4 Reasons to Practice Conscious Connected Breathing
© Eli Defaria
Learning to breathe consciously in a connected manner is an art that many are unfamiliar with or have forgotten about.
Although for hundreds of years breathwork a.k.a pranayama has been an important part of healing and transformation, especially in yogic practices; there is somewhat a confusion to what the breath actually does and what different breathing exercises do to the mind, body and soul.
About conscious connected breathing
Did you know your breath is connected to your thoughts? The thought patterns which you have accumulated through your prenatal and perinatal period influence your breathing mechanism and your personality. Therefore, to transform your subconscious mind and its programming is through the breath itself.
According to the earliest breathwork movement in the western world, founder of Rebirthing Breathwork International, Leonard Orr describes it as “…an inspiration and the act of learning how to breathe from the breath itself.”
As simple as this may sound, it requires practice to free the breathing mechanism.
If you have been fascinated by the power of the breath and would love to explore its benefits, here is what you definitely need to know.
Releases tension:
The process of consciously connecting the inhale to the exhale in a relaxed manner allows the breath to release tension in the body such as pain. This is mainly due to trapped and suppressed emotions. During a breathwork session, although many will have breathing deviations, with proper guidance and an open mind they learn to overcome them. What’s fascinating is that the deviations are connected to beliefs such as; struggling to survive, staying in the comfort zone and/or fear of death. When one starts to breathe freely and fully, he/she does not accumulate tension in their body. They are more relaxed and accepting to life. It’s worth knowing that this happens naturally and it cannot be pushed.
Opens up your consciousness:
As human beings we have the unique ability to experience episodic memories and with each memory we have a meaning attached to it. Interestingly enough they are ingrained in our cellular memory that keep us victims to our past.
What conscious connected breathing does is to allow ourselves to safely resurface those memories and breathe through them, which as a result will change the reaction and meaning we have to them. For example, Fredric Lehrman emphasises the impact of our birth on all our actions throughout our lives and with each rebirth experience one’s old subconscious beliefs dissolve and integrate safely.
Achieves mindfulness:
Our thoughts are creative and they influence our reality. Whether we are thinking healthy or unhealthy thoughts our reactions to the outer world are based on what’s going on in our inner world. Our subconscious mind is continuously producing results. Becoming mindful of what those thoughts are and transforming them through breathwork anchors a new programming to the subconscious mind. Additionally, using self-empowering statements also known as affirmations enhances the mindfulness process. Incorporating these powerful statements during and after a session create a stronger and lasting results.
Heals the unconscious birth script:
Many have spoken about the unconscious prenatal, birth and perinatal memories which influence our perception and behaviour in life.
The French obstetrician and author of Birth without Violence; Frederick Leboyer has been fascinated by birth and has revolutionised how many see childbirth, which should be really about the child and not the doctors or procedures. In his book he described birth through the child’s eyes and how traumatising it can be.
It is also worth being aware that each individual reproduces their birth script within their breathwork sessions. The intention of these sessions is then to help the person become aware of their patterns and overcome them.
Summary
These are simply key points to have in mind when opting to expand your health and wellness in general. It is also worth remembering the essence that keeps us alive in the physical body is the breath. Create a loving relationship with your own breath and see how you thrive in life.
