The Breath Letter #12
Dear Breather,
The community is slowly starting to take shape! More and more familiar faces are coming to the breathwork sessions which is great to see. I deeply enjoy the conversations after a session in which we exchange experiences and stories.
So I had an idea for the next Breathe Letter:
Let’s make it a Collective one!
Rather than me selecting all the content, I’d love to hear from you…
Got a favourite Breathing exercise?
Recently had a big insight you think would be helpful for others?
Saw a video, listened to a podcast or read a book that blew your mind?
DM, mail or write a letter; send it my way and I’ll add it to the next Breath Letter.
Can’t wait to see the result. Go Breathlife Community!
The Breath
A Breath of Fresh Air
In need of a break, one is faced with a decision:
Going for a walk or do some breathwork…
Well, why not combine them?!
Walking outside has a massive impact on our breathing and muscle tension.
When walking around, it might be harder to breathe down into the body and there can be a tendency to slightly tense up since you’re moving and your nervous system might experience your surroundings as less safe.
Which means it’s the perfect context to improve our breathing and down-regulation practices.
Instructions
First of all, put on your shoes and go for a walk.
Start off by simply exploring your breath without changing anything.
Are you breathing through the nose or mouth?
Fast or slow?
Chest, belly or both?
Which muscles are tense and which ones relaxed?
From there, there’s a couple of things you can do.
1. Counting:
Rather than counting in your head, you can use your steps.
Breathe in for 4 steps.
Hold for 4 steps.
Exhale for 4 steps.
Hold for 4 steps.
Or any variation:
- In for 4 steps, out for 8 steps.
- In for 5, hold for 5, out for 5.
2. Muscle tension:
As you continue to walk, notice which muscles are tense and consciously relax them.
Pay special attention to the abdomen, jaws and shoulders. Can you walk whilst staying fully relaxed? This might be challenging!
See if you can keep going until you get to the point of only using the muscles that are vital for your walk.
The Insights
The 3 stages of Breathwork.
I recently heard this on a podcast (can’t remember which one), and it made a lot of sense.
Stage 1: Self awareness
Stage 2: Self Understanding
Stage 3: Self intervention
Now often we have a tendency to go straight for the intervention via a YouTube video, or I get asked “How should I breathe?”.
Though I appreciate the effort and encourage people to try new things it often skips the first two stages which actually inform the intervention. When we skip this part, there’s a realistic chance that our breathwork attempt is a lost opportunity for improving our awareness and understanding and instead becomes a “doing breathwork” exercise.
So next time, maybe experiment a little. Before you decide to do breathing, start with simply observing - what is going on inside of me? What do I feel? What is alive?
Then see if you can make some sense of it. How am I actually doing? What is my truth right now?
From there you can then decide if breathwork is indeed the best option and what type of breathing would be most helpful given your context.
Am I safe? Am I safe? Am I safe? Am I safe?
The autonomic nervous system scans the body 4 times per second for cues of safety and danger.
That’s right: 4 times per second!
This is why I keep banging on about the importance of safety. Through the lens of the nervous system, which regulates your state, tensions etc, it’s the be-all and end-all.
So ask yourself: Am I safe?
The Content
Got bad posture?
In this video Jonny explains how you can improve your posture through the breath and open up the upper chest. Very relevant in these screen dominated time.
I’d recommend following Jonny on his channels, loads of very practical and insightful videos on how to get rid of pain using simple exercises.
How to do a long breath hold?
A short documentary about the physiological and practical components of breath holding and how to lengthen it for your next magic show.
There’s no such thing as getting it right
I simply love everything about this video. This is exactly why I decided to call my project breathLIFE. It’s about finding freedom to fully live, whether that’s through breathing or not.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge I applaud you.
The Experiences
3th of November @ Fire + Alchemy - Shoreditch - Breathwork Class
For this session we’ll do a deep-dive into the world of breathing - with a specific focus on Self Esteem. Did you know there are multiple types of self-esteem; some more resilient some more fragile?
Through the breath we’ll see if we can get a little closer to ourselves and strengthen our sense of self.
Tickets here
11th of November @ Oru Space - East Dulwich - Breathwork Class
Happy to be coming back to South-London! I really enjoy these sessions for multiple reasons.
It’s a lovely space, it has incredible Sri Lankan food and great coffee and it allows me to connect to people who live all across town.
Tickets here
16th of November @ Akasa - Hackney Wick - Breathwork & Somatic Practices
The first edition of an evening I’m organising which combines breathwork and other somatic practices. Perfect for those who want to deepen their experience of themselves.
Akasa is a fantastic location with loads of space to explore.
Really looking forward to this one!
Tickets Here
21st of November @ Bless - Breathwork Class - London - Stoke Newington
The most intimate session of them all. Max 6 people in a cosy space.
Perfect for those who want to explore group breathwork in a safe container.
You also get a free Breathe. Card Deck with this one!
Tickets here
