We have just concluded our Alchemist retreat in the hills outside Barcelona, and what a week that was. Our time together is designed to reintroduce the benefits of rites of passage that we missed. 

Tribal culture uses rites of passage as a clear measurement of each stage of our life journey, but the western world has bypassed these important moments, replacing them with banal and repetitive stimuli that become hypnotic and beguiling. 

It is much easier to scroll and swipe than create a real relationship with life. Courage atrophies, capability diminishes, and we forsake our human obligation to be the best version of who we can be.

Once upon a time you were a newborn child, and everything was possible. Yet through the gradual erosion of your miracle-self you were taught that to belong you had to be a certain way, to perform well or to win to be worthy. Your self-esteem became subject to influence from the outer world, your parents, siblings and peers. 

A life of striving without acknowledgement or recognition is tiring, dulling and sucks the inspiration out of us. Performing well in a sick world is no real accomplishment, and to measure our success by how many others we ‘beat’ or ‘likes’ we get is a fool’s game. 

I believe that the ‘mid-life crisis’ that has now become a normal life event for so many is the result of the lack of Rites of Passage. We are forced to realise, by illness, breakdown or the crumbling of our fragile self-esteem, that we are capable of greater things than those we chose to believe in. This is a shocking moment as our ‘world’ collapses in the rubble of self-disgust. 

But as we introduce Rites of Passage into our lives, we get to change things. We get to measure our progress as humans, with ancient wisdom rather than electronically induced waves of oxytocin. We are gifted with the understanding that our human journey needs challenges to be overcome in order for our self-respect to take root.  

It is only through the mastery of our challenge that we can reach our greatness, and when that challenge is provided in a fair way, when it is clear that it will arise to test us – our alertness and commitment – then we can approach it differently. 

If you are a parent of young children, consider what you can do to reintroduce these important thresholds for them. You don’t need to send them off into the jungle to steal a tigers foreskin with a pair of chopsticks. There are more simple ways that they can be challenged in order to rise to their greatness. Remember, if you are inspired by their capability they will become stronger. 

There will come a moment when our daughters menstruate and our sons ejaculate, nature’s ways of marking the passage from youthful dependent to powerful creator. How can we support the advent of these miraculous truths for our children? If, as parents, we don’t give due attention to these thresholds, is it any wonder that our children grow confused, catapulted into an adult world unready and over-equipped? 

Likewise as we grow older, what rites of passage have we bypassed innocently, our minds and passions driven or drawn by our past, or a fantastical future that actually never comes into being? 

I remember being inspired by my guitar teacher, a young man about to be married. His rite of passage was to go into the woods of southern England, and stand in a circle with his male peers. Each of them would ask him a question to test his strength of purpose, his readiness and his commitment to the union that was about to occur. The next stage was to enter into a circle with the women friends of his bride-to-be and answer their questions too. 

Juxtapose this conscious rite of passage with the drunken clowns on a flight to Ibiza on their way to a 5-day binge of alcohol and drugs – another version of a rite of passage which only offers the chance to test the boundaries of indulgence and the arrogance of ignorance. 

Further on, as we become elders, understanding that wisdom is born from our own mistakes and the time we have taken to reflect on them, do we remain forever in pursuit of mastery? Is Kingship or Queenship the ultimate achievement of a lifetime? 

A few years ago in Bali, as I speculated on my journey to mastery, a lady younger than myself gave me six words in return: “Mystery is the antidote to Mastery” was all she said. 

That stumped me, most of all because it was unwelcome. What has my life been for if not to master at least something about it? After all the effort, was mastery of no value?

Another rite of passage is called for, that in preparation for our final passing there is much we can do. Sure, live each and every moment as if it could be our last, but also, if we are to pass through the eye of the needle of death, there isn’t room for any baggage. What we don’t resolve or work out will become our legacy to our heirs. This last period of life offers the chance to shed the burdens, to atone for our prior mistakes, and bow humbly before the greatest mystery of all. 

That’s what BreathCamp is about, a chance to experience Rites of Passages that are interwoven into your experience while with us – and following camp – with our Inner Journey. We are born as a result of a miraculous process, and to accept life as a diminished version of who we are is as indulgent as drinking our way into oblivion.

Now is our chance, not just to walk our talk, but to wake up and walk our ‘why’. Find our retreat on bookretreats.com.

Love, Anthony

The post Rites of Passage appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

Welcome to Alchemy of breath integration.

This series on breathwork integration consists of three parts.

Part one: An understanding of what integration is and why it matters.
Part two: What and how to change your environment, habits, and connection with the world and other people.
Part three: An advanced visualisation technique to tie it all together and create a new you.

What is breathwork integration and how do you use it

So now what? You’ve had an earth moving experience and you want it to last. How do you take this new you, out into the other world? I was tempted to say ‘real world’, but I don’t think that’s accurate. In my experience, reality becomes a little more flexible once you’ve experienced what the breath can do.

As a facilitator, client, or follower of Alchemy of breath., you are now part of a family. So, support is there if you need it. In this series on breathwork integration, I will outline findings from models of integration including the field of psychedelic therapy. As well as idea’s that breathwork facilitators and participants have found useful. Plus, I will introduce specific techniques that you can use to help integrate ANY experience in your life. Breathwork Integration involves taking the changes in thought and feeling experienced during your breathwork journey and having them show up in your life once you leave the training or session.

Does all lasting change require integration

Absolutely. Integration is part of ALL successful change. Breathwork experiences often result in new threads of experience, memories, and emotions. Some may be unprocessed suppressed parts of ourselves. And some may be inspirational ideas and new habits. The value of integration is in weaving these new threads into the tapestry of your life. Sometimes the changes needed are obvious. Maybe you need to stop doing something or start doing something. Sometimes however, the message is not that clear and emotions and confusion can run high. Which is why it’s important to remember that there are people who have had a similar experience to you and are willing to help. Breathwork integration doesn’t stop when you go home. And there are simple guidelines to help you make this ongoing experience more enjoyable and fruitful.

How does breathwork integration relate to psychedelics

The Psychedelic ‘set, setting and integration’ model is probably one of the best and most well thought out models for integration there is. One of the reasons for that is because it states that, integration starts with the set and setting for the session. And the set and setting creates a ‘container’ for change to occur. In fact, it has been said about psychedelics that the container IS the medicine. And these principles apply to ANY significant personal experience including breathwork integration. Psychedelic integration models are based on harm reduction psychology. This means that the health and wellbeing of the client is above the beliefs and preferences of the coach or therapist. And it really cannot be any other way. Facilitators of client sessions are guides more than advisors. The same applies to self-development. Learn to treat yourself with care and flexibility and let go of doing things just because you’ve always done them. One of the greatest gifts of a psychedelic experience is to open you up to new possibilities. A type of reset. And this is also one of the greatest gifts of a breathwork experience.

Breathwork integration – How ‘set and setting’ applies to breathwork

If you re-name ‘set’ to ‘mindset’., then it will instantly make more sense.

This is about your frame of mind as you go into the session or to a workshop/retreat. How do you currently feel? What do you believe is going to happen? What do you WANT to happen? And so much more. It may seem obvious, but so many people miss this. Your mindset as you go to a session or event will have a big influence on what you experience. And you can only integrate what you experience. What that means, to sum it up in one sentence is this: Start changing before you change. Get excited. Know what you are getting in to. Give yourself a huge amount of credit for being willing to give yourself the gift of breath.

How do you create the right setting for Breathwork integration

Luckily for you, Alchemy of breath workshops and sessions take care of this for you. The setting for your breathwork experience is more than the physical environment. Because it also includes the cultural and social environment. Breathwork integration starts with the mentors, trainers, facilitators, and other participants. They are part of the setting. These are the people that will help you get the most from your experience. What expectations and experience do they have? What are their core beliefs and commitments to you as a client or participant. The role of these people cannot be overstated. And this is a big reason why people choose Alchemy of breath training and facilitators. Breathwork integration starts with the people you will meet and breathe with. Because everyone who is there to actively support you, has gone through extensive training. This is to give you the best possible outcome. And also, to deal with their own issues and healing before they deal with other peoples. Healer., heal thyself!

Why is Breathwork integration important

Now that you have the set and setting covered., what is the best way to integrate your experience and have it be a life changing one. Due to time commitments, most integration is left to you as an individual. And this is natural because integration is an ongoing process. Attending an event or one-to-one sessions can be life transforming. However, you need to be aware that habits are habits because they have established neurological pathways in your brain. Which means that it can be easy to restart or maintain existing habits. This is good news in that all you need to do is replace the habits., and your brain will maintain those too. You always have the choice to stay the same or go back to old habits. So, breathwork integration does take some responsibility and effort on your part. Especially when you consider one common fact. And that is that for a period, life will tend to continue to show you examples of things that you thought you had left behind.

Breathwork integration starts and ends with you

No-one knows you as well as you do. And that means that you know best where you need to make changes. But this fact is also part of the problem. Change can be hard. And sometimes it’s easier to give up trying to change and rationalise behaviour as beneficial even if it’s not. Because living up to your own expectations is key to feeling good. And if those expectations are too hard to live up to, it can be easier to lower the expectations. No-one wants to feel disappointed in themselves all the time. And so you may have developed blind spots in the way you live. For this reason it can be useful to get help from someone who knows you well. Just be prepared to have them be honest with you and accept that it may be difficult to hear. But regardless of what anyone says, the response-ability to change is with you.

Fear not though. We are about to dive into proven ways to take new decisions and habits and merge them into your life. This is the power of breathwork integration.

In part two of this series, you will learn integration of breathwork techniques that you can start using right now.

So get ready to change…

About the author:

Lance is a certified NLP and hypnosis trainer and breathwork junkie . He produces meditation and drug free psychedelic sessions using light and sound.

You can find out how that works here https://roxiva.com/how-it-works-the-roxiva-rx1-brainwave-entrainment-device/

The post Breathwork integration – AOB integration part one appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

Integration of breathwork – returning home

What do you do when you return home after a life changing experience? Because you may have changed., but the world probably hasn’t. Especially if you have been on a breathcamp or retreat, be aware that going back into your usual environment can be a bit of a shock. And so, choose where you go and who you see carefully. Integration of breathwork starts with intelligent choices about where and who you spend your time around. At least in the beginning. Some of your friends and family may be more open to your experience than others. Others may have opinions and ideas about your experience that don’t match yours. And it’s important that you let your experience mature without different beliefs and values filtering it. Be prepared to ask people for some space if that feels necessary. And consider that one of the changes you may need to make is to set new boundaries, agreements, and new ways of being with certain people. Consider staying away from social media for a period also. It’s easy to get drawn back into old ways of thinking and old emotions when you plug back into a constant stream of other people’s lives.

Nutrition and rest for integration

Breathwork has as one of its benefits a type of detoxing effect. And that means both physically and mentally. Therefore, integration of breathwork also includes being careful what you put back into your body. And taking the time to rest and recover as your body and mind acclimate to new thoughts and potentially new habits. Movement of any kind requires recovery. And this includes movement of thoughts and beliefs. This is a time to go easy on yourself and not have too high an expectation. If you haven’t already done so, introduce a higher content of plant-based foods into your diet. Plants have a much higher content of antioxidants than other forms of food. And antioxidants are of major benefit to health by neutralising oxidative stress. De-stressing the body with nutrition will help you adopt new habits and activities. Introduce more positive streams of information into your mind too if you can. This may require changing what you watch and listen to.

Integration of breathwork through writing and artistic expression

Transferring your thoughts and feelings out onto paper can be helpful. Journaling or drawing helps you to externalise emotion and thought and see it from a different perspective. Journaling and artistic expression develop observation., and observation is key to understanding. This allows you to decide if something is valid for your ongoing experience or if it needs to be left behind. Part of the process of integration of breathwork, is deciding what to start doing and what to stop doing. By keeping a journal, you will start to see patterns. And with this knowledge you can make new decisions. You can ask the question., does this pattern serve me or not?

Getting support from others

Nothing needs to be done alone. Commit to asking for help if you need it. And consider having someone who will hold you accountable to your new decisions. Perhaps you identified something about yourself that you are unsure how to deal with. Reach out to your fellow breathers and community or join/create a group dedicated to sharing experiences. Group integration practices can be hugely beneficial and motivational. And this sense of community encourages connection which is a big part of what integration is about.

Integration of breathwork self-care

Integration of breathwork includes going easy on yourself and being grateful for the small things. There is always something to be grateful for. Start by changing something in your environment at home to remind yourself that you have changed. Maybe by rearranging your bedroom. Do kind things for yourself. Consider what you would do for someone special and do that for yourself. Would that be a warm bath, a massage, a night out at the movies and some favourite food. Use these and other forms of self-care as kindness and not comfort, however. What’s the difference? Comfort can sometimes be used to avoid feeling. An example being eating things you know aren’t good for you but feel good to eat. Integration involves feeling and validating those feelings, not suppressing them with distractions.

Should you continue to breathe when integrating

Yes. Take time to breathe and meditate. This may seem obvious, but just because you have finished your breathwork retreat or course, doesn’t mean the work is over. You got to where you are with the breath. And the breath can keep you moving in a positive direction. It may be that you latched onto something during your breathwork sessions that needs further clarification. And continuing to breathe can give you that clarification. Be gentle with the frequency and intensity of these practices. Listen to your body and if you need a break or only short sessions, then do that. Sometimes a slow-paced session is just what you need. You don’t always need to be going deeper. Make the environment you breathe in nurturing and peaceful. And go into a session with the only intention being to let go into the experience. Insights tend to appear to us in moments of stillness, silence, or presence. And so meditative practices should form at least part of your integration of breathwork experience.

How to use grounding to help with the Integration of breathwork

One of the effects of breathwork journeys is the tendency to go into profound altered states of consciousness. And the result of this can sometimes leave you feeling a little disconnected from reality. Or even a little out of body. Sometimes you may have heard someone say that they haven’t landed yet after an experience. This is common and is an effect of these altered states. Nature and water are great ways to ground yourself. If you can swim that is ideal. Or even a shower can help. And one of the best ways to ground yourself is in nature. Walk on the grass, hug a tree (they like it ), enjoy the sun and sound of the birds. Grounding has some surprising effects on health in general. And being in nature is a powerful way to practice being mindful also. Mindfulness and integration of breathwork go hand in hand.

Link: Effects of grounding on health and wellbeing https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/

Integration of breathwork and the role of mindfulness

Mindfulness has gotten a lot of attention over the last decade. And rightly so. Studies consistently show that being mindful has many physical and mental health benefits. Mindfulness is presence and awareness. Seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting all that is there to be experienced. To be connected to everything around you, you need to be aware of it. And this applies to being connected to yourself also. Spend time expanding your awareness as a practice. And remember that being mindful includes awareness of your feelings and sensations also. Felt sense meditations and breathing into sensations during breathwork involve mindfulness. And being that the integration of breathwork is an ongoing process, mindfulness should be at the forefront of your practice. Integration involves coherence. Which means creating a unified whole. And that is an ever-evolving ongoing process also.

The difference between mindfulness and judgement

Mindfulness teaches an attitude of awareness, non-judgement, and curiosity of everyday experience. It is pure observation. Judgement is creating meaning based on experience and tends to cause anxiety about the future. And this is not useful for integration. Anxiety is one of the biggest obstacles to integration. Because it’s very hard for an anxious mind to process new information. Mindful observation results in noticing the lessons of life experiences. And noticing the lessons in an accepting way, means you’ll get the most benefit. Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhism. A strong sense of self (Ego) is seen as a source of distress. A loss or reduction of this sense of self, is one possible outcome of breathwork experiences. And this is also the ultimate goal of mindfulness. By practising mindfulness, you get better at being calm in the presence of new information. Mindfulness includes observation of your own thoughts and habits. And done in a non-judgmental way, results in patterns of ‘suffering’ becoming obvious. And when these patterns do become obvious remember an important fact: ‘Pain is real., suffering is optional’.

Link: Mindfulness and integration in the brain https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2566758/

How the need for consistency can impact the integration of breathwork

Be aware that one of the strongest human desires is for consistency of thoughts and action. This means that previous habits will be very tempting to continue. And it also means that other people will want you to be consistent too. Often, proof of change is that you respond differently to the same situation., not that the situation suddenly changes or disappears. How are you going to navigate that? What will you do if you catch yourself behaving in an old, outdated way again? How will you respond differently to other people and situations? The integration of breathwork involves these important questions. As without an answer, the result is often a feeling of failure, giving up, and the good work you did in your breathwork journey being fleeting instead of lasting.

Integration and changing your future

These important questions lead to a powerful way to integrate new decisions and ways of being into your future life. It is something I learnt and modified from the field of NLP and hypnosis called ‘future pacing’. The idea may seem too simple to be useful at first. But it uses the specific ways the mind works to install behaviours and thoughts into the future. And added are distinctions that cover the most common reasons that the integration of breathwork fails for some people. We are creatures of habit. And we don’t like to fail. So, the answer is to create new habits and change what failure means. And this is far better done in advance than in the moment of choice. If you rely on future will-power to do new things, you are at the mercy of the environment. Because there are any number of variables that could have you choose the easier option in each future situation. And the easier option is the one you’ve done before.

In part three of this series, you will learn a powerful advanced imagination and visualisation technique that will supercharge your integration of breathwork techniques.

See you there…

About the author:

Lance is a certified NLP and hypnosis trainer and breathwork junkie . He produces meditation and drug free psychedelic sessions using light and sound.

You can find out how that works here https://roxiva.com/how-it-works-the-roxiva-rx1-brainwave-entrainment-device/

The post Integration of breathwork techniques – AOB integration part two appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

How to change your future with future pacing

Future pacing as a form of breathwork integration and visualisation involves imagining your ideal future in a way that inoculates you to failure. This is done by pre-planning setbacks and pre-planning resistance from others. With those strategies in place, you can then mentally rehearse the future with you thinking, feeling, and behaving in useful productive ways. Most people WILL screw up. And most people WILL encounter resistance to any new way of being. This is an opportunity to make imagining your future a successful prediction rather than an unfulfilled dream. If you don’t pre-plan new responses to setbacks and resistance, the danger is that well-meaning people and situations will anchor you back into old behaviours. The best way to introduce you to this idea is to give an example. And before that lets look briefly at the keys to effective breathwork integration and visualisation.

What are the keys to future pacing for breathwork integration and visualisation

1) Imagine the future in all senses:

This is more than visualising. This is engaging as many senses as possible. Imagining for you may be more of a feeling than a picture. Or it may be what you will hear. Imagine in as many senses as you can: Visual (sight), auditory (sound), kinaesthetic (feeling), olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste). If you can imagine your future with all senses, then do so. Don’t worry if you can’t, just start with your preferred sense. You may find you add others from there.

2) Construct a movie in your mind and run it multiple times:

Imagine and create a movie of yourself feeling and behaving in your ideal way. [This can even be a time from the past that you can adjust the qualities of to be a future example]. And then imagine different times in the future feeling and behaving that way in situations where you would have behaved in the old way. Adjust each mini movie to suit the situation. Do this as spaced repetition. IE: Pick a time in a week, a month, 6 months, and a year from now. And play them out in detail in your mind. [NOTE: Imagining different times will help this new behaviour and feeling become part of your ongoing future].

3) General change or specific situation

Do you want this change to generalise or be in a specific situation? For example, you may want to be assertive in business but not with your intimate partner. Or it may be a more general change like choosing healthier foods where you want it to go across contexts. To make this future a specific change, use only examples of that specific thing (or person) at different times. To make the change generalise, use examples in different situations, locations, times, with different people etc.

4) Resistance and getting in your own way

Answer for yourself these questions: How might you get in your own way? What situations or people may make these new changes difficult? Think about the culture and environment you will go back to. Does that change who you want to be and how you want to act? Using these types of questions, you can role play in your mind how to deal with those situations and people. And then you can add these pre-planned responses to your breathwork integration and visualisation examples.

5) Prepare for setbacks

How will you frame slipping back into old behaviours and patterns? Without a plan, temporary failure will likely lead to giving up. Some changes happen fast and last. Most however, take a bit of time and include a few slip ups into old habits. Remember to be kind to yourself, because the opportunity to not be kind to yourself is likely to come up. Literally imagine yourself sometime in the future screwing up. Maybe in a week, and maybe again in a month. Imagining how you will handle that setback. IE: Imagine slipping back into an old habit or behaviour, then realising with a sense of amusement that that isn’t who you are any more. And then see yourself getting right back on track. If in the future you don’t slip back into old habits, then great. If you do., then you now have a mentally rehearsed strategy for dealing with it.

Breathwork integration and visualisation example

You’ve just had a life changing time at an Alchemy of breath breathcamp. And one of the things that has become clear to you is that you want to continue to feel and act from a place of gratitude. You feel it now, so this is the ideal time to condition your mind to feel and act from it in the future also. Here’s a few of many ideas to inspire your imagination. Breathwork integration and visualisation works best when done with emotion. And so get excited about creating your new future.

A week from now I imagine being at home waking up: I feel a smile come on my face as I open the curtains and see the view outside. I can hear the sounds outside and feel so grateful to be here. [Imagine similarly waking up in different places and times feeling grateful too]
A week from now at work a colleague fails to deliver on a promise: I catch myself feeling resentful about that. I take three deep breaths, feeling grateful for my work and surroundings and decide to send a reminder asking for a definite time the task will be done. And I make a plan to sit down with them and make an agreement on what to do if they are running behind again in the future. I congratulate myself on this different response and feel grateful for having other tasks to move on with.

A week from now I fall back into complaining to a friend about not having enough money: I become aware of a choice to continue or not. And in that moment, I shake off these thoughts (literally) and express gratitude for the abundance that is all around me. The friend tries to steer the conversation back to complaining. And I respond by saying “I hear you and I understand., let’s go for a walk this evening and enjoy nature”.
A week from now I’m sitting at a table eating: I close my eyes and savour the taste and smell. And feel enormous gratitude for the nutritious food available to me. I look around and realise just how much I have to be thankful for.

Get the idea? Do this for different situations and people and then extend it to a month from now, 6 months etc. This is how the mind gains new choices. You will always have the choice to go back to or maintain existing habits. But as you choose differently, momentum will take over and these new ways of being will become automatic. And this breathwork integration and visualisation technique will become quicker and easier the more often you use it. Creating your life on purpose will become a habit.

There are many more ways to help integrate life experience. And for more idea’s and expansion on the ones covered here please visit a series of articles I wrote on the integration of psychedelics here: https://roxiva.com/integration-of-psychedelics-psychedelic-therapy-part-one/
The idea’s and techniques covered there compliment these and apply to breathwork as well.

Above all, realise that integration is never done. You cannot fail to integrate unless you fail to keep learning. People with a growth-oriented mindset realise that the only thing separating them from what they want is time and skills. So, take your time and learn new skills. And I hope to see you at a breathwork event or camp sometime in the future.

About the author:

Lance is a certified NLP and hypnosis trainer and breathwork junkie . He produces meditation and drug free psychedelic sessions using light and sound.

You can find out how that works here https://roxiva.com/how-it-works-the-roxiva-rx1-brainwave-entrainment-device/

The post Breathwork integration and visualisation – AOB integration part three appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

Conscious Connected Breathwork, or CCB

Breathwork vs Pranayama

Functional Breath Work

Breath Work Practices or Exercises

Closing Thoughts

The post What is the Difference Between Breathwork, Functional Breath Work, & Pranayama appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

Below we will explore the transcendental experience – what it involves, how common it is, how it is brought on, the extensive benefits, and its connection to Breathwork.

What is a Transcendental Experience?

Transcendental experiences have been reported throughout history, across cultures and religions, and in both scriptural and secular writings [1]. It is characterized as a heightened state of consciousness, expanded or altered awareness, and a connection to something greater than self or ego.

There are different levels of transcendental experiences, with a ‘peak transcendental experience’ (or mystical experience) typically involving the expansion of perception beyond the human body and one’s personal identity, and the transcendence of space and time. Peak experiences usually also involve a sacred union or connection to the creator, the universe, God, the higher self, the divine or whatever term one uses to describe the source of being [2]. People often return from peak experiences with a new lens in which they see and experience the world – one with more beauty, love, unity, and flow. [3] They also report feeling more connected to life and self, and most experience enduring vitality, serenity, equanimity and meaningfulness, as well as a shift in life’s priorities. [4],[5],[6]

How Common Are Peak Transcendental Experiences?

Research suggests approximately ⅓ of people will have a peak transcendental experience that lifts them outside of themselves and connects them to source, at some point in their lifetimes. [7],[8],[9] It also suggests that the likelihood of having such an experience is not dependent on religious beliefs or spirituality. Self-proclaimed agnostics and atheists can experience it as well, and according to one study approximately 25% of them will. [10]

How Transcendental Experiences are Brought On

Transcendental experiences can be brought on voluntarily or involuntarily. Fasting and isolation, and other types of acutely intense physical or emotional events including giving birth, acute personal crisis, chronic disease, or the most commonly reported trigger – near death experiences can induce it involuntarily. [11],[12] Voluntary methods commonly include psychedelics (especially common when used in the right set and setting), raja yoga, vision quests, concentrative meditation (mantras, prayer etc), spiritual rituals, temazcales, sensory deprivation, and last but not least – Breathwork.

Many people report peak transcendental experiences as the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant lifetime experience. [13],[14] Studies show those who report having had a peak experience score markedly higher on measures of psychological wellbeing than those who did not report such experiences, and the effects are lasting. [15],[16],[17] Positive changes often noted include changes in attitude towards self, others, life, and consciousness; changes in behavior and ways of thinking; and an increase in life satisfaction, purpose, self-worth, creativity, compassion, and personal power. [18],[19],[20]  Studies have also found transcendental experiences of all levels improve the mental wellbeing of people with PTSD, depression, anxiety, terminally ill patients, the elderly (and others who are facing their own mortality); and are tremendously helpful for the recovery of drug, alcohol, and other addictions. [21],[22],[23],[24],[25],[26],[27],[28]

How Transcendental Experiences Affect Your Physical Health

“Every change in the physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental-emotional state, conscious or unconscious, and conversely, every change in the mental-emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiological state.” [29] In other words your mental and emotional health affects your physical health, and vice versa…and there is undeniable evidence proving this.

With the above in mind and taking into consideration the tremendous impact transcendental experiences have on mental and emotional health, it makes sense that these experiences would impact physical health as well. In fact, there is an abundance of anecdotal and clinical evidence linking transcendental experiences to the enhancement of physical health and the remission of pathological conditions. [30] There is also an abundance of evidence linking stress, anxiety, and depression to dramatically increased risk for chronic disease, heart attacks, poor immunity, and impaired healing. [31],[32] Because transcendental experiences often lead to a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression, they in turn may help reduce the aforementioned health risks.

How Common are Transcendental Experiences in Breathwork?

Modern Breathwork as we know it today was born in large part by transpersonal psychologist Stan Groph. He developed it to help his PTSD patients achieve recovery through non-ordinary states of consciousness which mimic psychedelic experiences. [33],[34] Perhaps not surprisingly considering its roots, Breathwork is almost always associated with a heightened state of consciousness, and some level of self-transcendence.

However, Breathwork does not always lead to peak transcendental experiences where there is a complete loss of self and sacred union with source, as described in the first part of this article. There is no definitive answer for how often a Breathwork journey will lead to these peak experiences, however one small study on 134 participants found approximately 10% of individuals will experience it during a session. [35]

Worth noting, we advise against partaking in Breathwork with expectations or trying to achieve a peak experience. The Breath always takes you exactly where you need to go, and lasting benefits such as increased self-awareness, self-love, self-esteem, connection, meaningfulness, and happiness occur in breathers regardless of if they had a peak experience or not. This is especially true for repeat breathers, and for those who take the time to integrate their learnings.

How Breathwork Heightens Consciousness and Triggers Transcendental Experiences

The exact way in which Breathwork transforms consciousness and leads to transcendental experiences is unknown, however emerging evidence suggests the psychedelic ‘spirit molecule’ DMT(N, N-Dimethyltryptamine) may be at play. DMT is found in nature and the human body, it is the strongest-known psychedelic substance in the world, and it’s the same molecule that is considered the impetus for the hallucinogenic and often mystical experiences associated with Ayahuasca. [36] Some believe the release of DMT during Breathwork is triggered by hyperventilation, hypoxia (low oxygen) and physiological changes such as an increase in pH and decrease in C02. [37] However this is not proven, and the depth of breaths taken during Breathwork should in theory lead to more oxygen and not less oxygen in the body. 

Regardless of what might cause DMT to be released in Breathwork, the hypothesis that it is released would explain why Breathwork journeys so often parallel intentional psychedelic experiences and why many of the benefits are the same (for more info on DMT & Breathwork, click here).

Whether DMT is Released or Not, There is No Denying the Facts that:

1. Breathwork can lead to peak transcendental experiences.
2. Most Breathwork sessions lead to some level of transcendence and a connection to a higher consciousness as well as your subconscious. In this higher space of awareness rapid healing, life changing insights, and major breakthroughs can occur and we become empowered as we realize everything we need is already within us.
3. Dramatic and lasting positive effects on mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing are commonly noted by breathers – regardless of whether or not they had a ‘peak’ experience. 

Want to Experience the Incredible Benefits of Breathwork for Yourself? Join Us At One of Our Free Live Breathwork Events

• [1] https://www.baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/levin_transcendent.pdf
• [2] https://www.baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/levin_transcendent.pdf
• [3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31013281/
• [4] https://www.baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/levin_transcendent.pdf
• [5] Thomas L, Cooper PE. Incidence and psychological correlates of intense spiritual experiences. J Transpersonal Psychol. 1980;12:75-85
• [6] Tart CT. Open Mind, Discriminating Mind: Reflections on Human Possibilities. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row; 1989.
• [7] Greeley AM. Ecstasy: A Way of Knowing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 197
• [8] https://www.baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/levin_transcendent.pdf
• [9] https://www.britannica.com/topic/mysticism/Techniques-for-inducing-mystical-experiences
• [10] https://www.baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/levin_transcendent.pdf
• [11] https://www.baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/levin_transcendent.pdf
• [12] Kohr RL. Near-death experiences, altered states, and psi sensitivity. Anabiosis. 1983;3:157-176.
• [13] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31013281/
• [14] https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/04/26/experiencing-god-psychedelics-mental-health/
• [15] Greeley AM. The Sociology of the Paranormal. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications; 1975.
• [16] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30521880/
• [17] https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/04/26/experiencing-god-psychedelics-mental-health/
• [18] https://www.transpersonaljournal.com/pdf/vol6-issue2/Puente%20JTR%206(2)%20HB%20can%20occasion%20mystical%20experiences.pdf
• [19] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31013281/
• [20] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hup.2742
• [21] https://www.baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/levin_transcendent.pdf
• [22] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hup.2742
• [23] Ludwig AM. Cognitive processes associated with “spontaneous” recovery from alcoholism. J Stud Alcohol. 1985;46:53-58.
• [24] https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-99040-280
• [25] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31084460/
• [26] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5367557/
• [27] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3658806/
• [28] https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/1908/
• [29] Green EE, Green AM, Walters ED. Self-regulation of internal states. In: Rose J, ed. Progress of Cybernetics, Vol. III: Cybernetics and Natural Sciences; Cybernetics and the Social Sciences; London, England: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers; 1970:1299-1317.
• [30] Ludwig AM. Cognitive processes associated with “spontaneous” recovery from alcoholism. J Stud Alcohol. 1985;46:53-58.
• [31] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5137920/
• [32] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3052954/
• [33] https://www.transpersonaljournal.com/pdf/vol6-issue2/Puente%20JTR%206(2)%20HB%20can%20occasion%20mystical%20experiences.pdf
• [34] https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2021/fall/holotropic-breathwork-ptsd-therapy/
• [35] https://www.transpersonaljournal.com/pdf/vol6-issue2/Puente%20JTR%206(2)%20HB%20can%20occasion%20mystical%20experiences.pdf
• [36] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4773875/
• [37] https://www.transpersonaljournal.com/pdf/vol6-issue2/Puente%20JTR%206(2)%20HB%20can%20occasion%20mystical%20experiences.pdf

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Before we share further, we need to explicitly state that you should ALWAYS talk to your healthcare provider before partaking in Breathwork if you are pregnant, on medications, or have any chronic health condition. We are not medical providers and the opinions in this article are just that – our opinions.

If you are a Facilitator we advise that you ensure your Breather has approval from their medical provider and as always, have them sign a waiver. If you feel any doubt or dis-ease about holding space for a pregnant breather we recommend you follow your intuition and err on the side of caution.

We also want to define Breathwork as it is not the same as pranayama and Breath practices, many of which can be extremely beneficial and completely safe even in the most delicate of pregnancies. Breathwork is the short form used for conscious, connected Breathwork (CCB) and it’s the breathing technique we use for our guided journeys here at Alchemy of Breath. It involves breathing deep connected breaths without a pause between the inhale and exhale for an extended period of time. This type of breathing charges the system with awareness, creates dramatic physiological changes in the body, and alters your state of consciousness, paving the way for rapid healing and transformation.

Now back to the big question: Is it safe to do Breathwork while pregnant?

Unfortunately there are very few scientific studies about Breathwork in general, and even less about Breathwork and pregnancy so we cannot give you a definitive answer. If you are pregnant only you can decide what is best for you and your baby, however there are 5 factors to consider which may help you with this decision.

Some Factors to Consider in Determining Whether Breathwork is Safe During Pregnancy:

1. How far along is the pregnancy?
   How many weeks along you are, is an important factor to consider. Because the first few months of pregnancy are considered high risk, and because of the deep physical connection between mother and fetus and the big emotions that can arise during Breathwork, it is best to avoid CCB in the early stages of pregnancy, and wait until you are at least 12-16 weeks along.
2. Is it a delicate pregnancy?
   If you have a delicate pregnancy it may be best to wait until after the baby is born to partake in Breathwork. There are several gentle breath practices that can be of benefit to you however, including heart coherence breathing, the box breath, and the hummingbird breath. A great book that is full of helpful breath practices for pregnancy and labor is: “The Art of Giving Birth: With Chanting, Breathing, and Movement,” by Frederick Leboyer.
3. Do you have any pre-existing health conditions?
   Breathwork is contraindicated for several health conditions including but not limited to: Bipolar, Schizophrenia, acute heart conditions, cardiovascular disease, epilepsy, aneurysms, glaucoma, history of stroke, and the presence of severe psychiatric symptoms. There are also certain medications which can be contraindicated. If you have any pre-existing medical condition or are on any medications, you should always check with your healthcare provider before doing Breathwork (regardless of if you’re pregnant or not).
4. Is your blood pressure in the normal range?
   Breathwork can affect your blood pressure both because of the breathing technique itself, and also because of the strong emotions that can arise during a session.[1],[2] If your blood pressure drops too low it can cause extreme dizziness and make you feel faint; and if it goes too high it can prevent blood from flowing to the placenta; so if your levels are not in the normal range to begin with Breathwork may not be the best idea. As an FYI the normal range is 120/80 mmHg; under 90/60 is low and over 140/90 is considered high.
5. Have you done Breathwork before?
   Breathwork is unpredictable. It can lead to intense emotional releases which can be considered ‘extreme’ in nature. If you have done several Breathworks prior to your pregnancy you have likely worked through and released a lot of buried emotions and you may be better equipped to self-regulate during a Breathwork session. However if it is your first time, and especially if you have a history of trauma, an intense physical and emotional release may occur.

Some Precautions to Take While Pregnant

If your healthcare provider approves Breathwork, it’s important that you find a qualified Facilitator that can support you and that can continually reinforce feelings of safety and relaxation during your journey.

How to breathe easier when pregnant?

We recommend you breathe through the nose instead of the mouth. The reason for this is that Breathwork lowers the carbon dioxide levels (CO2), and CO2 is already low during pregnancy. The body needs to maintain a delicate balance of CO2 and oxygen at all times, and breathing through the nose can help to slightly reduce the drop in CO2 levels that occurs in Breahtowork.

We also recommend you maintain a slower pace, and keep the breaths deep but gentle. Set an intention before your Breathwork for pregnancy and instead of aiming for a major release or breakthrough, choose something that will promote ease such as connecting with the baby inside you, or cultivating inner peace and serenity. Relax into each breath and allow whatever wants to arise without resistance.

Set up a comfortable space for yourself, with pillows and blankets and bolsters if available to make your physical body as comfortable as possible. And choose a position that feels best for you. If you prefer sitting up, sit on a cushion or rolled up blanket, and if you need to lean against the wall, allow yourself to do so. You may find having your legs bent and knees touching adds extra support.

If lying down, you can start on your back with a blanket or pillow under your knees to support your lower back. You may also breathe on your side, and this can be especially beneficial if you are further along in the pregnancy. If you do so, having your bottom leg straight and top leg bent with a cushion underneath the tummy and bolster between the legs can maximize support and comfort.

Final Thoughts

If done in a safe container, with a qualified facilitator, and with your doctor’s approval, Breathwork can be a beautiful practice. It can not only connect you deeply to the little one, but also prepare your body for giving birth by teaching you how to relax and surrender. In most instances, it is best to maintain a slow, gentle breathing pattern and of course always follow the messages of your body and respect the guidance it is giving you.

We would like to thank Breathwork Facilitator extraordinaire Indri Hapsari for sharing her expertise on this topic and helping in the compilation of this informational piece. If you would like to work with Indri Hapsari directly, you can reach her on instagram: @healwithindri

Finally, if you’re pregnant and would like to embark on a powerful inner healing journey and gently let go of old traumas and ancestral baggage, so as not to pass them on to the baby we recommend the Alchemy Medication Course. This meditation does not include conscious, connected Breathwork so it is generally safe regardless of where you are in your pregnancy.

The Alchemy meditation focuses on connecting to body sensations in order to cultivate your Felt Sense – which is a natural intuitive super power we are all born with but tend to disconnect from very early in life. By reconnecting to the Felt Sense you will be able to deeply connect with your baby and intuitively understand his or her needs. You will also be better able to cope with the inevitable stress of parenthood, improve your emotional and relational intelligence, and strengthen your relationship with your partner or the co-parent of your child.

If you would like to find out more about the Alchemy Meditation Course or get started with this transformational offering, click here.

• [1] https://clinicalhypertension.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40885-017-0071-3
• [2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3763789/

The post Is Breathwork Safe During Pregnancy? Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

However, having said all that there are a handful of things that we commonly see that may impede the Breathwork process. Below we will share what these things are and provide recommendations to help create the best opportunity for the alchemy of breath to occur.

5 Things to Avoid to Get the Most Out of Breathwork:

1. Having Expectations or Conditions

One of the most common errors that breathers make is showing up with expectations and conditions (as opposed to showing up with unconditionality). Embarking on a Breathwork with expectations interferes with the opportunity to truly expand. And while setting an intention is fine, you should not stick too closely to it or try to force it into existence.

Our Recommendation:

The quality of attention we give if we show up with unconditionality, without need or expectation allows some kind of cosmic code to unfold and be delivered. Unconditional attention means not carrying our normal conditions into that moment. A good analogy for this is a garden – you need to get rid of the weeds in order for the plants to grow. The weeds are your conditions/expectations; by removing the conditions and decontaminating the thought processes you create fertile ground for miracles to occur.

Showing up without condition is much more challenging than we might think because it requires unthinking; however doing so, unlocks the door for your highest healing and awakening. Try to remember that during a Breathwork all you need to do is breathe. You don’t need to direct or lead the journey in your head; simply let go of any resistance or expectations and allow the breath to be the guide.

*For an excellent read on creating fertile ground for miracles and healing, we recommend ‘The Physics of Miracles: Tapping into the Field of Consciousness Potential’ by Richard Bartlett

2. Forcing the Exhale:

We want to use the exhale to symbolically let go – let go of control, resistance and forcefulness and release what no longer serves us. Forcing the exhale creates the opposite effect – fueling resistance and the need to control and direct.

Forcing the exhale is also problematic because Breathwork changes your physiology – it increases the pH and lowers the C02 levels in the body. This is not an issue in and of itself, however forcing the exhale can reduce C02 levels even further, which can intensify a cramping sensation that often happens in Breathwork called tetany, and cause it to become physically painful. The physical pain may then become all that the breather focuses on and greatly detract from the journey.

Our Recommendation:

Try to keep your exhale passive, and imagine it as a gentle letting go. Think of the breath as the cycle of life – with each inhale we claim life, and with each exhale we gently release it.

Also note Tetany is a safe and normal process during Breathwork that should not be resisted and will subside when you come back to a normal breath. On a psycho-spiritual level it is symbolic of holding onto something. So if you experience tetany, breathe into it and inquire into what it may be time for you to let go of (you can find out more about tetany here).

3. Not Breathing Enough or Losing the Breath

During Breathwork you want to get as much oxygen in as possible, this charges the system with awareness and allows the breath to be the guide and the medicine. If you take shallow breaths, breathe very slowly throughout the whole session, and/or leave a gap between the inhale and exhale, it reduces physiological changes that help fuel the journey.

Another problematic tendency is to lose the breath during the journey. This is especially common after the peak when many breathers will switch to extremely slow or shallow breaths, or check-out completely and stop breathing through the mouth all together. While breathing slower is often recommended after the peak, the breath should still be connected and deep and no slower than a normal breathing pace. When you forget to bring the conscious, connected breath with you on the journey all the benefits you just built up gradually dissipate.

Our Recommendation:

In order to maximize your oxygen intake try keeping your mouth wide open, breathing deep belly and chest expanding breaths, and keeping the inhale and exhale relatively equal in length (avoid extending the exhale). Perhaps most importantly, keep the breath connected, with no pause between the inhale and the exhale.

Also remember to bring the breath with you on the ENTIRE journey. It is natural for your breath pace to ebb and flow, but do try to always come back to the breath, and to keep the breaths deep and connected.

4. Breathing Too Rapidly

Although this may sound like it contradicts #3, Breathwork is a journey, and a full session typically lasts for an hour or longer. Breathing too forcefully right off the bat (as opposed to starting off gentler and gradually building towards the peak), is unsustainable for most people. And instead of simply dialing back a bit, many will take an all-or-nothing approach and switch to barely breathing at some point in the session. Unfortunately, this reduces the breather’s ability to tap into and stay connected to a heightened state of consciousness. As for the few breathers who do sustain the rapid pace throughout, it often results in dramatically lower C02 levels and painful tetany which distracts from the journey.

Our Recommendation:

Breathwork should indeed feel like work, especially in the beginning when resistance is common. However Breathwork is all about finding your own personal edge, so if you are someone that approaches everything with a 200% attitude, then perhaps the alchemy for you will be found in a gentler approach. Next time you partake in a session try starting off with a softer, slower breath. You may build the breath towards the peak, but try not to force it and resist the urge to hyperventilate. You may just be surprised by how deep of an inner journey this gentler approach can take you on.

5. Not Allowing Yourself to Fully Feel

In AoB Breathwork we often say ‘It is safe to breathe, it is safe to feel,’ but more than being safe, feeling is encouraged. Allowing yourself to feel all of your sensations and emotions without resistance or judgment, without having to attach a story to them, without labeling them as good or bad, and without holding back, is vital for healing with Breathwork.

When you allow yourself to feel everything, and breathe into any sensation or emotion no matter how heavy or ‘dark’ you can finally release it from your body. And then you can walk away from the Breathwork having let go of something you may have been unknowingly storing in your body for years or even decades.

Our Recommendation:

The more you try to run from your feelings, the more power they will gain, and if you want to find yourself, you need to accept the darkness. So, face emotions and darkness head on. You may feel sad, depressed, scared, angry, hurt, or stuck – whatever it is, just accept it.

Try to feel your emotions as deeply as possible during Breathwork and then tune-into your intuition and listen to what the feelings are trying to tell you. Repetitive negative feelings are almost always a red flag that something in your life (a job, a person, an addiction, a habit, a mindset etc.) is not serving you, and you need to let it go, in order to step fully into your light.

Closing Thoughts

Our first recommendation for maximizing the Breathwork experience was to show up with unconditionality and we’d like to close by returning to this, as it is so important. Something can’t happen until you show up for it, and if you don’t show up it won’t happen. When you come with conditions it blindsides you from what may actually need to be seen, felt, discovered or released. On the other hand when you come unconditionally, you are taking off the blinders and essentially showing up for whatever wants to happen. This unconditionality allows the divinity and wisdom of the universe (your inner wisdom, or whatever higher power you believe in) to do its job.

This unconditionality is also what the Alchemy Meditation is all about. In this meditation we focus on body sensations without expectations or conditions, and simply wait until something pops into awareness. When it does show up, we give it our full focus, attention, and awareness, without trying to analyze or judge it. This unconditional attention allows us to tap into the body archive and the superb wisdom that the body holds; to heighten our sensitivity and awareness, and to cross the portal into pure potential.

We offer free Alchemy Meditations online every week, and we invite you to join us here. We also developed a 10-day Alchemy Meditation course that includes daily lessons and meditations. This course will reconnect you to your Felt Sense, and equip you with invaluable skills to use in your daily life and to understand yourself and the world in a whole new way.

We hope to see you at one of our free live offerings or special events soon!

The post 5 Things that Can Interfere with the Breathwork Journey (and What We Recommend Instead) appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

Somatic therapy helps to rebalance the nervous system and can produce systemic mental, physical, and emotional benefits and help in healing and trauma release where other therapies have failed. It is an empowering practice, because it allows the person practicing it to be their own healer, and we are overjoyed to see somatic therapies becoming more widely respected and accessible. 

At Alchemy of Breath we have developed our own form of somatic therapy called the Alchemy Meditation, and below we will share the story of it’s incarnation and evolution. We will also share ways you can use this meditation to renew your mental-emotional-spiritual health, increase self awareness, enhance your relationships, improve emotional intelligence, and change your life for the better!

The Birth of the Alchemy Meditation

The seeds for Alchemy Meditation came in the form of a story that a mentor of AoB founder Anthony Abbagnano shared with him several years ago. Anthony’s mentor was on a bus one day and when he came to his stop he tried to stand up to get off. At this moment a very big man got up and blocked his way, staring him down with an implicit invitation to fight. Instead of reacting or responding or getting angry, he stayed with his body experience. Energy rose and it dissipated, and the shift in energy somehow dissolved the instigator’s aggression, and he just stepped out of the way and allowed the mentor to pass. 

The recognition of just how powerful tapping into body sensations can be led to Anthony and his mentor practicing doing so together. They would close their eyes, breathe, and then tap into their body and their Felt Sense, and share what they were feeling/experiencing in that moment (for more information on the Felt Sense, click here). 

The effects of this simple practice were profound – Anthony noticed a heightened sensitivity and the development of a deep inner knowing. It also allowed for access to the body archive, and the creative channel — the wisdom spring of the universe that exists in each of us. The benefits branched out to all parts of Anthony’s life, enhancing his emotional and relational intelligence; and improving his relationships, his Facilitator and teaching practice, and his ability to be fully present. The Alchemy Meditation has since evolved into a free weekly global offering to our community, and an integral part of our Breathwork Facilitator Training. 

What is the Alchemy Meditation and What Are its Benefits?

The Alchemy meditation is a somatic therapy where we practice remaining alert, open, and receptive to any sensation that comes across our field. We give it our full focus, attention, and awareness, without trying to analyze or judge it. Bodily sensations are ever-changing and during the meditation, we watch them as they shift and transform. This is an invitation to move away from the mind and into the body and to connect with our ever-changing sensory, energetic, and emotional landscape. It can allow for the gentle release of trauma, and when practiced regularly, it can be an empowering tool for systemic transformation.

As we become more aware of our breath, our bodies, and ourselves, the way in which we experience the world shifts. Eventually we become so connected and present, that we can fully partake in the dance of life, alchemize moment-to-moment struggles into opportunities, and cross the threshold into pure potential.

How the Alchemy Meditation Can Strengthen & Even Save Your Relationships

A regular Alchemy Meditation practice allows you to notice differently, it leads to emotional intelligence, enhanced communication skills, and allows you to better see and understand what the other might be going through. Master facilitator trainer and Alchemy Meditation extraordinaire – Pablo Castro explains this beautifully with this simple quote: “I can best understand where someone else is at through exploring myself.” Continued practice will allow you to connect with strangers, loved ones, coworkers and everyone who crosses your path in a whole new way.

The Alchemy Meditation may even hold the key for saving relationships. In fact one of our friends credits the Alchemy Meditation for saving his marriage. He and his partner were on the brink of divorce, when he first began practicing this meditation. When talking to his wife, if the conversation began to escalate or he felt triggered he would ask for a moment to take a couple of breaths. He would then tune into the sensations in his body and speak to subtle shifts that were happening. Instead of reacting or being triggered, he allowed his Felt Sense to guide how he would respond, and this new level of emotional intelligence and greater awareness completely transformed their whole dynamic and restored their relationship. 

How to Use the Alchemy Meditation In Your Daily Life

Unfortunately in today’s overstimulating world, many of us disconnect from our felt sense – or bodily awareness – very early on. Rediscovering it doesn’t come naturally to most adults. Like any skill, it takes practice. With regular Alchemy Meditation practice, operating from your Felt Sense will become your go-to in all that you do and the benefits will be noticed in all parts of your life. Below are two simple practices that you can do daily to cultivate your Felt Sense and step into Felt Presence.

Alchemy Meditation Practice #1: Set aside 5-10 minutes every day for this practice. Begin by setting a timer, closing your eyes and spending some time just with your breath. Then expand your awareness from your breath and notice if you gravitate towards any sensation in your body, or if your awareness is aware of anything. Notice where your attention goes. For example if you notice warmth or tingling in your hands, stay there…work with your ability to connect fully to your body sensations on a moment-to-moment basis and follow the sensations as they move and evolve. 

Alchemy Meditation Practice #2: Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour. When it goes off, close your eyes, take a few breaths, and explore your inner landscape. If you’re in a conversation with someone let them know what you are doing and invite them to join. You might be pleasantly surprised by their reaction and willingness. If they are unwilling, no problem you only need but a few moments to get in touch with your sensations; and because you are doing it so frequently, the muscle of awareness will naturally strengthen.

Want to Take A Deep Dive with The Alchemy Meditation & Cultivate Systemic, Lasting Changes?

The Alchemy Meditation transformed Pablos personal and professional life, allowing him to tap into pure presence, and taking his ability to Facilitate Breathwork, teach, and hold space to a whole new level. Because of his first-hand experience of just how powerful a tool this meditation is, Pablo is extremely passionate about sharing it with the world and has created a 10-day Alchemy Meditation course so that everyone can benefit from this somatic therapy. In this course, you’ll learn how to recognise and understand body sensations that may have previously gone unnoticed, caused confusion, or even discomfort. Through daily lessons and meditations, you’ll develop invaluable skills to use in your daily life.

Here’s a message from Pablo:

Alchemy Meditation empowers you to reconnect with your felt sense through somatic meditation. This meditation is like saying, “Alright life, I’m here and I’m ready!” I believe it’s one of the strongest therapies around – and only we can do the work!

Additional Resources 

If you’re inspired and would like to learn more about somatic therapies, here are some resources to get started:

• Books: “Waking the Tiger,” by Peter Levine and “Felt Sense,” by Eugene Ginlin
• YouTube: Irene Lion, Gabor Mate, and Lala Martin

The post Cross the Portal Into Pure Potential with this Somatic Meditation appeared first on Alchemy of Breath: Breathwork Training and Events.

Death anxiety, or Thanatophobia is defined as an intense fear of one’s own death or the dying process. It can affect people of all ages, and the pandemic has led to a huge surge in the amounts of people who battle with it, making it relatively common across the globe.[1] It has also increased the amount of people who are not only preoccupied and fearful of death and dying, but also obsessive or neurotic about trying to avoid it. [2]

Perhaps, not surprisingly, researchers have found death anxiety is significantly linked to Covid-19 related stress and anxiety levels.[3],[4]  In other words, the more scared of death you are, the more fearful you are likely to be of Covid. People with death anxiety are also more likely to have developed a mental health condition as a result of the pandemic, such as hypochondriasis, panic disorder, or anxiety or depressive disorders. [5]

*If interested, you can check out the death anxiety scale, or DAS, self-assessment questionnaire here on pg 39-40

The Harmful & Systemic Effects of Death Anxiety

Although death anxiety is rarely discussed it can dramatically affect our behaviour, and compromise our health and wellbeing. [6] If left unaddressed, it can lead to numerous consequences including decreased physical functions, poor resilience, low self-esteem, life dissatisfaction, and as mentioned above a variety of mental health conditions.[7],[8],[9] Ongoing anxiety and the stress that it causes also increases your risk for infectious diseases by suppressing your immune system, and for almost every chronic disease, only hastening that which you are most anxious to avoid.[10],[11],[12]

But what if there was another way? While it is natural to experience discomfort around our passing, it doesn’t need to be an overwhelming, harmful, or all-consuming experience. And if you or someone you love have become hypervigilant, anxious, avoidant, depressed or highly stressed in response to Covid-19, addressing the fear of death itself may hold the key to regaining a sense of balance and wellbeing. [13]

The Breath – Your Greatest Ally

Your own breath can be your greatest ally in your journey towards overcoming death anxiety and it’s myriad negative consequences. This is not just our opinion – the benefits of breath practices for the management of all types of anxiety is well-established in medical literature (check out this article for more on this). While there haven’t yet been many studies that directly investigate the use of Breathwork for death anxiety, the studies that have been done have yielded very promising results.

These studies used Holotropic Breathwork which is one of the two main branches of modern Breathwork from which all subsets of conscious, connected Breathwork (including Alchemy of Breath) have been born. Although the technique is slightly different between Breathwork schools, the therapeutic effects of all variants of conscious, connected, Breathwork are considered the same.

One noteworthy study found 6 monthly Holotropic Breathwork sessions in combination with psychotherapy led to significantly reduced death anxiety (as indicated by the death anxiety scale, DAS), and increased self-esteem; and the combination was substantially more effective than therapy alone. [14]

There was also a large-scale study that investigated the effects of a weeklong Holotropic Breathwork workshop. Although a reduction of death anxiety was not directly proven, the majority of the participants reported gaining substantial personal meaning and spiritual significance from the experience and an increase in wellbeing and life satisfaction which was still felt a year later. [15] And approximately 20% of the participants reported having life-changing mystical experiences. [16] These results are relevant because spiritual experiences, spiritual welllbeing, and overall wellbeing are all strongly correlated with a reduction of death anxiety in medical literature. [17],[18]

An additional study worth mentioning collected data over a 12-year period in a hospital setting that included 11,000 participants. Many of the participants reported significant emotional and spiritual benefits, transpersonal experiences and the resolution of psychological and existential life issues from a single Breathwork session. [19]

The Breath For A Peaceful Passing

The breath can also be used consciously in our final days and final moments to gain acceptance so that we can pass peacefully. Here’s a beautiful and particularly poignant story that a colleague shared with us:

When his mother was on her deathbed, he was able to fly to be with her for the last few days of her life. Each day they would look at each other in the eyes while taking 15-20 slow, conscious breaths together. On the day that she died they took 3 breaths together, and then they both held their breath in tandem. Eventually he couldn’t hold it any more, and he let go of his breath. Moments later she let go of her breath as well, and that was her final exhale.

Worth noting here is the connection between DMT, birth, death, and Breathwork. DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) is the strongest known psychedelic chemical on earth – and it is found naturally in plants, animals and our own bodies.[20],[21] Emerging research suggests DMT may be released during birth and death, to peacefully facilitate the soul’s movement in and out of the body. [22] This research is supported by the fact that people who have near death experiences and people who ingest DMT often report very similar experiences – including intense lights, visions, flashbacks, ego-dissolution, and mystical-type experiences. [23]

Breathwork journeys often mimic ingested DMT and near death experiences as well, and it is hypothesized that Breathwork triggers the natural release of DMT in the body. In fact, many people now believe the release of DMT is responsible for the transpersonal, transformative and therapeutic effects of Breathwork. If Breathwork does indeed release DMT then this release could be an additional way in which Breathwork may help us make peace with our death.

Closing Thoughts

The breath is with us from the moment we are born until the moment we pass on, and when used consciously it can be our greatest ally for all the moments in between.

Breathwork connects us to our inner wisdom and a higher consciousness and it empowers us to be our own healers. It may also be our greatest tool for cultivating peace and acceptance around our inevitable death; and can be offered to those with death anxiety or terminal illnesses, and to those who are on their final days to help ease distress.

Join Us for a Free Breathwork Session

Our mission at Alchemy of Breath is to make Breathwork and it’s incredible healing benefits accessible to the masses and as a part of that mission we offer a world-leading online Breathwork Facilitator Training and several free breath-based events to our global community. If you would like to experience Breathwork, we invite to join us at our free Sunday #Breathetheworld sessions, Tuesday Ceremonial Breathworks, or one of our upcoming special events.

• [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308596/
• [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308596/
• [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308596/
• [4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886921001471?dgcid=rss_sd_all
• [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308596/
• [6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308596/
• [7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308596/
• [8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735814001354
• [9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7719733/
• [10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361287/
• [11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5137920/
• [12] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120402162546.htm
• [13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308596/
• [14] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232555956_Holotropic_breathwork_An_experiential_approach_to_psychotherapy
• [15] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268977974_Effects_of_Holotropic_Breathwork_in_Personal_Orientation_Levels_of_Distress_Meaning_of_Life_and_Death_Anxiety_in_the_Context_of_a_Weeklong_Workshop_A_Pilot_Study
• [16] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268977974_Effects_of_Holotropic_Breathwork_in_Personal_Orientation_Levels_of_Distress_Meaning_of_Life_and_Death_Anxiety_in_the_Context_of_a_Weeklong_Workshop_A_Pilot_Study
• [17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7719733/
• [18] https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/2940/Brock_Purslow_Carol_2010.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
• [19] https://maps.org/news-letters/v23n1/v23n1_24-27.pdf
• [20] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4773875/
• [21] https://sites.evergreen.edu/plantchemeco/why-does-dmt-exist/
• [22] DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor’s Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences,” by Rick Strassman M.D.. Park Street Press; Original ed. edition (Dec 1 2000).
• [23] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424/full

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