What is Breathwork?
What is Breathwork?
The word breathwork is a general term many people use nowadays. A basic definition of breathwork is really any breathing practice or technique used to improve your well-being.
Breathwork seems to be a new trend but using the power of our own breath dates back thousands of years. Unlike the latest fads, breathwork was life changing for me personally and professionally.
I’m still using it over 10 years later!
Eastern, Western, and Native cultures have all used breathing techniques in one form or another to aid in things like:
healing
calming the body
becoming self aware
deepening spiritual practices
connecting with your higher self
There are several different types of breathwork out there which I’ll talk more about shortly.
The kind of breathwork that helped me through burnout is called rebirthing breathwork. It was discovered in the 1960s and serves as the basis for most (if not all) of the types of breathwork you’ll see below.
You may be the skeptic reading this and thinking…Is this legit? I breathe everyday and I don’t see a change.
That’s where someone who’s trained like myself comes in to guide you through the process and helps optimize what you may already be doing.
The awesome thing about breathwork is you won’t always need a guide!
It’s a tool you’ll be able to learn and perform independently!
Hi I’m Christen
I was just a tired, exhausted, burned out nurse dreading work and imaging what I could do instead of nursing. It affected me professionally AND personally!
Now I help nurses struggling or wanting to prevent the struggle using the same strategies and tools I used to create a happier, healthier life.
Get your free 5 minute visualization to decrease your stress, increase your peace, and sleep better tonight….naturally!
Is Breathwork legit?
Is Breathwork legit?
Breathwork can decrease everyday stress and help your body release stored tension. This type of deep breathing helps stimulate the body's relaxation response.
Founder of the body’s relaxation response, Dr. Herbert Benson, discovered that to initiate this response you have to do 2 things:
Do something repetitive.
In Breathwork, you're doing 2 things: a repetitive type of breathing in/out of your chest and also hearing the repetitive sound of your breathing as you do so
and
Passively disregard thoughts when they come to mind and return to the repetition. It breaks the cycle of everyday thinking.
In Breathwork, the focus is always comes back to the breath. So if you're starting to breathe and you notice a bunch of random thoughts start to flood your mind (which is totally normal btw) the goal is to let them just pass on by and turn your focus back to breathing.
A great example of this is a recent client who’s been a nurse 20+ years and had several back surgeries.
This nurse is on chronic pain management and after one session of breathwork she didn’t need a pain pill for 24 hours! That’s HUGE!! She was able to actually feel her body relaxing during the session!
Although breathwork isn’t a cure-all and I wouldn’t suggest anyone stopping medications, it’s an added tool in your tool belt!
This nurse felt incredible relief after just 1 session!
It’s amazing how our bodies were designed to be able to give ourselves what we need.
As a nurse and breathworker, I have the unique ability to understand women in healthcare while being able to bring relief to their situation.
Types Of Breathwork
Types of Breathwork
Pranayama is a popular term in the breathing and yoga communities which simply means the practice of breath regulation. Breathwork is about focusing on the breathing and being present.
Breathwork is a form of Pranayama. Sometimes breathwork is also referred to as conscious connected breathing.
All types of Breathwork have a few things in common:
it's all about the breathing
a judgement-free process
no 2 sessions are ever the same
you'll discuss your experience after
can be done individually or in a group sessions
While spiritual elements are incorporated, all individuals of any belief system are welcome-religion isn't pushed
Bonus: special sessions can even be done in water! (in a safe and monitored environment-no drowning please)
Rebirthing Breathwork
Believe it or not, this actually started in a bathtub in the 60s with a guy named Leonard Orr. Long story short, Leonard was having memories from his own birth while he was in the bathtub. Not long after, Leonard realized that the breathing was the key to his experience.
Rebirthing breathwork is an original form of breathwork and one of the biggest pioneers of rebirthing breathwork was Sandra Ray...who was actually a nurse.
A typical session lasts 1-2 hours, can involve music, affirmations, and is able to be done individually or in a group session.
This type of breathwork is perfect for nurses and individuals in healthcare because
it helps your body release tension
helps you process through things faster
allows you to go deeper to be able to move forward in your goals personally and professionally
and much more!
Breathwork was monumental in helping me move through burnout, moral injury, and even in my personal life. I’m confident, happy, and free from guilt regardless of what the status of healthcare or the nursing profession is.
I don’t need to change my job or who I am to be happy because my internal foundation is solid.
I can show you the way to get there too!
In fact, being empowered and moving through those times has allowed me to help others and have the energy to actively contribute in improving the nursing profession.
Ready to stop crying in your car?
Want to feel light and energized again by releasing stored tension from your body?
Contact me here and we’ll setup a time to chat.
Transformational Breath
Founded by another breathwork pioneer: Dr. Judith Kravitz back in 1977. Dr. Kravitz blended her practice as a counseling minister with conscious breathwork.
Transformational breathwork uses gentle movement, sound vibrations, and affirmations to support the breathing pattern during the session.
The benefits you receive from this are similar to those of rebirthing breathwork.
Holotropic Breathwork
Founded by psychiatrist Dr. Stanislov Grof and his wife Christina Grof. Holotropic breathwork combines accelerated breathing with music in a group setting lasting 2-3 hours.
People work in pairs with designations as "breathers", which are the individuals breathing, and "sitters", whose role is to simply be present and available to assist if needed.
Holotropic breathwork offers individuals a unique opportunity to draw a mandala after that represents their experience. I imagine this is a great pairing for someone with a creative mind.
The benefits you receive from this are similar to those of rebirthing breathwork.
Shamanic Breathwork
Was founded by Linda Star Wolf who started out in the mental health and addictions field. Her inspiration came from Stanislov Grof and Jacquelyn Small.
This type of breathwork combines music, rituals, ceremonies, and breathing to help individuals connect with their inner shaman.
Clarity Breathwork
Cofounded by 2 breathworkers: Dana Dharma Delong and Ashanna Solaris who bring a feminine element to breathwork.
The benefits and breathing incorporated with this type of breathwork are similar to Rebirthing Breathwork.
Integrative Breathwork
Founded by social worker Jacquelyn Small in the 90s. She began her journey doing Holotropic Breathwork with Dr. Grof and his wife before founding her own type of breathwork.
The sessions are similar to Holotropic breathwork with the caveat of requesting spiritual guidance before starting the session.
Wim Hof Breathing Method
This type is separate from the rebirthing foundation and was created by a Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athelete: Wim Hof, aka: The Iceman.
This type involves frequent cold exposure, breathing techniques, and meditation
Wim Hof method breathing exercises are deep, rhythmic, and controlled followed by a time for holding your breath. One of the goals of this type is to release your inner fire.
Benefits are similar to other types of breathwork you’ll see below, however some that are unique to the Wim Hof method are:
improved sports performance
and
links to reducing disease symptoms like: Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Parkinson's, Asthma, Sarcoidosis, Vasculitis, and several autoimmune diseases.
Benefits of Breathwork
Benefits of Breathwork
There are many benefits of breathwork. One of the biggest is stress relief!
Let’s be honest, we all know the benefits of feeling less stressed!
Breathwork has also been used to help with:
Anxiety
Releasing stored trauma from the body
Anger
Grief and Loss
Posttraumatic stress
Labor pains
High Blood Pressure
Depression
Chronic Pain
Trouble sleeping
Deep relaxation
Increased clarity, joy, and energy
Overcoming subconscious and energetic blocks
Connect with our true self and the Divine
Increasing aliveness
Attracting more of what you want from life and less of what you don't
Releasing limiting thoughts and patterns holding you back
Connecting with your true self
Increasing inner peace
Moving through feelings of being stuck
Enhancing creativity and expression
Bonus tip: It's great for coming up with new ideas!
Is breathwork dangerous?
Is Breathwork Dangerous?
Breathwork is safe when done with a trained breathworker. It's important to ask your breathworker where they've trained to make sure it's a reputable place.
Another important point is that you feel safe with the person you're working with. Just because someone is a certified practitioner of something doesn’t make them an automatic safe person.
If something feels off to you, then it probably is. Move on until you find a good fit for you.
People suffering from serious mental illness, receiving psychiatric care and/or anti-psychotic medications, COPD, severe anemia are better aligned with other types of work.
Breathwork can be safe for pregnant women with their doctor's approval.
What makes me different?
What makes me different?
I've worked in healthcare for 25+ years. Spending 18 years providing bedside care and working at several hospitals nationwide as a traveler, I intimately understand nurses and women in healthcare.
Through coaching and breathwork I made it to the other side of burnout and moral injury.
Blending empowerment coaching with breathwork, I’m able to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Both techniques enhance one another to help you overcome what's holding you back, connect with your inner power, and step into your dynamic and authentic self!
Ready to start your journey? Contact me here and we’ll setup a time to chat.
In 5 minutes you can…
Feel balanced and at peace by turning off overthinking and 2nd guessing yourself so you can increase your confidence and feel like yourself again.
Decrease stress and anxiety by using the very same tool I did so you can finally stop tossing and turning and get some good sleep tonight….naturally!
Practice 1 secret to improving boundaries and decreasing burnout: letting go of what isn’t yours to carry so you can decrease overwhelm and protect your space.
I was just a bedside nurse, exhausted, stuck, and feeling dead inside. Dreading both home and work I dreamed of having a life that I loved. After turning that dream into reality, I now help women connect with their inner power and step into their dynamic, authentic self to create a life they love.
I made a promise to myself at 30 that each year would be better than the last…..and I’ve been able to keep that promise!