How aware are you of breathing? Rebecca Dennis explains why the answer to that question should be ‘very’.
Rebecca Dennis became a qualified Breath coach and workshop leader after studying Transformational Breath with Judith Kravitz, the founder of the technique. This self-healing practise is one of the most powerful cutting edge breath works on the planet.
The most important thing in life is to breathe – after all, we live to breathe and we breathe to live. We cannot exist without it. The first thing we do when we make our entrance into the world is breathe, and it is the last thing we do when we exit.
A little statistic for you: we inhale and exhale around 20,000 times a day, yet most of us pay little attention to how we breathe or how deeply it affects us. So, why should we notice how we breathe? It’s a sad fact that in our increasingly demanding and complex world very few people are aware of the detrimental effects that improper breathing can have on our health and general well-being.
We teach our young to walk, communicate, bathe, eat and socialise, yet educating them about the healing power of their breath is not a priority. I want to encourage people to be aware of their breath and share the multitude of wonderful benefits that emerge from breathing consciously.
How we breathe is indicative of how we feel about life. As we are all unique we all have our own unique breathing pattern, a bit like our thumb print. Our breath pattern shows our story and the way we perceive the world around us. Some of us are chest breathers whilst others are belly breathers. When you see a baby breathing you will notice that they are breathing in their belly, midsection and chest.
I discovered the technique of Transformational Breath eight years ago, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it has helped me to overcome the depression I’d lived with for nearly 20 years.
It is not about learning new tricks but getting the body to remember to breathe in particular ways. This technique helps us to let go of unhealthy patterns and allow the breath to flow in the way we can in life. Breath is our anchor and although we cannot always control what is happening around us it can help us to feel balanced, centred and calm. When we open our breath and use our respiratory system to its full capacity we can let go of any emotional past drama or trauma we are holding onto in our body. This helps our general wellbeing on a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual level.
Today, I see clients for one-on-one sessions at Indaba Yoga in Marylebone and also in Kent. People come to me with many various issues including stress, anxiety, panic attacks, addiction, abuse, depression, ME, respiratory problems, trauma, sleeping patterns, focus, lack of energy, physical problems and low self esteem. I recommends between three and five sessions to fully feel the benefits and understand the technique. I also run workshops and retreats, and co-founded www.inspirationspace.co.uk, a health and wellness collaboration of conscious breath work experiences with combined therapies.
Are you a belly breather or a chest breather?
You can do this sitting up straight or lying down.
If you’re sitting up, keep your spine straight.
Relax your shoulders, try not to hunch them.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep inhale through the nose and let go of the exhale through the nose.
Repeat this two or three times, breathing in and breathing out.
Now place one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest.
Breathe in through the nose and out through the nose.
Notice where you can feel the breath more.
Can you feel it more in your chest or can you feel it more in your belly?
Conscious Connected Breath Exercise
Transformational Breath is a cutting edge breath technique. Here’s a simple exercise you can practice on your own.
- Prop yourself up on the bed at a semi-reclined angle with cushions or pillows behind you so your chest is higher than your legs. Make sure you are warm and comfortable, and that your head and neck are supported.
- Place your hands on your lower abdomen – a few inches below the navel. Relax the jaw and open the mouth wide and take a deep inhalation, belly should rise like a balloon, and exhale with a quick sigh.
- Stay present with the inhale and the exhale. Inhalation should be about twice as long as the exhalation. Exhalation should be quiet and relaxed like a soft sigh.
- Keep the breath connected so no pauses between breaths and coming in and out like a wave motion.
- Repeat up to 1-2 minutes and notice any physical sensations in the body. Rest for one minute as you return to a normal breathing pattern – breathing through the nose.
Copyright Rebecca Dennis @ Breathing Tree
For more info visit www.breathingtree.co.uk
