Emotions are energy in the body with a label in the brain. We can feel waves of sensation on the inside when they arise and release. If you've ever watched an infant, you can clearly see the rise and fall of emotions as their little bodies express exactly what they are feeling through movement, breath and sound. Pain is expressed as seamlessly as delight. They have no filters to disguise or suppress their natural state of mind. As we grow we become socialized, learning to hide our emotions. Our breathing rhythm reflects that suppression. The upset feeling does not have a chance to fully process through and our breath becomes erratic as we attempt to keep the emotion "under control."

 

Breath is prana or life force energy. Emotions are energy in motion. The rhythm of our breathing reflects our emotional state. We can change our breathing to influence our emotional state. 

 

When we are stressed, breathing gets jagged and shallow. We cannot be stressed and breathe deeply simultaneously. It's one or the other. When we feel calm and relaxed, breathing becomes smooth and deep. The good news is we can use our breath to bring ourselves down from anxiety and up from low energy.

 

Breathing changes. In an attempt to control pain, whether the origin is emotional or physical, we breathe less efficiently. Do you notice that you breathe more through your mouth when you are in pain? Mouth breathing is much less efficient than nasal breathing. When you allow yourself to feel the pain, or the pleasure, your breathing will shift all by itself. It gradually becomes more efficient. You will feel more. In that feeling is the healing.

 

Our default mode network (the DMN) runs the show almost all the time. Integrative Breathwork activates the capacity to nudge the DMN out of the way and produces an expanded, intuitive awareness, where you can hear your wise inner guidance. And, there's more...It also integrates new insights into old stories, placing you on a higher vantage point from which to see and hear from a broad perspective.