When I first attended a breathwork session, like many others I really didn’t know what to expect, because even though it can be a life-changer, it is still difficult to explain to those who have never tried it. Even today after experiencing it over and over for many years, it is still hard to explain.
What it can be compared to is tapping into an altered state of mind, where you are there physically and mentally but at the same time not. You sort of tap into the subconscious and surrender into a process of allowing… (well if you allow that to happen!). Allowing whatever is needed to submerge in your body to resurface.
This is the way I understand it… as we go through the different stages of our life at some point or another, we will experience something traumatic. Trauma being an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, death or natural disaster. This can range from being shamed by someone, not receiving enough love and care as a child or experiencing a loss of some kind. It doesn’t matter how small or large the trauma was, the point is that in that moment of pain, we were not able to fully process what was going on.
Maybe we created some form of safety mechanism to protect ourselves that didn’t allow us to fully feel the pain of the situation. That suppressed trauma can fester for years and resurface through different destructive behaviours and repeated patterns in our life. The only way to move through this trauma is to allow it to resurface and face it again in a safe container.
Sounds simple but most of us can be highly resistant to experiencing discomfort and facing unresolved pain is definitely uncomfortable! This is what breathwork allowed me to do. It gave me a safe container to allow traumatic experiences or unresolved wounds to resurface and relive them, to re-live the pain, the sadness and normally in the end experience the sweet relief and pure joy of passing through that.
Of course this was MY experience of doing breathwork and every time I did it, the pain was different but the essence of the experience is the same.
In general, I would consider myself as someone who regularly processes emotions, despite this, there often seems to be even deeper layers that I find difficult to access alone. This is why over the years, I was always keen to book myself in for being part of any sessions organised on the island.
What I can say to those curious to try but slightly afraid of the unknown, is that the opportunity to heal is very high and it is definitely worth trying for yourself to see if it can help you. Personally, I can say that it has complemented my journey of healing, spirituality and self-growth to a high degree and would recommend it to anyone wishing the same.
I am happy to talk more about this for anyone curious to know more.
Content creator at Sanya
Our next breathwork workshop is taking place on Saturday 9th October at 10.30am – 6pm. Price is €60. You can read more about it and book your place here.
