The air that fills your lungs is an essential life force. It’s also a secret weapon for your well-being.
Join us for a morning of wellbeing with breathwork and Ashtanga.
What Is Breathwork?
Breathwork is the exercise of consciously controlling your breathing as a therapeutic technique. It’s often used as a way to calm the mind and body, but it offers other benefits as well. There are different methods of breathwork, each with their own objective of targeting a specific need. These may include physical relaxation, de-escalating from a stressful situation, or energizing oneself both physically and mentally.
The Emotional Benefits of Breathwork
When you learn to control your breathing, the benefits feel priceless. In terms of emotional support, Kessler says that by shifting the nervous system into a rest-digest-restore state, feelings of stress and anxiety start to diminish. Breathwork also improves clarity of thought, concentration, and overall memory.
The practice is also helpful in building confidence and mastering emotions. When breathwork is practiced in a gentle way with the proper guidance and support, we learn to recognise and be with our emotions literally one breath at a time.
The Physical Benefits of Breathwork
At first glance it might be difficult to see how breathwork can have physical benefits as well as emotional ones. But many students of the practice see decreased muscle tension and inflammatory response. Breathwork can also improve circulation and reduce pain sensitivity, which is why many pregnant people practice Lamaze breathing before and during childbirth.
Practicing breathwork also shifts the body into a mode of restoration in which it is able to heal and repair tissues. When the body is in a stress response, the body is more focused on survival rather than restoring and repairing itself. Breathwork is a powerful avenue for allowing the body to make this shift.
Breathe, 10 am
Resonance breathing is a type of rhythmic breathing that helps to regulate the autonomic nervous system and bring many of our oscillating physiological systems into synchronization. The rate for resonance is generally between 10-12 seconds per breath, where the inhale and the exhale are balanced. So this means breathing in for a count of five and out for a count of five in a relaxed way. When we perform this type of breathing practice regularly and for prolonged periods it helps us to better deal with life's stressors and promote healing. In this one hour session, we will observe our natural breathing rhythm and explore resonance breathing as a starting point for several other breathing practices.
Beginners Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, 11.30 am
Ashtanga vinyasa involves a conscious breathing and movement system that takes into account the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. It is a quiet yet physical self-reflective practice. When practiced with diligence over time, you will notice a transformation in your being. In this one hour session, you will be introduced to the breathing system, and slowly taken through surya namaskar (sun salutations) standing and finishing poses. No previous experience with yoga is necessary. Please wear comfortable clothing, come on an empty stomach, and be ready to move.