Breath is a sacred connection to the divine.  We begin with our first breath when we are born, and end with a final exhalation.  In between, we take 20 thousand breaths each day, and from 600-700 million breaths in our lifetime.

Breath is one of the few bodily functions which is under both conscious and unconscious influence.  Breathwork practices help us to deepen this sacred relationship between our mind, body and consciousness.

1. Holotropic breathwork, developed in the 1970s, allow participants to access altered states of consciousness, with healing intention - (holo = wholeness, tropic = towards). The structure of holotropic breathwork ceremonies is similar to a sacred plant medicine ceremony and requires the same care. Just like in sacred plant medicine ceremony, integration of the holotropic experience in a conceptual, mental and spiritual franework is required to effect lasting change.
2. Primordial breathwork focuses on connection within a group and deepening the awareness of the connection between emotions and breath.  The structure of the ceremony encourages practicing and reinforcing this connection so it becomes automatic and physically embodied in daily life.
3. High intensity methods combine breathwork and meditation to expand the range of what the body and mind tolerates, finds comfortable and is capable of through physiological stress and practice.  Like strength or endurance training, this expanded capacity increases awareness and responsiveness in daily life.
4. Breath techniques help return the nervous system to center.
5. Exercise and performance practices: increase the physical capacity and performance of the body.

These practices can be used to dive deep into inner work as well as conditioning or training to build the ‘muscle’ of consciousness and access it with greater facility in daily life.  We encourage to explore these practices and find what resonates for you.

Breathwork practices shift our nervous system by through rapid breathing, holds, or rhythm.  These changes in breathing pattern have several physiological effects.

1. As you hold your breath, CO2 concentration in the bloodstream increase, causing the blood to acidify, increasing oxygen delivery to muscles and brain through the Bohr effect on hemoglobin. Hyperventilation lowers CO2 and causes blood to become more alkaline. Paradoxically, through Bohr effect, this reduces oxygen delivery to the brain and muscles.
2. Deep holds lower O2 in the bloodstream for short (1-2 mins) periods of time. There are theories that intermittent low O2 (hypoxia) is a healthy stress in contrast to the chronic hypoxia of respiratory disease and sleep apnea.
3. Breathing techniques - nasal vs mouth, belly vs chest breathing, rapid breathing - activate the nervous system differently. Diaphragmatic or belly breathing activates the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic, or ‘rest and digest’ nervous system response.  Rapid breathing of pranayama or ‘fire breathing’ exercise activate the sympathetic nervous system and the ‘fight or flight’ response.  Slow (6 breaths per minute) breaths of heart-breath coherence practices activates the parasympathetic nervous system.  Holding at the the top of an inhalation, or the valsava maneuver used by fighter pilots to maintain consciousness at high g-forces, exerts pressure on the baroreceptors in the carotid arteries, also activating the parasympathetic nervous system.  Holds at the bottom of exhale also activate the parasympathetic nervous system.