Your Personal Breathwork Journey

In the practice of Meditation, I learned to use the breath as a focal point. A place to rest my awareness so that I could sink back behind thoughts and my outward human experience. 

Over the years of study and practice, awareness of Breath began to play a more important role. 

The more I paid attention, the more I realized that Breath is so much more than a means of circulating oxygen in the body. It offers a direct experience of presence, conscious control of our physical, mental, and spiritual experiences, and is the most dynamic means of transformation that I have found. 

As I began to deepen my understanding of the Breath and gather more and more Breathwork tools, I started to remember back to significant moments in my life where Breath played an integral role. 

The first time I truly realized the power of the Breath was during my second birth, with my beautiful daughter Avery. I was committed to a Natural Birth with both kiddos, but the first experience was so much more than my mind and body were prepared for. 

When I was in my second pregnancy, I decided to seek out support. I read every book, watched every video and talked to as many women as possible who had been through it before. One thing stood out to me above the rest was a method called HypnoBirthing that involved conscious breathing and visualization to help focus the mind and support the body during birth. Every word in the book by Marie Mongan felt like a homecoming. 

And, at 7 months pregnant, I hopped on a plane and flew to Texas to learn directly from the master. It didn’t disappoint. Through that training and the following months I practiced Breathwork and visualization daily. 

What I thought would prepare me for birth did SO much more than that. My daily practices brought a relief from discomfort, helped me to focus, and generally offered an improved sense of wellbeing both physically and mentally. 

I won’t get into the details (maybe another time) but I can’t even begin to express the difference between those 2 births. While the first felt overwhelming and painful, the second was so empowering. Everyone who was present at that birth (including the nurses and my Midwife) were amazed by how well the Breathwork supported me during this beautiful transition. 

Experiencing the true power of the Breath is something I won’t forget. I remember these moments often when I feel overwhelmed or in need of a good reminder of how powerful I actually am. 

Your Unique Relationship with the Breath

You likely signed up for this training because you have already had experiences that demonstrated the power of Breath. As we walk this path together, you will find that your relationship with the Breath will likely shift in some fundamental way.

Perhaps it will be a deepening in spiritual connection and devotion. Or maybe it will be a persistent curiosity that has you asking the breath often, ‘What do you have to show me today?’.

Just as with any relationship, it takes time and commitment to explore the fullness of what is possible. I invite you to take your first step onto this path with a sense of compassion and willingness to explore what this relationship will mean for you.

The 3 Commitments for Studying Breathwork

When learning about Breathwork and the skills needed to share the practice with others through Inspired Me Meditation + Wellness, 3 Commitments are essential:

1 - Authenticity

Authenticity is a truthful representation of your experience. It is a way of sharing that honours your values, and is in integrity with your unique reality.

When you practice Breathwork, you will notice that sensations, emotions and even memories may arise. Authenticity is an acknowledgment of these and perhaps offering curiosity to why they arose.

2 - Presence

Presence is a quality of the NOW. It does not exist in the past, nor can it be anticipated. It must be experienced.

This means that to practice Breathwork, we must be willing to be with what is, right here, in this moment. Presence is about getting curious about what arises for you and working with whatever experiences and challenges arise.

3 - Compassion

Compassion is ‘non-judgment’. It is allowing the experience, the present moment, to be what it is. It is an ease, an acceptance of where we are, and a compassion for both ourselves and others.

The 5 Layers of Consciousness

While it may not be obvious just yet, you will soon discover that this program was designed in a very intentional way in order to help guide you through the deepening layers of consciousness as they relate to the Breath.

Borrowing from a Yogic concept, we will be exploring the theory and practices of Breathwork as they relate to 5 Layers of Consciousness:

1 - Physical - the physical body and what it means to be embodied

2 - Energetic - the energy body and how the Vital Energy of life is carried on the breath

3 - Mental - touching into the mind through a deepening awareness of our patterned thoughts, beliefs and ultimately the reality we experience

4 - Creative - activating the creative power within

5 - Unity - breathing with the Universe and recognizing the dynamic co-creative flow that we are a part of

As we move through our studies and practices together, you will notice the concepts become more and more subtle. Beginning with the most external layer of self, the Physical, we take the journey inward through the layers of consciousness until we arrive at the most subtle, which is Unity Consciousness.

Inquiry Questions

• Describe your unique journey with the Breath.
• When do you feel most connected with the Breath?
• When do you feel least connected with the Breath?