What is Alchemical Breathwork™?

Alchemical Breathwork™ is a powerful healing and personal growth technique practiced worldwide. It is used consistently to release energy blockage in the body, clear negative thought and habit patterns and bring one into greater alignment with one’s personal purpose. Alchemical Breathwork™ begins by working with the physical body and as a result it cleanses the mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. This almost always leaves the client in a state somewhere between peace and ecstasy.

Dr. Andrew Weil:

If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. From my own experience and from working with patients, I have come to believe that proper breathing is the master key to good health.

- Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine

Alchemical Breathwork™ is effective in connecting people to an awareness of their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energy fields. The breath highlights places where energy has become blocked and through increasing oxygen and life force energy (Prana, Chi or Ki) to the area it releases stuck tension or energy restrictions. The effect of this can be instantaneous and profound. The breather may experience a wide range of sensations during the course of a session including a heightened physical awareness of their body, a variety of emotional states and at times even a sense of being in touch with a spiritual presence.

The technique involves breathing using different types of breathing patterns as guided by a trained breath worker. The result is an increase in the level of physical and spiritual energy in our body, thus cleansing the many tensions held there. The result of the physical cleansing is old mental and emotional patterns of tension come back into consciousness and can then be healed. By learning to breathe consciously and fully, we discover and release the core issues currently held in our mind and emotions.

Dr. Weil has also said:

The simplest and most important technique for protecting your health is breathing. I have seen breath control alone achieve remarkable results: lowering blood pressure, ending heart arrhythmias, improving long-standing patterns of poor digestion, increasing blood circulation throughout the body, decreasing anxiety and allowing people to get off addictive anti-anxiety drugs and improving sleep and energy cycles.

— Andrew Weil, M.D. Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine University of Arizona, Tucson

What happens in Alchemical Breathwork™?

Many experiences may arise when doing this work, but having breathwork experiences per se. (or any particular experience such as rebirth or ecstasy) is not the purpose. The goals are Oneness, healing, and inner wisdom. Experiences are the means to these goals. When the body and mind enter a non-ordinary state through controlled breathing, the inner wisdom uses the opportunity to work toward physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. Alchemical Breathwork™ operates under the principle that we are our own best healers. Each of us has an Inner Healer which can best do its work in non-ordinary states of consciousness. In this state, we can transcend the narrow boundaries of the body & ego and reclaim our full identity as our Higher Self.

Another aspect of the safe context is a fairly open-ended session format. A principle is to allow the Inner Healer what it needs in terms of time and support to process the deep material that arises as the breath opens up the system. The basic principle of this work is to let the breath do the work. Only when the breather feels stuck in some way does the facilitator take a role, taking his or her clues from the breather and encouraging the breather to amplify the existing symptoms. While energy and awareness are held in this area, the subject is encouraged to express fully his or her reaction, whichever form it takes.

The experience is, for the most part, internal and largely nonverbal, without interventions. Although practitioners suggest to breathers at the beginning of the session that they increase the pace of the breath, breathers are also encouraged to find their own pace and rhythm with the breath.

What is a session like?

Alchemical Breathwork™ sessions usually take at least an hour and can go longer. The session includes a review of the process and intention setting at the beginning and a discussion afterwards which is entirely client driven. The breathing process itself usually takes at least an hour and can last quite longer. The experience during the breathing portion varies from session to session, and from client to client. While there is no such thing as a typical or average breathwork session, a person usually goes through some or all of the following; an increase of internal energy - tingling, vibrating and surging of life force through the physical and energy bodies.

This energy starts to build up and focus itself in the physical / energy bodies where the body holds the current blockage or issue as tension or dis-ease. The full extent of tension in that part of the body makes itself known.

The real 'gold' of these sessions is without a doubt the emotional release that can occur. Tapping and releasing old emotions that block our energy is often the result of these sessions. People can experience a range of emotions momentarily or for the duration of the session. The important thing is to simply experience whatever it is that needs to be expressed and move through it as it passes. Ultimately, a sense of freedom and peace is most commonly experienced.

At some point the client enters what I call “The Journey” portion. During this time the client has entered a more relaxed breathing rhythm and experiences a period of what is usually referred to by my clients as "bliss". For most people this is their first taste of the true goal of meditation. During this time the mind is free of ego filtering and the client is able to experience aspects of their life through a different perspective, one free of old wounds and judgments. Old relationships undergo a healing and past traumas are cleared.

After the client has re-entered the body, I turn them on their left sides and bring the knees to a fetal position. This quiet time allows the gradual reintegration of the soul back into the body and helps to ground the client in both body and mind.

The most valuable thing you can know during your first session is that your natural divine Energy is washing away pain and tension. The physical sensations you may experience are neither caused by the breathing rhythm nor by your natural Divine Energy, but by the pain and tension you are releasing. After we release our accumulated tension, we only feel gentle energy flows. Whatever sensations or fears you may have in the middle of a session, as you keep breathing, they dissolve as the breathing relaxes you. Many people experience the peace that passes all understanding for the first time in their lives. People often say after their first session, "I’m more relaxed than I have ever felt."

In closing…

Learning to breathe enables us to: relax, experience peace, transcendence, ecstasy & bliss plus fill our body with fresh Life Force every day. Better breathing helps in the healing of everything; it increases our ability to receive and give love, which makes our relationships work better. Breathing is the headwaters of our Life Stream. If you stop breathing, you will die; if you master your breathing potential, you will live more fully.

Deepak Chopra:

The Breath is the meeting ground between the conscious and unconscious minds. It is the access point that bridges the connection to body, mind, emotions and spirit.
- Deepak Chopra

Benefits of Breathwork

In Summary the benefits of breathwork are as follows:
• Brings more oxygen and life force into the body,
• Increases blood circulation and releases toxins and blockages
• Reduces stress and creates more relaxed and peaceful state of mind
• Increases capacity to be present, open, loving and empowered
• Helps us feel more connected with self and others
• Helps us stay focused and mentally clear, remaining balanced in the midst of our busy life
• Grows our capacity to feel the emotions and the body
• Balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain and creates deeper communication between them
• Enhances our healing capacity and complements other healing therapies
• Creates a powerful bridge between body, mind and spirit and brings us towards unity consciousness.