The Breath Letter #24
Dear Breather,
What do a sledgehammer, “Landslide” by a Fleetwood Mac cover band and the breath have in common…?
Besides being part of the reason it took a while for me to find time to write a new Breath Letter:
They all provided micro-moments of resonance, connection and emotion.
Let things touch you, it makes life interesting. Anything can be an entry point into your direct experience.
Also!
I’ve passed all Cranio-Sacral therapy exams 👐
So if that’s something you’d be interested in feel free to reach out.
The Breath
Heartbeat Box
An exercise I’ve been using a lot recently, as it really seems to help with getting more in touch with the body (quite literally…), increase awareness of the breath/heart connection and is very calming.
Instructions:
With the fingers of the right hand, find your pulse on the thumb side of your left wrist.
Connect to the rhythm of your heart.
Boom,boom…
Boom, boom…
Start a box breath, whilst counting your heartbeats.
Inhale for five.
Hold for five.
Exhale for five.
Hold for five.
Notice the connection between your heart rate and your breath during the different phases.
The Insights
What can you truly take credit for?
A little while ago I went to the Peak District.
As I walked out of the train station in Manchester I saw this statue of these young soldiers, blinded by the war.
It grabbed me. There was something so powerful about it, it stopped me in my tracks.
It reminded me of how little we can actually take ownership of, the good and the bad.
How practically everything we “own”, have, do or achieve has very little to do with us as individuals, in isolation.
How we are just the current station of an ongoing, intersecting, journey.
How our existence solely depended on all tremendous efforts made by those before us; their drive to survive.
What isn’t?
“No person is more present than the person who is missed.”
I heard this quote on a podcast about grief. It really got me thinking about the impact of the things, people, movements, emotions and feelings that “aren’t”.
So often we can get pre-occupied with what is, simply because it’s right in front us.
But what about the person who isn’t there?
Are they deliberately not there, hoping you will finally see them because of their absence?
What about the parts of your body which don’t move when you breathe? What makes them stuck or feel unsafe?
Which emotions “don’t you have”?
Which part of you is the quiet kid in class that needs most attention?
The Content
The still face experiment
Watch this video.
Then think about the role of phones in our society…
The greatest interview ever
First of all this is hilarious, and one can only have an enormous amount of respect for this man.
But I also love this video for what it teaches us about the autonomic nervous system, as this man visits all possible states in about 30 seconds.
Can you spot all the symptoms of the ventral vagal, sympathetic and dorsal vagal state?
Yuval Ron - Spotify
Endless calming music that I’ve been listening to on repeat. For whatever reason Mr. Ron seems to hit exactly the right tones to help you feel calm and focused.
The Experiences
22nd of July @ SOMA hOMe - Breathwork & Somatic Release
Only 4 tickets left!
Perfect for those who have some more experience or want to dive a little deeper.
We’ll have 2.5hrs for this session giving us time for more somatic practices and interaction.
At the heart of this session will be exploration, experimentation and the tension between the known and unknown; safety and resistance. Using the body as our entry point.
Tickets here
25th of July @ Bless Warehouse - Clapton - Breathwork + free Breathe Card Deck!
A stunning, homely, venue in which we have loads of space to work with.
A nice and intimate session with loads of individual attention.
Also comes with a free card deck!
8th of August @ Soulstice - Primrose Hill - Breathwork session
Such a wonderful venue and perfect for those who live in West-London.
This small studio (max. 9 people), has a great feel and vibe to it all. Like a little safety cave to explore what wants to come alive
Tickets here
14th of August @ SOMA hOMe - Breathwork & Somatic Release
Perfect for those who have some more experience or want to dive a little deeper.
We’ll have 2.5hrs for this session giving us time for more somatic practices and interaction.
At the heart of this session will be exploration, experimentation and the tension between the known and unknown; safety and resistance. Using the body as our entry point.
EntryPoints - Breathwork & Somatics Retreat
17th - 22nd of October @ Casa Eira, Ericeira, Portugal
A 6-day immersive experience - a unique opportunity to reconnect to your full experiential spectrum.
Through daily breathwork sessions, a vast array of somatic exercises and simply being in contact together, we’ll reconnect to ourselves, others and our environment.
An exploration of alternative routes to insights, beyond just talking .
Every day we’ll work with different EntryPoints on a macro and micro level; the breath, the nervous system, movement, the voice, silence, play, bodywork.
All happening in a safe and intimate setting.
In the meantime you can enjoy the incredible food, go for a dip the ocean or relax in the sauna.
The group is shaping up nicely so don’t wait too long if you’re considering joining this retreat!
The Micropractice
Breathe out and wait. Feel into the silence between breaths.
