoing plan for support if needed. If you are dealing with trauma, always check with your medical practitioner or support liaison before completing a breathwork session. Also, see our contraindications area.
When participating in integrative breathwork sessions, The Social Breathwork will set out clear guidance for the session and beyond, however, if you find you need to reach out, you can contact our team at any time.
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What can I expect to experience in a breathwork session?
It depends on the techniques and sessions, however, The Social Breathwork always advises you to have an open mind, and an open heart, and be open to all possibilities. Breathwork offers so many wonderful experiences from feelings of peace, different perspectives and a sense of increased calmness and contented balance. Anxiety is reduced and there can be an accompanying feeling of freedom from tension. Others may have a deeper, more transformational experience. It really will change from person to person.
For everyday breathwork, you can use breathwork as part of your daily routine and throughout your day to manage stress. From the moment you wake up to the moment you sleep, you can use tools and techniques to shift your state and manage your nervous system. You will experience physiological and phycological shifts designed to support your overall health and wellbeing.
For more dynamic sessions
Your experience will more than likely vary from session to session.
The Social Breathwork guides you into your session with an open mind, and an open heart and we always advise you to be open to all possibilities and limit ‘set expectations’ for your breathwork session. We advise you to move into and through the session with flexibility and openness – to go with the flow and a willingness to let go. The breath and body will know exactly what it needs and will guide ‘you’ through the experience when you embrace it.
As we mentioned earlier, we make physiological changes to our bodies in breathwork sessions that have an effect on our emotional and psychological experiences so the body may respond in physical ways that may feel a little different to you at first, over time these can ease, or in many cases, people enjoy the sensations that develop in a session.
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Some common experiences in a breathwork session might be:
Temperature changes
It is normal for your body temperature to fluctuate from hot to cold
Tightening
The body may contract around the mouth and lips, the hands and arms. Possibly other areas. This is known as tetany and is a physical side effect that eases when you relax your breathing
Tingling
​It is very common for the body to begin tingling either all over or in certain areas
Releases
You may feel the need to laugh, cry or scream.
This is a part of the energetic release and is completely normal and liberating for many
Movement
Your body may want to move. This is simply energy or stored energy beginning to shift
Emotions
Breathwork can bring emotions to the surface that have been stuck, or suppressed for some time – as mentioned above you may want to move or vocalise this in the session
SECTION RECAP
You can experience many benefits and shifts following a dynamic breathwork session. The Social Breathwork always completes a pre-breathwork check before every session to check you have all of the information required and that your questions have been answered.
Hopefully, this section has given you greater insight and understanding into breathwork. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us info@thesocialbreathwork.com