Breathwork
It is easy for many of us to dismiss the transformational power of controlled breath. After all, we are always breathing. What science has demonstrated, and our own experience as providers and practitioners has shown us, is that intentional breathing practices are a way of accessing an altered state of consciousness.
The Science
Science has recently been demonstrating that different breathing patterns activate parts of our brains and nervous systems that regulate mood, attention, and body awareness. Breathwork, practiced under various names and methods, is increasingly used as an effective component of trauma-focused therapies, often helping access and process trauma when talk therapies cannot.
How it Works
Controlled breathing affects activity across a network of brain structures, including the amygdala, which regulates anxiety, anger, or fear, the insula, which regulates the autonomic nervous system and is linked to body awareness, and the anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain involved in heightened awareness. Breathing intentionally therefore can change our thoughts, moods, and experiences.
There is evidence that many cultures of the ancient world understood and taught this. We believe, therefore, that access to safe, guided breathwork should be included for any client who is open to altered states for healing.
Our breathwork providers offer sessions of varying intensity, always beginning with a gentler, self-paced approach to allow you to become familiar with your own body’s breadth of experience. More advanced forms, targeting the processing of challenging experiences or emotions, may be an option for those who elect this under the guidance of their provider.