A breath-focused musical meditation for conscious healing...
Integrative Breathwork Q&A
What is Integrative Breathwork?
Breathing is the primary life-supporting process: "Integrative Breathwork is one of the most powerful ways I know to open the heart and release negative imprints that keep us from realizing our full potential as spiritual beings having a human experience."
What are the origins of Breathwork?
Accessing non-ordinary states of consciousness for healing and connecting with the universe is an ancient spiritual practice in both Eastern and Western traditions. The mystical branches of traditional world religions include Sufism (Islam), Yoga Practice (Hinduism), Buddhism (Zen), Christian Mysticism, Jewish Mysticism (Kabbalism), and Shamanism. Deep breathing and rhythmic vibrations have long been used, in many cultures and in a variety of ways, as catalysts to access altered states. Ceremonial dancing, drumming, singing, chanting, yogi breathing have all been used, not only to receive guidance, but to celebrate life and our relationship to the universe. Like many inner practices and processes, Breathwork helps to develop our multi-sensory abilities and to open the door to unlimited potential and possibility.
How did it evolve into what is known as "Integrative Breathwork" now?
Integrative Breathwork is a transformational tool developed by Jacquelyn Small after working for six years with Stan Grof, the scientific researcher and psychiatrist who created Holotropic Breathwork. (While it is quite similar to Holotropic Breathwork, Integrative Breathwork engages in less bodywork.) Jacquelyn developed the psycho-spiritual group process of Intergrative Breathwork to help people deepen into the essential therapeutic aspects of healing that the experience reveals. She points out, "We cannot work on what we are not aware of, and what we are not aware of can prevent us from healing and knowing what is true."
How does it work?
Integrative Breathwork is essentially a musical meditation that quiets the mind to allow you to journey to deeper, transpersonal realms of consciousness. The meditation uses rhythmic breathing, which is induced by evocative music that flows through the energetic system of the body. The sonic waves of the music help to open the chakras and bring to conscious awareness what needs to be addressed and healed. The combination of deep breathing and musical vibrations aids in altering consciousness. This sacred process is like conscious dreaming. The main thing to remember is that this process is invitational and you are always in control with your readiness to let go or not.
What will happen during a Breathwork experience?
There are four possible journeys or realms of consciousness that can be experienced while doing Breathwork. During the process you may enter one or more of the following "bands" of consciousness: sensory, biographical, perinatal, or transpersonal.
The sensory band of consciousness is entirely physical and invites the body to release on a cellular level through the five senses.
In the biographical band one can view anything that has happened since childbirth.
The perinatal experience is comprised of four stages of the birth process, this can be either your personal birth, or it can be you giving birth.
In the transpersonal band one experiences anything beyond the physical or ego reality –archetypal, mythical, shapeshifting, or a spiritual awakening. This entire process is professionally facilitated in a sacred space of unconditional love and support.
What happens after the Breathwork meditation?
Following the two-hour inner journey you are invited to journal your experience by drawing mandalas. Mandalas are pictures of Indian origin in which a mystical experience is drawn within a circle. This process helps integrate the experience in a way that brings at least part of the journey to physical form. The mandalas are used for sharing in group process to help integrate your experience with waking reality. This symbolic artwork helps to capture a snapshot of your soul that can keep speaking to you long after the workshop.
As one of my Breathwork participants said, "being someone who carries much anxiety and is afraid to try new things, I was so proud of myself that I took the risk and did this transformational workshop. I finally used my own intuition and found from this experience that everything in my life both good and bad has happened to help me SEE that I am a part of everything in the universe and all is well." This certainly rings true for me, with what I have learned from my training, and by having the opportunity to facilitate these workshops.
The only person in your life that can truly make you happy and fulfilled is you, by taking responsibility for your life in cooperation or co-creation with the God of your understanding. The Breathwork experience helps to move us from the external world and relative truth to the internal world, where we develop our inner-sight and reaffirm our connection with the "all that is" and ultimate truth. We are creatures of both ego and soul and we crave balance, connection, and love in our lives. A question we must ask is: Have we become so focused on the external world that we have forgotten our very own souls? I am inviting you to wake up and take the journey back to your truth! I view this process as an evolutionary psycho-spiritual therapy that doesn't conflict with any belief system. It complements any other therapy or practice. It is universal and all-loving.
Benefits of Breathwork
Breathwork aids in relieving and healing:
Anxiety
PTSD
Childhood Trauma
Chronic Pain
Depression
Grief
Emotional Stress
The feeling of being stuck in a life pattern
Breathwork nurtures the soul:
Fostering connection to the divine self
Dispelling fear
Inspiring self-awareness
Raising consciousness
Deepening compassion
Stimulating empathy
Promoting peace within and toward others
Every participant in a Breathwork group creates a "mandala" (such as the ones pictured here) to help process his or her experience.
"Integrative Breathwork benefits us all. It is a wonderful way to open the heart and awaken the spirit within. It is especially important for those who have chosen to guide others during these turbulent times of rebirth – and for anyone who is experiencing blocked creativity, depression, grief or loss, life transitions, stress related symptoms, loss of meaning and purpose, addictions, or repressed trauma. I believe that this sacred work energetically and collectively heals not only the group, but the lineage of all the individuals who participate, and ultimately the entire planet. It is during group experiences that we begin to see we are all fingers of the same hand, and in realizing this truth, judgment of self and others falls away.
It is more important now than ever to clear out our negative habits and perspectives towards ourselves and others. I believe if we can each take responsibility for our own darkness and work to reclaim our soul's purpose, collectively we could transform the world. To take on the shadow of judgment and blame that darkens all of our lives and embrace it with love and forgiveness? This would truly be an act of unconditional love. There are no greater powers than the powers of love, compassion, and authenticity. Let it begin with you! Many Blessings!"
– Faith Burrington Jones