Ecstatic Breathwork Journey

To breathe ecstatically is to activate on all levels of being into “a state of being beyond reason and self-control”. It is a practice of surrender and flow. Through the dynamic movement of breath that is both energizing and highly focused we move into a space of release, of letting go. This ecstatic practice helps to dissolve emotional and energetic blockages and build resilience within the nervous system. Exercise caution with dynamic Breathwork Practices and always stay within your comfort.

Transcript

In this ecstatic breathwork journey you will be moving through the practice in a laying position.

This allows you to really settle into the practice.

Release any need to focus on posture,

To focus on what is going on around you.

Take the time now to set up that position,

Finding comfort and balance on both sides of your body as you do so.

If you need,

It can be helpful to place a pillow underneath your head,

Perhaps another underneath your knees.

It can be really lovely to have a blanket and maybe even an eye pillow.

There's a possibility here that you might want to move and shift your body so just know that there may be a chance that you will feel a little bit uncomfortable underneath a blanket.

You can always remove it if needed.

As you settle into the posture of the practice,

Begin to turn your awareness inward.

This might be through the closing of your eyes or you might simply soften your gaze.

Place your awareness,

Your focus on your breath in its natural breath rhythm.

Observing as the breath flows in and out of the body.

Starting to tune into the present moment quality of the breath,

Not altering or changing it in any way,

Just notice how the breath is moving into,

Through and out of your body.

Do you find any resistance or difficulty expanding with the inhale?

Is there any tension in the body or does it feel really flowing,

Really expansive?

As the breath moves through your body,

Tune in and notice if there is any resistance to that flow.

Are there areas of your body where you don't feel the breath move and flow?

Perhaps you feel it strongly in the chest but not in the belly or the legs or even the toes.

The breath carries with it the vital energy of life and when we are breathing without restriction,

When there is nothing holding the breath back,

We feel the entire body being breathed.

Notice how it feels to release the breath on your exhale.

Does it feel like a release?

Does it feel as though you are letting go?

As though you are offering this completed energy,

Completing the cycle.

Now let's begin to move into a relaxing breath practice to help to settle the nervous system and turn our awareness to a deeper state of being.

Inhaling in through the nose,

Counting to 3 or 4.

As you exhale out the nose,

Simply release.

Feel that breath flowing effortlessly out of your nose.

Inhale through the nose to 3 or 4.

Inhale release slowly letting go.

Inhale fill the body,

Expand with the inhale.

Exhale let it go.

Exhale draw that energy in,

That energy of presence,

Of awakening.

As you exhale really feel the completion of this cycle as you let it all go.

As you release what no longer serves you in this moment.

You feel with every breath that any small tensions within the body are starting to soften.

Noticing that the natural holding and resistance that we carry with us in life is beginning to ease as you settle into this space of receptivity of openness.

Feel your body becoming heavier and heavier on the mat,

On the ground,

On the cushions below you.

As you feel yourself releasing and relaxing the weight of your body,

Feel the earth rising up to meet you,

Holding you in a beautiful embrace.

Feel that with every breath of release,

You are met with support.

You are met with the care and tenderness of the mother.

Feel how this homecoming really allows you to let go of any of the mental tensions or physical tensions that have been held in your body.

Recognizing this process of release,

Of surrender.

Very shortly we are going to move into the active part of the breathwork journey.

Into now this slow,

Gentle breath rhythm as I explain how the practice will work.

We will be utilizing a three-part breath.

We begin by breathing quickly in through the mouth,

Filling the belly.

So it will sound like this.

And then the second part of the breath is the second half of the inhale as we fill the chest.

So the first two parts are.

Really feel as you breathe in that the belly expands first and then the chest expands.

The third part of the breath is a letting go,

Is a releasing,

A sigh out the mouth.

The three parts together.

And we will do 30 rounds of this together.

And then take a pause and in that pause it will guide you in this space,

In this place of feeling into what has shifted within your body,

Your mind,

Your spirit.

And we will do three rounds of this.

Starting now for practice.

Let's begin.

That's ten.

Five to go.

All the way out.

And hold at the bottom of the exhale.

Hold for as long as feels comfortable for you.

Feeling the build of energy,

The flow of energy within your body,

The aliveness,

The tingling,

The awakening.

Continue to hold until you feel the need to inhale.

So keep holding if it feels good for you.

If you're ready to inhale,

Inhale all the way in through the nose.

Coming up completely into the belly and the chest.

And then at the top of your inhale,

Hold.

Draw your belly in,

Lift up on your perineum.

Feel a slight constriction in your throat as you send and direct the energy up into your head.

Directing energy and oxygen into the space of the mind.

You might even feel a little bit of pressure behind the eyes.

We're going to hold here for 30 seconds approximately.

So if you're already there,

Release.

And in this space of release,

You may feel as though you don't need to breathe as much.

So wait until you feel that natural urge to inhale again.

Let the body,

The breath guide you.

As we all arrive in this space,

Just know that this is the space between.

This is the pause.

And in this space,

You might notice an activation.

You might notice what it feels like to really engage the energy,

To move the breath.

We're going to do a releasing practice together to help that energy that's been activated,

That's been released from the tissues to now be expended,

To be expelled,

To be offered up.

And the way that I love to do this is through laughter.

You can also do it through really big sighs and yawns,

You know,

Big ahhh.

If you feel called to laughter,

Let's do that now.

Really feel the release,

Let it all go.

Allow it to build.

Allow your entire body to release.

Shaking your diaphragm,

Allowing all of that energy that has been accessed to move through you to complete its cycle.

As mental,

Physical tensions are stored in the body,

They are done so by the suppression,

The completion,

Not being reached of that emotional cycle.

So we complete it now by vocalizing,

By laughing,

By expelling the energy.

You might feel emotion arise with your laughter,

You might feel tears,

You might feel anger or frustration or sadness or joy,

It's all welcome here.

Now we prepare to move into the second cycle.

Starting to breathe in this deepened way again,

So in through the nose to three or four.

Still release three or four.

A couple more here.

And now we move into the three part breath.

Let us begin.

That's ten.

Twenty.

Five more.

Five more.

All the way out.

At the bottom of your exhale,

Hold.

Hold for as long as feels good to you,

At least thirty seconds.

See if you can extend beyond your last hold.

As we hold the breath in this way,

We really build up that energy that's been created.

Think of it like an internal fire that is being stoked.

It is glowing brighter and brighter.

Starting to activate,

To feel into and draw out any of those stored emotional,

Physical tensions.

Then when you're ready,

Breathing in through your nose all the way in.

Draw your belly in.

Construct your throat just slightly as you feel the energy and the oxygen being directed up into the mind,

Into the head.

Feel that slight pressure behind the eyes.

When you're ready,

Release.

Allow the breath to guide you here.

So again,

Perhaps you won't feel like breathing again right away.

Perhaps you will need to take a deep breath,

Where you'll find that your breath is more gentle.

See if you can allow the breath to guide.

And as you allow the breath to guide,

Tune into the sensations.

Notice what is present for you here.

How does your body feel?

How does your mind feel?

What emotions and sensations are present for you?

Typically as we move through these three rounds,

It will actually get easier and easier to create this build up of energy.

First we might feel like there's a little bit of air hunger,

Desire to stop the practice.

And then as we get used to this strong energetic flow and build,

It starts to feel really good.

So just as we did before,

We will do a releasing practice.

If it feels best for you,

You can do big sighs or yawns.

Maybe moving the arms or the body,

Allowing that energy that's been built up to express and release.

Maybe you want to do the laughter practice again.

And again,

It might feel forced at first,

But just allow the laughter to take you into release.

Sometimes we have to guide it first and then it will guide us.

Release in whichever way feels good to you.

And tune into that vacuum,

That space that is left behind as you release.

Tune into that space of possibility.

That space of potentiality of creation,

Of your creative power.

And before we move into this third cycle,

I invite you to set an intention for creation.

Now that we have created this space,

Rather than allowing habit to fill it,

What would you like to intentionally create in your life?

Love,

More connection,

Inspiration.

Name your heart's deepest desire.

Now start to return to that gentle breath rhythm,

Breathing in through the nose to a count of three or four.

Exhaling through the nose to the same count.

Just a couple more times,

Just noticing how ease filled the breath is now.

Now some of the constrictions that were there before just melted away.

We move into our last cycle of the three part breath,

Beginning now.

So it's ten.

Ten.

21.

Ahh.

Ahh.

Ahh.

Ahh.

Ahh.

Ahh.

Ahh.

All the way out.

Ahh.

Ahh.

Notice if you can hold for longer here.

If there is opportunity for a greater build and expansion of energy,

Feel the edges of your body expand.

The space that you are taking up in this world grow bigger and brighter.

Continue to hold if it feels good for you.

If you are ready to breathe in,

Breathing in through your nose all the way in and up.

Expanding completely and then holding,

Squeezing your belly in,

Directing the breath up.

Feeling that slight constriction in your throat as you send the breath up,

Tucking the chin slightly.

Awakening every cell,

Every synapse.

Cleansing the neural pathways within your mind.

Awakening intuition,

You might even feel a little bit of pressure in the third eye.

Hold until it feels good to release.

And as you release,

Release with complete abandon.

Just surrender to the breath.

Surrender to the natural flow of energy.

And allow the breath to guide you now,

No longer directing the breath.

Expanding where and when it feels good to you.

Releasing when and where it feels good.

Experiencing the fullness of this energy of life.

And just breathing in this natural way in silence for the next minute or so.

Exhaling with the breath.

Exhaling with the breath.

Exhaling with the breath.

Now tuning into the sensations within your body.

If it feels as though there is energy that has been activated,

You could really use another release.

And complete a releasing practice that feels good to you.

Again,

Big sighs or yawns.

Stretching your arms out.

Feeling your body grow bigger or laughing again to release.

If everything feels really settled and still within your body,

Simply open up to this space.

Again,

Allowing the breath to guide your experience of this energetic flow.

This natural movement of energy through the body.

The physical,

The emotional,

The mental,

The spiritual body.

And receive any messages that are meant for you right now.

Any insights,

Any wisdom that has been accessed through this practice.

Breathe and receive.

Breathe and receive.

As the energy flows through your body,

Allow your body to move.

Just gently,

Perhaps rocking your head side to side.

Or stretching your arms and your legs.

Feeling yourself moved by this energy of life.

Stretching into your new skin.

This new expansive version of self that you have just accessed.

Know this to be true of every moment.

Every moment you are born new.

Shedding the old and expanding into the new.

Breathwork offers such a beautiful vehicle for this exploration of self.

This death and rebirth cycle.

And in this space of renewal,

Again,

It is the time and the place for choosing creation.

Whether that is calling creation in without a set intention.

Just allowing the highest and best to move in and through you.

To be expressed through you.

Or if you wish to name it.

Both will help to anchor and activate this new expansive version of you.

So set that intention for creation now.

As you continue to breathe,

Know this creation to have been initiated.

As we set our awareness and our intention,

We know that our work has been completed.

Returning now to our gentle breath rhythm of breathing in through the nose to a count of three or four.

Releasing the breath gently through the nose.

Just do a few cycles of this to ground ourselves.

Once again,

Releasing into the natural flow of the breath.

Becoming aware of what has been created.

What has shifted in your experience between now and from where we started at the beginning of practice.

What shifts have you experienced in your body,

In your mind and in your spirit?

You can place your hands on your heart here or simply place your focus in your heart space as we tune into the energy of gratitude.

Gratitude to our higher wisdom for guiding us to practice today.

For helping us to say yes to life.

To surrendering to our own expansion.

Our own creative power.

Gratitude for so many who are walking this path with us.

Gratitude for everything in your life that supports you,

Either through challenge or through hand holding and uplifting.

All is designed to help us expand and awaken.

Feel the warmth growing in your heart as you tune into this energy of gratitude.

And as we feel gratitude also begin to feel into the edges of your body.

Starting to anchor once again into the physical body.

Starting to notice sounds around us.

The space beyond the body.

Perhaps even beyond the room or the building that we're in.

Or simply further away from self.

Begin to visualize your body in space.

It's almost as though you are looking at your body from above.

Notice where you are in space.

Visualize the objects around you.

The colors,

The vibrancy.

We'll take three deep breaths together with our eyes closed.

And on the third breath we'll open our eyes.

Inhale through the nose.

Exhale out the mouth and release with a sigh.

Two more.

Last one.

Inhale through the nose.

And as you exhale open the eyes.

Good.

Coming back into this space.

Looking at the world through eyes of new vision.

Through eyes of possibility.

Of this expanded version of self.

Being so curious about this new world that you are a co-creator within.

Thank you so much for practicing with me today.

Much love and many blessings.

Reviews

That was amazing thank you. it was challenging, but still doable. I appreciate the brakes in between the intense work practises that still allowed us to tap in without losing the energy 🥰

Magnificent 🥰

Beautiful thank you

Really incredible! Changed my perspective completely 🙏🙏

Amazing practice! I feel very liberated 🙏🏼😇

Wow! That was the most expansive meditation!!!!