How to prepare for your first breathwork journey

 
 

Your breath is the medicine you’ve been waiting for.

Thank you for committing to yourself and leaning into the wisdom within your own breath. Before we meet for our journey together, please watch the videos below. The first takes you through an introduction to breathwork, the second explains the conscious connected breath technique we will be using. The Sacred Breath Method is a feminine approach, with a nose inhale, allowing us to embrace a slow, unwinding into ourselves. I can’t wait to guide you on this adventure within.

How do I know if breathwork is for me?

Conscious Connected Breathwork results in certain specific physiological changes in the body and also can result in intense physical and emotional release. We carry suppressed trauma and emotion, causing energy to stagnate in the body. As you breathe deeply into every cell, blockages are released and as a result you may experience a whole range of emotions. Know that every emotion is welcomed in this sacred space to be witnessed. These deeply healing and transformational journeys can bring physical sensations to the body, including:

  • Tingling

  • Buzzing/ Fizzing

  • Vibrating

  • Shaking or trembling

  • Tightness in the hands or jaw (Tetany) I will guide you on how to work with it during your journey should it arise.

  • Somatic unwinding

  • Deep emotional release and catharsis

  • Trauma release

  • Unlocking repressed sensual/ shakti energies

Contraindications

Breathwork results in certain specific physiological changes in the body and also can result in intense physical and emotional release. As a precaution, the following conditions are contraindicated in certain breathwork practices.

Before booking a breathwork journey with me, please inform me if you experience any of these contraindications, as a modified breath may be available:

-   Pregnancy (at any stage)

-   Severe PTSD or severe trauma

-   Actively using recreational drugs

-   Taking any medication that alters brain chemistry like anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, ADD, OCD medications, etc.

-   Detached Retina

-   Glaucoma

-   Kidney disease

-   High Blood Pressure

-   Cardiovascular disease, including angina, previous heart attack or stroke

-   Diagnosis of aneurysm (of any kind at all, no exceptions)

-   Uncontrolled thyroid conditions

-   Diabetes

-   Severe Asthma

-   Epilepsy

-   History of Seizures

-   Prior diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or previous psychiatric condition

-   Hospitalisation for any psychiatric condition or emotional crisis within the last 10 years

-   Recent surgery, stitches, physical wounds or injury

-   Any other medical, psychiatric or physical conditions which would impair or affect the person's ability to engage in any activities that involve deep physical and/or emotional release 

- The mRNA COVID Vaccination: At this time, clients must wait a minimum of *60 days* after their *final* dosage with *NO SIDE EFFECTS* to engage in Breathwork.

How to prepare for your journey

In the days before your journey

As we are working with a deep diaphragmatic breath for this journey, it’s good to start becoming more aware of and connected to your breath. If you can find a few minutes over the next few days for some slow, deep, nourishing breaths into the belly, using a nose inhale and mouth exhale, that will help open up your diaphragm (as well as help soothe your nervous system)

  1. If you practice yoga, try and add some side stretches in, again to open up the diaphragm

  2. These are optional but will help you to embrace a full journey as you will be able to breathe deeper

On the day

Take space for yourself in the hour before our journey. Drink some water, make sure you have eaten something (digested 1 hour before), ground in (in nature if you can), set an intention and clear your energetic field. I will support with the space clearing too.

  1. I will be creating a comfortable and safe nest for the journey

  2. Turn off or silence notifications on your phone. Keep your phone in airplane mode. 

Before the journey

Go to the bathroom, avoid consuming any alcohol or intoxicating substances and do not eat a large meal. Make sure all food is digested at least 1 hour before and eat lightly in the hours prior. Avoid coffee at least 3 hours before Breathwork. Caffeinated tea or cacao is ok right before the journey. Coffee in the morning is fine if it's a part of your routine. If you have low blood sugar, have nuts or a piece of fruit nearby.

Don't drive a car/motorbike for at least 30 minutes after the journey (we will be processing anyway, usually for this amount of time).

What you need to know

What to wear

It’s really important that you’re comfortable during your journey, so I would recommend wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothes (yoga or lounge wear is perfect). Please just make sure the clothing you wear for journeying is loose around the waist and unrestrictive (no jeans or buttons). Bring layers to keep cosy. Body temperature can change during the journey from very hot to very cold.

Notes on food

Please eat mindfully before your journey. Try to avoid gluten, heavy grains, dairy and sugar as much as possible as each take a lot of digestion, which actually interferes with diaphragmatic breathing. 

You don’t want to be digesting while deep breathing. Consider eating lighter in prior to breathwork, as you don’t want to be deep breathing with a full belly. Light things before breathwork like juice, smoothies, salad, soup, fruit, grain bowls, sushi etc are fine - But please nothing heavy.

It is recommended to avoid all refined sugar where possible, as sugar prevents the brain from receiving full oxygen capacity and taxes the adrenals. Maple syrup, honey, fruit, etc is fine. 

It is advised to limit caffeine intake during the journey day as it can inhibit the somatic experience of breathwork. It's best to have no more than 1 cup of coffee per day in the morning (if you do drink coffee), and be sure never to drink coffee at least 2-3 hours before journeying.

Technology

If it’s possible, I would recommend limiting your tech use (including mobile phones, tablets and laptops) on the day/eve of journeys, other than for essentials. The same goes for the hours after your journey as you integrate.