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By Stuart Altschular: Before I moved to Los Angeles in 1986, I had an
experience that changed my life profoundly. My closest
friend introduced me to a technique called Conscious
Breathing (also known as Rebirthing). As a
Psychotherapist, I knew that I had discovered a gift to
offer my clients that has since saved many of them much
time and money. It has altered my own life experience
tremendously.
I know that the title of this article sounds like a "no
brainer", but most people do not breathe enough
throughout the day to sufficiently support the needs of
their own body. Notice, right now, your own breath. Is
it shallow or undetectable? Do you breathe like this all
day? Maybe you have been holding your breath completely,
and do this often, throughout the day. Many people do
this and never realize that they are denying themselves
the very force that keeps our body, mind and spirit
balanced. The oxygen is our life force. The more fully
you breathe, the more fully you can live and function
effectively.
Rebirthing is a simple technique that involves a full,
continuous, gentle breath that connects the inhale with
the exhale over the course of about an hour. This
process is different from hyperventilation. During this
experience, you are actually breathing in an abundance
of oxygen, or "life affirming energy". As you oxygenate
your entire system, this high level of "life-affirming
energy" is circulating to every cell of your being. All
of us have stored in our cellular, or subconscious,
memory every thought, experience and emotion we have
ever had. These things do not just disappear. Much of
what we have stored is not particularly life affirming.
We have been programmed with negative thoughts and
beliefs about ourselves,
relationships or the world. We have all experienced
traumas and still live our lives based on the fears or
anger that many of these experiences have left in our
subconscious.
Conscious breathing, simply put, uses the increased
level of life affirming energy (oxygen) to detoxify our
mind and body of the emotions, thoughts, and memories
that interfere with our natural, if unfamiliar,
inclination to live fully and with joy and passion. It
clears the mind and body to function more in peace and
confidence and allows access to our natural creative
talents. During a session of this breathwork, some
clients have amazing cathartic releases and others have
more of a meditative and quiet experience. Still others
resist and struggle throughout the session, as if to
express how they resist and struggle throughout their
life. Everyone has his or her own personal experience
and it is never the same twice.
Professionally, I am one of very few licensed
psychotherapists who have been trained as a Rebirther.
To some colleagues, this is too unconventional. To
others, it threatens their livelihood since this tends
to move clients through their issues faster. My
philosophy, as a Psychotherapist, is that the whole
purpose of therapy, is the get out of therapy. The goal
is to learn how to live one's life integrating the
communication between body, mind and spirit so that our
heart and our head are equal partners in helping us live
our life.
I do not mean to imply that this is a cure-all or some
magical solution. Too many of us are looking for some
pill that will fix us without having to take an honest
look at ourselves. Many avoid therapy for fear of the
emotions or memories that will be recalled. The only way
past our pains is to go through them. This can take
years but it doesn't have to. I even have colleagues,
who have experienced Rebirthing, who often suggest that
their client do some sessions with me to help them get
past a block or get to some important material faster.
It makes the therapy with that clinet accelerate
sometimes.
It is important that you realize that a therapist is
also human. I know that I make mistakes and do not
always live up to the principles that I teach so
effectively. Rebirthing, using my breath, often helps me
get back on track, forgive myself faster, and move into
solution. That is, when I CHOOSE to use it. There are
many effective tools that will help you grow and heal.
If you know you in need of help, ask. Trust that you
will find the right tool, teacher, therapist, or friend.
Just open your eyes and open your mind to something new,
especially if the old efforts haven't worked. TAKE A
BREATH!
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