Breathwork is a very wide umbrella term for many different styles and techniques but is currently most commonly used (in the West) to describe an active breathing technique. Typically breathwork is all done through the mouth – 2 inhales (belly, then chest) and 1 exhale. This style brings more fresh oxygen into the body than our usual resting breath, as well as helps to flush out more excess CO2. As a result, it energizes the body, better oxygenates the blood, and promotes vitality, health, and the movement of energy. Learn more about how to practice breathwork and receive guidance during this workshop with Amelia.

The benefits of breathwork can be emotional clearing and release, mental clarity, mood boosts, stress release, and nervous system regulation. Amelia would like to emphasize that every individual’s experience is different, and indeed each breathwork session may be different for each student. You will not always experience all of these results at once. However, she has found it to be the most effective way to achieve emotional & stress release and move energy through the body, quickly. Physically, regular breathwork practice will increase lung capacity, energy levels, and oxygenation of the body tissues, which is why many athletes now practice breathwork as well.
Students will often feel a deep state of calm and relaxation following a breathwork session, which is why we then rest and meditate with a clear and relaxed mind.

Most importantly, an open mind and a desire to try something new! Breathwork has the deepest results when a student comes into it willing to experience whatever comes up for them. Amelia will demonstrate options and techniques for regulation if a student does feel overwhelmed or need a break. Otherwise, the most important note: it is best performed on a somewhat empty stomach. Don’t come starving but don’t eat for a couple of hours beforehand. We will provide snacks afterward, as people are often pretty hungry. It’s an energetic practice. As far as props, we have everything at the studio. Best if they dress in comfortable and loose clothing and wear layers. Sometimes people become colder or hotter when practicing.

Breathwork is not dangerous but should be practiced with caution if you are living with any of the following conditions: heart or lung conditions, severe anxiety disorders, asthma, or other severe breathing issues, as well as later stages of pregnancy.

Breathwork is not dangerous, especially if you are not experiencing any of the conditions listed above. Amelia will give options for rest, so that students feel they have control over their bodies and practice, and she will be actively monitoring and assisting students throughout the class. Amelia will explain the many physical sensations that may come up, as well as mental/emotional sensations that are possible.

How often you practice breathwork is really up to the discretion of the student. It, like anything else, is beneficial when done regularly. On the other hand, you can experience massive benefits from even one session, which is how it differs from many other wellness practices. You don’t have to do it every day to experience results. You can, if you want – it’s safe to do daily. But you will often feel a shift after just one session. Amelia like to practice at least weekly if she can, and more often if she feels she has a stuck or heavy emotion that she’d like to clear.

Yes, it can be meditation. Many styles of breathwork are very meditative, and Amelia often uses them to get into a clear state of mind. As this particular technique in the workshop is more active, she prefers to use it as a precursor to meditation. It clears all the stress and anxiety and unfocused thoughts that can often get in the way of meditating, so students are usually able to access a deeper meditative state post-breathwork session. That is why Amelia likes to lead a meditation at the end of the active breathing practice.

Breathwork is a powerful technique for taking control of your own body. You can effectively alter your state of mind, your mood, your energy, your anxiety and stress levels, and your physical sense of well-being: all with a free tool that you carry around with you all day, every day. There is a saying – “how you breathe is how you live”. Are you mindful of your breath? Do you breathe deeply and fully, or shallowly and quickly? The way you breathe sends signals to your body. This is why you become more relaxed when you slow your breathing – and vice versa. You are telling your nervous system that you are safe. If you are always gasping for breath, or barely bringing in oxygen, you are signaling to your body that all is not well, that you are in danger. This affects everything – and yet most of us never use the power we have, literally within ourselves, to shift. We move through our lives mindlessly, and we breathe mindlessly. When we begin to bring presence and attention to our breath, we can also develop that same sense of presence and attention in our lives.