What does a session look and feel like online?

For our session all you’ll need is your computer, the link to the zoom
meeting, a place to lie down (bed, floor, whatever feels best) and anything else
that might make you feel most comfortable – pillow, blanket, t-shirt for over
your eyes, notebook to jot anything down – or just simply yourself.

We will keep it grounded, love filled and probably at times, a little messy!
Feelings come up, up and out and that’s what we want. Your only job is just
to breathe.

There will be a short intro, meditation and explanation from me. We will
actively breathe followed by a juicy rest and then you’ll be on your way to
the rest of your day.

It is up to you if you choose to be visible on video or speak. I always love
seeing your beautiful faces and feel a sense of community with all of you, but
it is your choice to do so.

If you do have your video on, it’s helpful if you set up your screen so that I
can see you from the waist up when we’re doing the breathwork. If we are in
an open group I will always ensure everyone’s microphones are OFF during
the active breathwork portion.

Why do I teach this specific breath pattern?

There are a lot of different styles of breathwork out there – and depending
on who you are and what you’re working through, different ones serve us in
different ways.

For me, coming into this style of breathwork with a new found trauma, I
found myself craving a gentle space, one where I could connect to my body
and my heart without pushing myself too much into a place that might
activate me beyond my feeling of safety. I believe it’s important to find your
boundaries and limits and encourage yourself to grow past them, as long as it
feels safe to you to do so.

That is why I guide and practice it myself. I move through what I’m feeling
while I breathe. I don’t force myself to adapt, I adapt as I learn how to breathe
again and again and again. And as I move my body and breath, I move what
wants to move in my body.

The space of holding grief, trauma and stuck energy is delicate and tender
and it can sometimes show up unannounced.
It can feel overwhelming and at other times completely at home in our body.

My goal is to help you find out what those feelings feel like physically in
your body and help you to honour and acknowledge them – and then move
them up, up and out. All in your own body, in whatever way looks and feels
best to you. Through words, music and guidance we’ll find that space
together.

What can breathwork bring up and what can I do?

Breathwork is very powerful and deeply moving. Through it, we are
changing physiological pathways and breaking through limiting beliefs. We
are also tapping into the body archive which may reveal hidden tension,
trauma, emotions or feelings. It is important that you respect the depth of the
journey and take care of yourself through and after the active breath.
Allowing and encouraging your senses to be more open and just really
working on trusting your body! Actively breathing in this way allows us to
rebuild trust with our bodies – knowing that as difficult feelings / sensations
arise we can stay with ourselves and trust that our body can and will hold us!

Some simple but love filled things to keep doing over the week following
your breathwork session to help integrate what has surfaced:

– Eat well and drink plenty of water
– Carve out alone time each day, ideally outdoors in nature to help ground
yourself
– Move your body as much as you can (slowly and gently)
– Journal about your experiences
– Support yourself to integrate your experience into your daily life (eg.
drawing, painting, walking, dancing, writing, sleeping)
– Reach out to a safe, trusted person or support worker if anything begins to
feel too much

A note about trauma.

*Words taken from the book “The Power of Breathwork” by Jennifer Patterson

The spectrum of trauma can be anything from living through a car accident
to any form of abuse. Those who experience ongoing trauma and opression
often struggle to maintain a relationship with their body, which can impact
overall wellness and quality of life. Breathwork can initially be uncomfortable
but, in time, can help you to rebuild that relationship.

Stress and trauma, or any perceived threat, activate responses of the
sympathetic divison of the autonomic nervous system – known as fight or
flight. Not necessarily “bad”, these are vital automatic responses that help us
respond and prepare for survial in a crisis or dangerous situation.

They are necessary in short-term crisis or danger, but when stress or danger
is ongoing, our bodies can spend time in a constant state of activation,
making it more difficult to enter the restorative state of rest and digest.

Working directly with the brain and nervous system, breathwork may bring
up past memories. Energy that has been frozen in fight or flight can be
tended to, witnessed, and freed up. When you breathe consciously with this
material, there is ample opportunity for integrating it more fully. Our constant
sense of hypervigilance can be rerouted to a more regular practice of rest
and trust.

Breathwork practice helps put the original fears and resulting stuck energy
into a workable and conscious context in order to integrate the original
trauma or support its energetic and embodied release. It helps us free up
invaluable parts of ourselves. It can remind us of our bodie’s innate
self-healing capacity.

Is it safe to breathe through my fertility or pregnancy journey?

I belive breathwork can be supportive of fertility in that you are clearing the
womb space (second chakra) of stuck emotional energy.

We never hold the breath in the active breathing portion so there is no
oxygen deprivation to the body or baby. That being said, we are intentionally
over oxyginating the body so you may feel light headed or full body
sensations through the breath pattern. This is very normal and will dissipate
as soon as you return to your normal breath.

Most important (for everyone) is to ask yourself why you are curious about
breathwork and if it feels comfortable to try in your own body.
If you feel unsure about actively breathing while pregnant, if it’s a first time
pregnancy or if you have experienced a miscarriage, please know you can
always come and just be a part of the group, even if you choose not to
actively breathe.

If you are pregnant, please keep in mind that it may not be comfortable to lay
on your back to breathe, so you can lay on your side, or switch back and
forth from back to side during the session.

The most important thing to me is that you feel safe and comfortable.

You can always connect with your midwife or doctor for specific advice.

Community Support and Inclusivity

Every large group event (like my Thursday night breathwork sessions or my
seasonal mamas gatherings) will give back funds to the community in some
way.

Each type of session I host is now offered at a sliding scale to honour where
you are at, so all you need to do is find a way to show up if your heart needs
it. I choose to work to work this way in the hopes of offering more access for
all. Please reach out through email to ask for sliding scale tiers. I believe in
and trust the model of a sliding scale and believe and trust in all of you who
join.

I believe in empathy with every fiber of my being.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It also
goes hand in hand with curiosity because as we get curious (which can
sometimes be uncomfortable!), we can learn to become better listeners when
we engage with different people, places and situations.

We begin to get comfortable with what discomfort feels like and THEN we
learn that we can shift and grow in our own bodies. By expanding ourselves
we permeate this new found growth and respect into our families and our
communities.