The significance of breath was revealed as far back as the Ayurveda
and Genesis. Adam was merely a statue until God breathed life into
him. People in the East have for millennia practiced breathing
routines for their tonic effects such as to reduce stress, as well as
for other purposes. Here in the West, however, we are just beginning
to learn the power of the breath. Western researchers have
"discovered" that breathing patterns affect our mental and
emotional states.
Most of us have forgotten how important the breath is to our well
being, and few are ever taught how to breathe. We may believe that
simply breathing in and out is sufficient. The truth is that unless we
are breathing a full, connected, circular breath, we are starving many
of our cells of oxygen, as well as ourselves of Spirit (Life Force)
and joy, which infuse our beings primarily through the breath. Human
breathing should replicate the action of a wave, with no pauses. Watch
a cat breathe. Our breath should work ceaselessly like theirs.
Some twenty-five years ago, a rebirther and spiritual counselor
from California developed a cancerous tumor on her throat. The doctors
wanted to surgically remove it, but she would hear nothing of such an
invasive, traumatic procedure. Despite her trepidation, she did not
waver in her purpose, but continued her breath work with faith and
determination. Heeding her Inner Voice, she began implementing new
techniques into her personal sessions. While the breath in rebirthing
focuses primarily on the upper chest, she began breathing all the way
down to her belly. This and other significant changes led to an
evolution in her breath work. Several months after implementing these
techniques, she looked into the mirror and realized her tumor had
vanished!
A few years after her cancer was healed, this woman, Judith Kravitz,
felt the call to take the breath work to New England, where she
subsequently founded The Transformational Breath Foundation. In the
past two decades, Kravitz has given workshops around the world. She
has taught me, and hundreds of thousands of others, how to breathe.
The Transformational Breath, as Kravitz explains, manifests on
three levels. The first level opens restricted breathing passages.
Essentially, everyone has become restricted in their breathing in some
way because as we proceed through life we experience traumas, frights
and stresses that cause us to clench our jaws and fists or suck in or
hold our breath. Through either repression (particularly in children)
or suppression (in adults), we shut down parts of our bodies, closing
them off to proper oxygenation and the Life Force or Spirit that our
beings are imbued with primarily through the breath. Unless we
subsequently resolve such experiences, we continue through life with
an ever-growing number of areas shut down or tightened, the
circulatory, lymphatic and nervous systems severely constricted. This
means that not merely our breathing apparatus (the diaphragm, lungs or
throat) can shut down, but our extremities as well. Most of us carry a
phenomenal amount of undue stress and tension in our jaws, the backs
of our necks, our shoulders, scalps, hands and feet, which lead to
backaches, headaches, cold hands, poor circulation, fissures in our
teeth, etc.
By opening up areas where restricted blood flow has been chronic,
Transformational Breathing can alleviate these ills. The initial
response is tingling in these areas, the kind of tingling you feel
when you've leaned too long on your arm or leg and it has "gone
to sleep." The tingling sensation is the rush of oxygen and Life
Force into a constricted area. The more we are able to breathe, the
more joy we are able to accept into our lives. This is the primary
purpose of the Transformational Breath.
As we open up our breathing, we are led to the second level, which
is why we shut down in the first place. At the second level, we are
able to accrue more energy by clearing the traumas, repressions and
suppressions in the subconscious mind. Through the universal principle
of entrainment, areas of lower vibrational energy (often problem areas
in our bodies) are permanently raised to a higher vibrational level by
coming into contact with the higher vibrational force provided by the
Breath. Negative energy -- that is, energy that depletes rather than
enervates -- is stored at the cellular level. Integrating this energy
taps into the subconscious. This integration brings up old memories,
thoughts and feelings. A breather may heal traumas from birth or any
other experience, as well as resolve issues such as the unconscious
death urge, parental/authority approval syndrome and others. As
Kravitz notes, "We're able to integrate all trauma and negativity
in the unconscious."
To share a personal example, I discovered during my training that I
had an abandonment issue -- an issue I would have vehemently denied
harboring just moments before it erupted. This issue arose so
powerfully for me that I sobbed like never before in my adulthood (a
breakthrough in itself, as not long before I had plodded through 13
years of my life without shedding a single tear). I have no doubt
whatsoever that the breath work I had been intensely involved with for
the previous three months led to this release, and I'm convinced that
fear of abandonment -- which I'd been unconsciously burdened with
since the first days of my life -- became a nonissue for me literally
over night as a result. Because this experience occurred between
breath sessions, it underscores another point about the breath work:
benefits continue to accrue long after the sessions.
The third level of Transformational Breath permits us to reach
higher levels of consciousness. Once the areas of lower vibrational
energy have opened up, the way is paved for connection to the higher
levels -- the soul or spiritual levels. At this third level we are
able to connect with our Higher Selves and may have mystical
experiences. The most powerful experience of my life occurred at the
culmination of a very intense breathing session during my training,
when I became fully aware of the interconnectedness of all life. I
realized that I am a channel for the Creator's love, as are we all. I
wept with indescribable joy.
According to Kravitz, not only do we experience all three states
with every breath session, but also we permanently raise our
vibrational level, leading to the healing and integration of traumas.
This is life-altering work.
The only way to realize the positive effects of the
Transformational Breath, of course, is to experience it through a
session. Attending a workshop is the easiest way to begin. As others
have done, you too could be exclaiming, "Incredible … beautiful
… Oh, joy!" as you open your air passages, integrate traumatic
experiences and negative energy, and attain higher vibrational levels
that help you bond with your Higher Self.
Besides teaching Adult Basic Education, Ed
Ashmead offers workshops and private sessions in Transformational
Breath. For more information, call 694-7817.
