Types Of Breathwork

Leonard Orr’s style of Breathwork, Rebirthing-Breathwork is based on the technique of conscious connected breathing; connecting the inhale and exhale without pause or lock in between them. Stanislav Grof’s Holotropic Breathwork can include hyperventilation, which Grof believes can aid emotional integration. According to VivationBreathwork, hyperventilation is unnecessary and is caused by a non-relaxed exhale. Emotional integration comes from connecting with the feelings honestly, which is made easier through a relaxed and connected breath.

There are many other types of Breathwork which have emerged over the last few decades, including Integrative Breathwork, Barratt BreathWork, Transformational Breathwork, Shamanic Breathwork, Kris Cassidy’s ‘Breakthrough Breathwork Meditation’, Clarity Breathwork, Conscious Connected Breathing, Radiance Breathwork, Zen Yoga Breathwork, and others. Older non-Western techniques such as Yoga, Pranayama, T’ai chi, and Qigong are also offered as classes and written about in the West more frequently than in the past.

Orr founded conscious breathing as one of the five aspects of spiritual purification that he still supports today. In his low intervention approach, there is breathing guidance at different points and no encouragement for movement or externalising emotion.

Grof’s Holotropic Breathwork emerged from his study of the healing potentials of nonordinary states of consciousness since the mid-50s. It utilizes deep, fast breathing in combination with loud evocative music. In Holotropic Breathwork, the sessions are less facilitator-directed and more client-directed, believed to be guided by an innate healing intelligence. Trained facilitators support each individual’s process as it emerges with various techniques including bodywork.

Barratt BreathWork® is a progressive system of self-development that combines Eastern breathing practices and meditative techniques to facilitate healing and personal transformation. It offers a contemplative approach to breathwork that is designed to cultivate mindfulness of the inner dimensions of the breath. It is not about mastering a breath technique; rather, it is about creating an environment of “presence” that awakens the transformative healing power of the breath.

Kris Cassidy’s ‘Breakthrough Breathwork Meditation’ combines music, massage, and energy work with verbal support to facilitate profound physical, emotional, mental and spiritual breakthroughs. Physical movement and emotional release are encouraged to promote a deeper connection with the Higher Self.

Aaron Hoopes, founder of Zen Yoga calls breathwork a fundamental aspect of the physical body.

If you are truly concerned with your health and genuinely want to care for your body, you are missing a major if not critical opportunity to satisfy these concerns if you fail to learn how to breathe properly and effectively.

The Russian Martial Art Systema uses breathwork to control and relax the body from tension as well as control the cardiovascular system by extension through the use of various types of breathwork. Those who study Systema can calm their mind and control tension throughout their body. Despite generally being categorized as a martial art, training includes many health-enhancing exercises. Some training exercises could be seen as forms of meditation or self-psychology. Breathwork is a fundamental aspect of Systema.

Breathwork Mastery is a conscious, full, connected body/breath technique which activates an inner non-ordinary experience. This results in a number of internal experiences. One is where thoughts, pains, memories or feelings and blocks that have been held down with the breath, are able to surface to be released, cleared or resolved. The process frees limiting decisions, beliefs or conditioning from previous imprints in early life. Breathwork Mastery uses intention setting to activate the subconscious material as body sensations which discharge over time, within the safety and support of qualified facilitators.

Dan Brulé’s Breath Mastery Program synthesizes the ancient methods and modern approaches, focusing on the fundamental principles found in all schools and styles, and presents them as a “Formula for Transformation,” and the “Principles of breath Therapy”