HEALING
pain, or anger. Over time the state of stress becomes more and more chronic and habitual; the neurological feedback loops of stress are reinforced again and again. Our undealt-with stress and 'negative' emotions can develop into anxiety, depression, or chronic pain and illness over time. Physiologically speaking, the tensing
of muscles, and insufficient breathing result in less blood flow and subsequently less oxygen in the body. When this goes on for extended periods the body uses all available oxygen primarily for vital body functions, and non-vital functions get second place. The prolonged lack of oxygen disturbs our digestion, circulation, metabolism, and all normal body functions, which leads to physical illness, chronic pain, headaches, and so on. The latest findings show that insufficient oxygen significantly reduces production of serotonin (the 'feel good hormone'), which leads to even more tension and restricted breathing. The effect snowballs and the vicious cycle is ready. Breathwork therapy floods the body and cells with oxygen and reverses this cycle.
CAUSE OF EMOTIONAL PAIN AND TRAUMA No one goes through life without experiencing trauma, be it gross and obvious or subtle and more difficult to notice. It is part of human life. Gross trauma is caused by things
like accidents, natural disasters, war, or physical or sexual abuse: something ‘big’ and obviously traumatic. Gross trauma can sometimes be easier to deal with because it is more obvious, providing that we remember or at least are aware of the event. Even then our conscious mind can often minimise the effect the event has had on us emotionally, yet we carry the imprints in the physical body for years to come. A good example of this is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Subtle trauma is often emotional in nature and can be more difficult to pinpoint. It may be as simple as unmet love needs or hearing mum and dad fight when we were little. Incidents that may seem insignificant to an adult can often leave strong imprints in the emotional body, which we then carry around as unconscious memories and negative core beliefs for years to come.
THE BREATHING SOLUTION Breathwork therapy harnesses the body’s own natural mechanisms for releasing stress and emotional charge. Simply described, it is emotional release work. It helps the body to naturally let go of our emotional build-up so that we can live free from the negative influences of past traumatic experiences and suppressed emotions and their long-term consequences. Feeling, and physically releasing these emotions results in deep healing and permanent change faster than analysing mental level memories in traditional talk therapy. The technique works through a style of active, connected breathing through the mouth, which you do under the guidance of an experienced facilitator.
HOW DOES IT WORK? Breathwork, directly reaches the limbic system to release deep, and often hidden, unconscious emotional trauma or wounding that accumulated in the cell memory of the body over the course of our lives. Hence numerous physical health benefits occur. The specific style of active, circular
breathing (that children do naturally when releasing emotional charge) stimulates the hippocampus, the part of the brain that stores our painful memories, and the amygdala, which is responsible for our emotions and other functions related to anxiety and depression. As a result, our built-up emotional pain is brought to the surface to be processed and released. During a breathwork session we may have profound and intense emotional
experiences, or have emotional memories of past events that we have blocked out of our consciousness. This is why it is important to do it under the guidance of an experienced and qualified breathwork practitioner who can support you through the process. Breathwork therapy also includes conscious counselling and mental processing techniques. These help us to uncover and let go of the subconscious negative core beliefs that keep our unwanted patterns running and hold us back in life.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? As the emotional and somatic (physical) body clears, the whole nervous system undergoes a thorough cleansing and all our energies begin to flow freely again. You will find you have more energy available to take care of tasks in daily life and do more of the things you love. Breathwork therapy offers advanced relief from anxiety, depression, and all emotional issues. Breathwork therapy also results in improved relationships, more conscious relating, and deeper intimacy. When we are no longer re-creating and acting from our past trauma and the defences built around it, our relationships – both with ourselves and with others – become easier. We are finally able to release our unconscious negative beliefs, break through repetitive negative patterns and exchange them for more functional and fulfilling ones. n
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Liisa Halme is an advanced breathwork practitioner, a registered yoga therapist, and a senior yoga teacher. She works in Sydney’s
eastern suburbs.
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