The Breath Letter - #15
Dear Breather,
Which parts of you have been coming alive as autumn is kicking in?
A couple of days ago I walked past this beautiful tree.
It reminded me of a quote by Dr. Schwartz who developed IFS therapy:
“You’re not an onion, you’re a garlic.”
I admit, a little random at first, but it makes sense when you get the analogy.
We are not one thing that we present to the world.
We are not one layer that we show all the time.
We are a collection of parts, and depending on the context some come alive and interact with the world.
Just like this tree.
All leaves have been through the same weather conditions and yet they’ve developed differently. And the leaves having all these colors is what makes the tree interesting as it’s not presenting itself as only one thing or color.
So next time you get excited, angry or annoyed over something, maybe you can check in with your other parts and see how they are feeling about this.
Think of yourself as the autumn tree, or as garlic if that’s more your thing, realising that you can be many things at once.
The Breath
Three part breath
This technique will help you with developing your breath control and find space in areas that feel stuck.
You’ll be breathing in and out in three parts:
Belly
Side ribs
Front of the chest
“But aren’t we supposed to be only belly breathing?”
No…
The breath wants to find space wherever it can go and it has a natural movement to it that also involves movement between the ribs, it’s not either belly or ribs but nice, gentle, movement in both.
Instructions
Find yourself in a comfortable seated position, without leaning against the back of a chair or pillow.
Start by slowing the breath down and finding some length, breathing in and out through the nose.
Then when you are ready begin your three part breath
Breathe in down towards the belly.
Inhale again with a specific focus on an expansion in the side ribs.
Followed by a little more air in the front of the chest as if it’s being pulled up by a string.
And then exhale going in the opposite direction:
Let the chest fall back into place.
Contract the side ribs.
Drop the abdominal space.
Keep this going and see if you can avoid taking in a lot of air - stay gentle.
You might notice one or two of these areas being more accessible than others.
This is fine and keep practising until you find movement in all three areas.
The Insights
Touch is the chronological and psychological mother of all senses
Of all the senses we have, touch is the one we develop first… and this is kind of a big thing.
At 6 weeks, the first touch receptors appear in the skin.
What this means is that touch is also the first way you “interact” with the outside world.
And with this outside world basically being a warm and comforting bath, you can understand how for the rest of our lives touch is so important when it comes to feeling safe and comforted, or the opposite.
Breathing space = Being space
In my work I’ve started to observe a correlation between the amount of space people take up inside their own body through the breath and their resistance or allowing of feelings.
As I type this it feels rather obvious, as the breath is always a reflection of our state.
But what has become so apparent is that it’s not just the type of breathing (fast/slow, nose/mouth, big/small, gentle/forceful, belly/chest etc) as a reflection of one’s current state, but that the amount of space one can find in their own body is a direct reflection of the spectrum of sensations that one is allowing oneself to feel and the level of resistance.
I.e. when there’s very little breathing space mechanically, there’s little capacity to be with the full experiential spectrum and vice versa.
The Content
Toolkit for Sleep by Huberman Lab
Best nootropic: sleep
Best stress relief: sleep
Best trauma release: sleep
Best immune booster: sleep
Best hormone augmentation: sleep
Best emotional stabilizer: sleep
So fix your sleep! This toolkit might help.
The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it’s human connection
This is an interesting exercise:
Write down your go to behaviours (eat chocolate/pizza etc, YouTube, Instagram, shower etc.), whether you qualify them as addictions I’ll leave up to you.
Then reflect:
When do I show this behaviour? Uncover the underlying dominant emotion.
What is it I really need right now?
How can I give that to myself?
Think about your parts the way Jacob Collier thinks about chords
I truly admire and love the way this man experiences and speaks about music. Watching him is simply a joy, so look up some of his lectures or how he uses the audiences as a choir.
What I also appreciate about him is that he thinks completely out of the box and doesn’t believe there’s such a thing as a wrong note, only a note without the right context or consequence.
The Experiences
5th of December - Breathwork & Sound Bath @ Clapton - London
Excited for this 2 hour breathing and sound immersion! A collaborative event with the Bless crew who will bring their bowls, crystals and cooking skills for a nice gentle meal post session.
6th of December - Pause to Perform - Executive Day Retreat @ OMNOM - London
Leading a team, or company is a challenging and sometimes lonely job. Espeically in the current climate where pressure to perform is high. Stress, overwhelm, and burnout are rife, and can sneak up on us. I am pausing facilitates the space for leaders to connect and find balance in mind, body, and soul. This event provides a new way for executives to feel rejuvenated, and learn from and meet others similar to themselves.
Tickets here
6th of December @ Fire + Alchemy - Shoreditch - Breathwork Class
For this session we’ll do a deep-dive into the world of breathing - with a specific focus on Your Truth. Through the breath we’ll see if we can get a little closer to what is true for you at this moment in time, acknowledging everything that is.
Tickets here
11th of December @ SOMA hOMe - Breathwork Class
My regular Breathwork Odyssey session in collaboration with The Psychedelic Society.
An evening full of connected breathing, movement and music!
Perfect for those who want feel good in bigger groups.
14th of December @ 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
