is breathWORK the new psychedelic?
If you are up on all the wellness trends then you have taken a breathwork class, or at least have heard the term being thrown around. Breathwork is sort of a vague, catch-all term for a class dedicated to breathing exercises. Breathwork can technically be any breathing exercise of which there are MANY by the way, but generally speaking the breathwork classes are focused on a specific type of breathing known as circular breathing or holotropic breathing which is a quickened version of circular connected breath developed by psychiatrists Stanislav and Christina Grof in the 1970s to achieve an altered state. It is done in and out through the mouth and when one breath ends another begins. Most of these classes follow a very similar structure which is they are led by a facilitator and music is played to guide you deeper in.
The altered state is the piece that really drew me in personally. Sort of like a controlled psychedelic trip where you could gain the benefits of the journey, which are going deep and learning things about yourself, without the loss of control. Actually, you can stop at any time and you are never far enough away where you might be scared.
How does it work? Well, the quickened breath cadence in and out through the mouth reduces oxygen to the brain. Clinicians such as psychiatrist Rick Staussman, claim that this can cause our pineal gland to release DMT, which has the ability to induce a hallucinogenic state. This alters our state of consciousness and opens out mind creating a dreamlike state perfect for a deeply healing trip similar to taking psychedelic drugs like LSD, Acid, Mushrooms, etc.
For me, breathwork truly opened me up and helped me to heal many parts of my body and soul, but there were things I didn’t love about the classes, which is what led me to going my own way. There was no doubt in my head that I could use this type of breathing as a tool but what I struggled with was the facilitation. Every class I went to even from people who didn’t know each other was…well…kind of the same…and it didn’t always resonate with me personally.
When I began to pull my own practice together at home using various modalities, Nebula Soul Method was born. I began to blend somatic movement, different breathing techniques including circular breathing, and kundalini energy work in a way that felt more intuitive to me, but still had the ability to take someone on a deeply healing journey of body and soul.
I love that we can access deep worlds and transformation healing by breathing. It shows how self-healing our bodies are, which is just so incredible. There are many ways to experience this and I recommend trying and finding what resonates with you!
If you are interested in exploring the Nebula Soul Method world with me in a 1:1 or in a class, visit my booking page HERE.
