Somatic Breathwork

Processing witheld physiological/emotional patterns to release your energy and personal power.

What is 'Somatic' Breathwork?

Participants breathe in a full & circular fashion for about an hour, sometimes less (especially for beginners) and sometimes more for the experienced. The breath is primarily deep & resonant, rather than energetic & demanding, though may vary according to each specific breather's needs.

Freeing the breath from its stop-start pattern allows learned physiological restrictions to ease. This can lead to significant release of trapped energy, reduction in stress-levels, increase of breath capacity, and assistance in resolving old emotional patterns that underpin things such as guilt, shame, lack of confidence, sexual fear & closure, even some phobias. Often people end a session feeling relaxed, cleansed, opened, grounded, and as if a great weight has been removed from them

Many perceive Breathwork (& the commonly known variant: Rebirthing) to be all about 'screaming & hyperventilating'. That's a distorted stereotype. An overfocus on catharsis is yet another example of social-conditioning to 'do' something.

'Somatic' Breathwork is about 'Being & Feeling'. A powerfully effective journey into what may at first appear to be stillness & emptiness. (Expressive relase sometimes happens spontaneously in this style, and is fine when it does - it is just not the focus).

Somatic Breathwork encourages more foundational healing, rather than following the 'massive release' model. In that way it is more similar to Hendricks' "Radiance Breathwork" (TM) than to Grof's classical "Holotropic" (TM) work.

Individual Sessions

Currently run at the offices of the School of Transformational Therapy in Carlton.

• An initial 15-20 minutes of grounding and clarifying intent.
• Active breathing typically goes for 40-60 minutes (cam vary as mentioned above).
• At the end quiet integration time is a further 10-15minutes
• Session finishes with 10-15minutes of debriefing and grounding

A total time typically between 90mins and two hours.
Cost is $100 ($80 conc) for a standard session, and $70 for the first introductory session. Bookings of three or more sessions gain further discount.

[I am currently open to doing a limited number of exchanges with other Breathwork practitioners, or bodyworkers.]

Breathwork Groups

A standard group session lasts about three hours. It may start with a Medicine Wheel sharing circle where the participants speak about where they are right now in their lives and about where they want to be. Then normally there will be some grounding embodiment practice, followed by the breathwork itself.

The process is often supported by rhythmic drumming and is held in a ritual frame. Occasionally we also have live didgeridoo. These enhancements assist access of deeper brainwave states in which healing occurs more easily. At the end of the breath-practice will be at least fifteen minutes of still & silent integration time, and then a debrief. Finally there's a significant mutual check-in period. (And spontaneous witnessing and mutual support if anyone needs it.)

As with other aspects of the Evolving Man work, Breathwork is another great opportunity to deepen one's sense of self in the company of others - being real, and supporting each other in simple yet potent ritual space.

If you have not experienced Breathwork at least 2 or 3 times before, please review this page of additional information before applying to attend a group or arrange an individual session.

Contact Arven directly to inquire about individual sessions or to be put onto the Breathwork mailing list:

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