Wait, what exactly is breathwork?
Practitioner Debbie Attias from New York's Maha Rose Center for Healing is breaking it down for us. She describes it as “an active meditation where we alter the breath to reach deeper states of consciousness and awareness.” Ooh, so New Agey. Breathwork can take many forms, but the basic principle is to use breath awareness and exercises to boost your physical, mental and spiritual health.Why the sudden interest?
The celebrity attention (hey Gisele) definitely doesn’t hurt. But our hunch is it’s because we’re all super stressed right now. New York City breathwork teacher Erin Telford agrees. “People are seeking inner peace,” she says. “And breathwork is one way to do that that's efficient and effective.”So how do you do it?
You can practice breathwork in a group, one-on-one with a practitioner or at home by yourself. Sessions often last for hours and usually involve lying down on a yoga mat and breathing in a highly controlled (and not always comfortable) fashion. Experiences vary, but many people say it can get pretty intense—think visions, life-changing revelations and outpourings of emotion. Telford was working as an acupuncturist and Reiki master for years before she tried it and says that it was one of the most powerful healing experiences of her life. “It gave me an outlet for all of the repressed anger, resentment, grief and sadness that was in my body.”[post_ads_2]
