The Breath Letter - #2
Dear Breather,
Thank you for reading the second Breath Letter!
Life in Costa Rica has been great, being in nature is incredibly nourishing. No surprises there but I’m still kind of blown away by the impact of a natural environment.
Not that dissimilar in a way from breathing; simple, obvious and yet the difference on how you feel can not be underestimated!
Also…keep your eyes open cause I had some time to finally develop a breathwork video course…more coming soon.
The Breath
Incense Breath
I really enjoy this exercise. The perfect way to connect more to your hippy side.
The number one requirement is an incense holder and some incense.
If you don’t have this, let this be the excuse to get some, you won’t regret.
Are we going to breathe in the incense? No! Don’t do that…pretty unhealthy.
We’re going to use it to inspire us.
See, the breath is dynamic. It actually takes a lot of moving body parts to breathe properly. The shoulders move, the ribs move, the spine moves, the belly moves and even the pelvis moves. No single breath is the same and it’s always moving us.
Just like the smoke coming off the incense…So how does it work?
Find yourself in a comfortable position and light your incense stick.
Rather than focusing on your breathing, start to observe the smoke coming off the incense.
Notice how it moves, how it’s never still, and how it floats, imaging it’s letting itself move.
Then turn your attention to your nose breath and your upper body.
Start to breathe slowly, whilst keeping an eye on the smoke and start to intuitively move whilst you keep breathing deeply.
Letting the smoke and your breath move your spine. Finding a
little more space and movement as you go along.
If the arms want to move as well let them, maybe you even decide to stand up. It might be nice to also play some music with this one.
The Insights
We learn the theory to understand the principles. Once we understand the principles, we can let go of the theory.
This has offered me a lot. It allows for a little bit of freedom and movement.
No one theory captures everything, nor is one completely right about everything.
What is my truth? How can I use this theory as a reference, a pointing finger to the truth, that is for me to be investigated? What are the underlying principles of the theories I use as my guidelines, how can I make them my own and integrate these?
CO2 deserves a little more respect - without it you wouldn’t breathe.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of too much CO2 in the atmosphere.
But did you know that your trigger to breathe doesn’t come from your need for oxygen? Of course, we do need oxygen, but you’re triggered to breathe because of a certain level of CO2 in the blood!
When oxygen is turned into energy, the by-product is CO2, which means your CO2 levels go up over time. When this hits a certain value, your body goes “That’s enough, breathe now!” to get rid of this CO2.
So the speed of your breathing is determined by your body's capacity to tolerate CO2. And being able to tolerate more CO2 has a lot of benefits.
The good news? You can train your CO2 tolerance by exhaling, and holding the breath past the first urge to breathe, indirectly communicating to your system: “He, I’m fine, no need to breathe yet” and “resetting” your CO2 radar.
The Music
They feel, they know - SHIVARASA
I’m a huge fan of these longer tracks, 8-10mins+. They’re perfect for breathwork sessions and I use them often. They allow for a little more flow, floating and contemplation.
This song is part of an album, all of them are great so check it out.
To co masz Ty! - Dawid Podsiadlo
I love this song and a great energiser! I heard it first on the radio in Krakow, Poland, where my girlfriend is from.
So yes, it’s Polish. I don’t have a clue what it means but that doesn’t stop me from singing along and moving around. Give it a go!
Sacred Light - Bob Holroyd
The kind of tune you’d hear at the end of an intense movie, where everything worked out in the end. Maybe worth playing it at the end of your breathwork session or just after a long day of work as you crash on the sofa.
The Experiences
Many many breathwork classes in London coming your way!
7th of June @ Fire + Alchemy - Shoreditch - Breathwork Class
Special Focus: Boundaries.
Tickets here
11th of June @ Open House Hackney - Hackney Wick
A Half-Day Breathwork Workshop!
Learn everything there is to know about breathing in this immersive deep-dive into the world of breathwork.
Tickets here
17th of June @ Wellnergy - Festival
For all of you who love everything health! I’ll be there all day and will be facilitating a session is Mindfulness Tent 1 at 14:30.
Tickets here
18th of June @ TripSpace - Haggerston - Breathwork Class
Happy to have joined this studio for a workshop. It’s a beautiful yoga and dance studio so I’m excited about the session here.
Tickets here
19th of June @ Bless - Stoke Newington - Breathwork Class
I really enjoy these sessions since they’re very intimate. Max 6 people in a cosy space.
Perfect for those who want to explore group breathwork in a safe container.
Tickets here
25th of June and 30th of June @ Soul Kitchen, Ericeira, Portugal - Retreat
A Five Day Retreat that’s all about reconnection to your vision and purpose.
Of course, breathwork and movement plays a huge role in this, so that’s what we dedicated the mornings to.
Tickets here
Enjoy the breath!
With warmth,
Steven from Breathlife
P.S. If you have any questions about anything breath related, are interested in breathwork in London or online or just want to have a chat please feel free to reach out or book in some time here.
