I had to breathe for 1 hour, straight…
That’s right, 1 hour of pure rhythmic breath. Quickly inhaling and exhaling. No breaks or pauses and amplified by music in a pulsating swing. This technique is called Holotropic breathwork and it has been known to help individuals achieve healing through unorthodox states of consciousness.
Holotropic means “moving toward wholeness,” and so the “breathwork” part is a practice of purposeful breathing that brings one to a state of higher consciousness and ultimately wholeness.
Participants in Holotropic breathwork have reported to have deep profoundly intense experiences. The idea is that by amplifying certain aspects you can resolve them. According to Holotropic breathwork facilitator Martin Boroson, who wrote an article for Inside Out trying to dispel some of the more controversial myths surrounding the decades-old breathing practice. “Holotropic breathwork is best known as a technique to achieve psychedelic-like states without using psychedelics.” Boroson also gives emphasis on how people sometimes have these intense experiences, but that it is an important component of healing. Known clinically as a “healing crisis”, where a temporary worsening of symptoms causes the body to expel negative energy and toxins. Much like the saying “it gets worse before it gets better” To note: A “healing crisis” can happen on a physical, emotional, or mental level. Breathwork sessions can happen on all those levels.
I didn’t realize just what I’d be experiencing when I participated in a “Breathwork” session by Breathe with Donna at the last Synergy Wellness & Fuuna Cultures Soulcation.
I thought I was fairly well traveled in the Hippy-verse but I had never heard of “Breathwork” before nor had I seen any examples of it in video or in articles prior to this event. I was in for a surprise of a lifetime.
All throughout the day I kept hearing that later that night we’d all be taking this amazing journey together. I figured it was a metaphor for this soul gathering in general. I didn’t actually think I’d be going on a literal spiritual journey with a group of strangers, friends and now family. Little did I know I was about to subconsciously imbibe in some all natural “Ayuhuasca”, self made DMT generated by this continuous purposeful intentional breathing technique.
Among the scared backdrop of jungle magic and ocean tranquility, surrounded by the ancestors at Ritidian, I journeyed through one of the scariest yet most freeing experiences I have come to know. Even more so than the Hypnobirthing techniques I used for laboring our two youngest children.
At one point I was seriously scared for my life and yet my will, my survival instincts and attentive support from Donna, I pushed through a harrowing cleansing of deep rooted trauma, genetic conditioning and societal gaslighting that I eventually transitioned through the most liberating occurrence of my life!
Stay tuned for the rest of that Soulcation experience on another post. Viewable only as a Paid Member.