Frequently Asked Questions
WHO SHOULDN'T PRACTICE TRANSFORMATIONAL BREATHWORK?
Transformational Breathwork is generally a safe practice, and is suitable for most people under the guidance of our certified facilitator.
It can be practiced by individuals of all ages and abilities, and we can tailor the practice to meet specific needs.
However, if you have any of the following considerations, this style of breathwork may not be suitable for you:
- Epilepsy or history of seizures
- Heart conditions
- High/ low blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Glaucoma or retinal detachment
- Recent surgeries or major health concerns.
- Pregnant women
- Significant respiratory issues
- Severe mental health conditions (schizophrenia, severe PTSD, or other serious mental health issues)
If you have any of the above, please consult with a medical professional before attending a session, and speak to a member of the SR team.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL BREATHWORK?
Transformational Breathwork helps bridge the gap between the mind, body and spirit, and as such, it aids healing on all 3 of these levels:
Physical Benefits
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Improved Oxygenation: Increases the oxygen supply to the body, enhancing overall vitality.
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Detoxification of the System: Promotes the release of toxins through increased oxygen flow and deep breathing.
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Enhanced Immunity: Increased levels of oxygen to the body allows the immune system to function at a higher capacity.
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Enhanced Energy Levels: Boosts energy and overall life force.
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Natural Painkiller: This style of deep breathing can help alleviate both acute and chronic pain.
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Reduced Stress: Activates the sympathetic nervous system, allowing stressors to be released, leading to a relaxation response.
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Better Sleep: Helps in achieving deeper and more restful sleep through regulated energy levels.
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Improved Digestion: (As well as digestive issues) due to improved circulation.
Mental Benefits
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Increased Clarity: Enhances mental clarity, alertness and focus by clearing and calming the mind.
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Reduced Anxiety and Stress: Lowers anxiety levels and increases resilience to stress.
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Facilitates Trauma Release: Helps uncover and work through the root of traumas and their triggers. It can be helpful in working through deep traumas and alleviating PTSD*.
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Improved Concentration: Supports better concentration and cognitive function.
*Please always consult with a medical professional, as this style of breathing is not suitable for all individuals with PTSD.
Spiritual Benefits
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Enhanced Self-Awareness: Increases self-awareness and mindfulness.
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Removes Fears and Limiting Beliefs
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Improved Creativity: By clearing the mind's chatter, we are able to allow the creative mind to come online, both in the artistic and problem-solving sense.
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Deepened Connection: Promotes a deeper connection to oneself and others.
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Spiritual Growth: Supports spiritual growth and insight through meditative states.
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Personal Transformation: Aids in personal growth and transformation, helping you achieve your highest potential.
WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL BREATHWORK?
This style of breathwork is incredibly potent, as we are working with our breath to create an excess of oxygen in our system, allowing you to delve deeper into the layers of consciousness that require attention and healing. The very process of over-oxygenating your body creates some side effects that are completely normal and safe.
These can include - Tetany: You may feel some tingling sensations, cramps or numbness, often felt in the hands, feet or face. This is due to the changes in carbon dioxide levels, and is safe. - Other Physical Sensations: You may also experience warmth, coldness, tightness or pressure in different parts of the body. It is common for the body temperature to drop significantly when practicing transformational breathwork. - Dizziness or Lightheadedness due to intense, deep breathing. For this reason, we always practice lying down. - Headaches may sometimes occur due to changes in blood flow or oxygen levels.
And • Emotional Release: This style of breathwork specifically engages our sympathetic nervous system (our fight/ flight/ freeze response), in order to help suppressed emotions to surface. These emotions can include (but are by no means limited to) crying, laughing, screaming or shouting. These releases are not only welcomed, but encouraged, as they often go hand in hand with a profound breakthrough. • Visualisations or Hallucinations: Breathwork techniques can induce altered states of consciousness, heightened sensory perception and increased sensitivity, which may lead to visualizations or hallucinations. These can range from vivid imagery to more profound hallucinations. By approaching visualisations and hallucinations with curiosity, respect, and by having the proper support of a facilitator, individuals can navigate these experiences safely and potentially gain valuable insights and experience personal growth. • Anxiety or Panic: Some people may experience heightened anxiety or panic attacks, especially if they have a history of these conditions. • Disorientation/ Confusion: Intense sessions may leave some feeling disoriented or mentally "spaced out."
With any of these side effects, it’s important to remember that you will be completely in control throughout the entire experience, and if at any point you feel uncomfortable, you will be able to come back by adjusting to a less intensive breathing pattern.
HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY BREATHWORK CEREMONY?
The wonderful thing about breathwork is that the main tool you are working with is your breath, which you carry around with you everywhere. So even if you were to show up as you are right now, you would be prepared.
That being said, here are some general tips that will help you to feel the most comfortable during your session • It’s helpful to come to a session well-hydrated and on a light stomach. Avoid heavy meals or caffeine right before a session. • Arrive with an open mind and a willingness to explore your breath and emotions. • Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that allows you to breathe deeply and move freely. • If you have an eye mask, this can be really helpful to immerse yourself in the experience more fully. • Bring along a journal and a pen.
If we're meeting online, here are some extra tips in addition to the above to help you prepare • Find a quiet, comfortable space where you will not be disturbed. If you are sharing your space with someone, it may be good to let them know ahead of time that you will need the space to yourself, and ask them to gift you a couple of hours of solitude. • Use good quality headphones for a more immersive experience. • You will be lying down for the active breathing section, so ensure you have a space to do so, where your device can be pointed towards you. • Your body temperature tends to drop during the session, so make sure you have a blanket nearby.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM A TYPICAL TRANSFORMATIONAL BREATHWORK CEREMONY?
A breathwork ceremony differs from other breathwork sessions, as there are various other elements to the session in addition to the active breathing that we will practice.
Oftentimes when you go into a breathwork session, you'll go straight into the breathing shortly after entering the space. In contrast, at Sacred Respiration, we believe in really engaging our bodies and our minds; in dropping into the present moment fully, whole-heartedly and with our entire being, before delving into the breathwork.
A breathwork ceremony specifically encourages us to slow down, to be intentional with our practice. We’re carving out time to prioritise ourselves, so then let’s really tune into ourselves, and cultivate presence before even beginning to go into the active breathing.
The way we like to create a ceremony varies, dependent on the day; what we're feeling called to share; who the group is and what they might need.
The elements that will always be present in a breathwork ceremony are • Starting off with a group share. • Setting an intention. • Movement in some shape or form (shaking, dancing, stomping or yoga). • And then extra elements that can be included are: partner exercises, a guided meditation, singing, body scans, etc. • After these opening elements, and after an explanation on the breathing techniques and how we’ll utilise it, we dive into the active breathing section of the ceremony. • This varies between 20-40 mins of active breathing, where the transformative journey takes place. •The active breathing is always followed by a period for integration and grounding. This involves lying quietly, allowing time for meditating, integrating the journey you’ve just been on or gentle stretching. • We end the session with an opportunity to share your experience.
HOW MANY SESSIONS DO I NEED?
AND HOW OFTEN CAN I PRACTICE?
This will vary from person to person, and is entirely subjective to your own personal healing journey.
It could be that with a singular session you unlock all that you need to unlock.
Or it may be that you need a series of sessions for your body and subconscious mind to fully surrender.
The frequency of practice can vary, and is very personal . Some people benefit from weekly sessions to continue the momentum, while others may need more time in between sessions to process what came up. It's important to find a rhythm that works for you.
It's advisable to practice this style of intensive breathing no more than once a week, to fully allow your psyche to process and integrate any insights. However, that being said, I strongly encourage everyone to tune into their body, and listen to your own needs.
WHY MIGHT I EXPERIENCE EMOTIONAL RELEASE DURING A SESSION?
Our bodies are incredibly intelligent organisms, that are designed to protect us from danger. You might have heard of the 'fight/ flight/ freeze' response to stressful or traumatic events. These responses can be intelligent in the moment; i.e. if you need to flee from an imminent threat, you'll be thankful that the body's intelligent response kicked in.
However, when we're not able to (or it's not safe to) express our emotions during a triggering event, these emotions get suppressed and stored in the body.
We rarely even notice these repressed emotions. But it means that we're functioning at an almost overflowing capacity, until one more drop tips us over the edge.
Transformational breathwork specifically activates that fight/ flight/ freeze mode, or in other terms, it turns on our sympathetic nervous system, so that we can complete the action/ emotion that our body initially wanted to express when faced with the stressor or trauma.
This means that when we're in this hyper-engaged state during the breathwork, we might need to cry, scream, shout or even laugh during the session. Releasing the repressed emotions in this way signals to the body that it's now safe, and doesn't need to operate in a state of defence anymore.
We are gifting our bodies and our nervous systems the opportunity to release what they never were able to before.