Bridging Mind, Body and Spirit
Terese Weinstein Katz
Certified Breathwork Facilitator
About Breathwork
The breath has been used for centuries in traditional medical and spiritual traditions throughout the world. Yogic traditions, for example, offer breathing practices for calming, for alertness, and for preparing to meditate.
More recently, breathwork emerged in the later twentieth century as a means of self-help or transcendence. Rebirthing, and then holotropic breathwork, to name two popular types, attracted people for emotional release or transpersonal experiences.
Modern breathwork styles, such as circular connected breathwork, resemble holotropic but also differ significantly. Mostly the differences arose as we all learned more about the widespread and damaging effects of trauma. Modern methods respect the need for care and safety, in order to prevent any kind of retraumatization. They allow people much more control over the intensity of their experiences. They allow people more autonomy in integrating and making sense of their own insights and emotional experiences.
Breathwork vs. Psychotherapy
Breathwork is not psychotherapy, even though many people do report psychotherapeutic benefits from engaging in breathwork. Circular connected breathwork (and related types) causes temporary physical changes that often allow people more direct access to, and immediate experience of emotions, memories and subconscious associations, as well as creative insights and broad perspectives.
As with some psychedelic substances, these changes may temporarily override what’s called our “Default Mode Network”. This can at times help us see the larger significance of our lives, beyond daily preoccupations and worries. In this way breathwork can offer benefits that resemble or overlap those of guided psychedelic use, or of deep meditational states. Unlike substances, though, breathwork journeys can be stopped if desired and offer a safer opportunity for those who need or desire that.
I frequently serve breathwork clients who already have therapists, as well as those who do not. I do provide time and space for individual or small group breathwork clients to explore their intentions beforehand. I also coach or help people to process their experiences afterward. While my psychological background and training informs this, it does differ from psychotherapy. The two approaches complement and enhance each other well.
How I Came To Be A Breathwork Facilitator
Breathwork for Special Concerns/Interests
Breathwork supports and benefits people in a variety of life situations. I also sometimes specifically offer small group breathwork journeys for those with certain shared concerns: eating issues, for example, or life transitions. I also specifically program for those in the health or helping professions, for I feel that this kind of work often calls for us, especially, to increase our clarity, self-knowledge and healing as we assist others.
Breathwork for Helping and Health Professionals
I find the following passage particularly striking—it’s from The Myth of Normal: Trauma & Healing in a Toxic Culture, by Dr. Gabor Mate. In a late chapter,“Jesus in the Tipi”, Mate recalls a ayahuasca journey he’d led for healing professionals:
The Peruvian guides, having worked with North American and European groups for decades, said they’d never encountered such a “heavy bunch”. They noted, “…..we must face all the pains and traumas that people bring to us, but we take care of ourselves: we regularly clear those energies out of our bodies and souls, so they do not accumulate and burden us. We expected you ….to have done the same for yourselves. But no, we found, you have come here weighed down with all the griefs and heavy energies that you have all been absorbing for many, many years.”
I hope my offerings for helping and health professionals can alleviate some of this residual burden. Breathwork is one modality that can bring emotional release, clarity, self-knowledge and attunement. This benefits us profoundly. It also enriches and deepens all of the work we do with others. Please get in touch if you’d like to learn more about individual or small group opportunities.
Who Should Not Do Breathwork
Safe breathwork modalities exist for everyone. However, circular connected breathwork (or related types), should be avoided by those with cardiac conditions, untreated high blood pressure, seizure disorders, glaucoma, bipolar or psychotic disorders, and pregnancy. Modified versions of the breathing technique can be followed safely in many of these cases and still provide a helpful experience. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns related to your physical condition and breathwork.
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Breathwork in the Media
Breathwork in the Media
Breathwork appears in the media more often as we learn how it helps emotional healing and even aids psychedelic experience.