Somatic Breathwork

Somatic Breathwork is a mind-body technique.

In many ways, it’s the opposite of talk therapy.

Talk therapy uses the front/top portion of the brain (the “thinking and figuring out” part). It’s also known as the prefrontal cortex, responsible for judgment, inhibition, and decision-making.

But Somatic Breathwork gains access to a much deeper part of your brain (the amygdala) – the part concerning itself with safety, fear, anger, and sadness. It’s the part of your brain responsible for engaging your nervous system in the “fight or flight” response we mount in an emergency. It’s also where we store trauma and unresolved issues. The amygdala remembers… even when you don’t.

Much of why you’re coming to therapy originates in this deeper part of your brain.

A quick note about its origins…

Somatic Breathwork is derived from the Holotropic Breathwork developed by psychiatrist Stanislov Grof. His early work used psychedelics to treat mental illness back in the 1960s. When the FDA outlawed those drugs, he developed Holotropic Breathwork to access similar states of consciousness.

Holotropic Breathwork involves continuous breathing for hours to take you deep into the mind. You can have a sitter with you, but that person isn’t directing you. It’s like a trip on a drug that reveals truths about yourself that you’ve never seen before. It’s fascinating. It’s provocative. It can be therapeutic for some, but it isn’t therapy.

Somatic Breathwork is a version of that technique, only it’s less intense and, in my view, more effective.

Here’s what it looks like…

After we get to know each other, I will instruct you on how to lie down and breathe so that your prefrontal cortex (the part that keeps everything hidden away from you) relaxes. This is how we’ll access the deep part of your brain.

The breathing is easy but does take time (5-15 minutes or longer). It’s an active breath that does require your attention and effort. So, the breath isn’t meant to relax or distract as some breathwork does. It doesn’t improve your lung health or capacity. The breath is like an active exercise.

What happens when you breathe this way?

As you breathe, you’ll experience a clue about what your mind wants to process. Sometimes, it’s specific; sometimes, it’s vague.

It could be a sensation in your body, an emotion, or even a direct memory from your past. For example, you may feel a burning in your throat, pressure on your feet, and a flush in your cheeks. Or, perhaps, you feel a wave of nervousness or a hint of jealousy. Or, a small image of your elementary school’s playground or an argument with a sibling will play across your mind. The possibilities are endless, and there are no “right” answers.

As you breathe, let me know about any experiences you have like these, and I will ask some questions to figure out where to go.

I might ask:

What does that burning in your throat remind you of?

When did you feel jealousy like that?

Who else is on the playground with you?

When I step in, I’m the passenger in the front seat of your car, telling you where to turn and where to stop. But you are in control. It’s your story… your truth. I remind you to “stay in the feelings” and “drop the story.” I ask questions to understand the context. I remind you to tune in to your body and obey it.

We’ll spend the full session working through whatever comes up.

This is the time to cry.

It’s a time to get angry.

This is where you can FEEL whatever emotions you’ve been pushing away.

It might take a few sessions before you can fully let go, but the more you can let go, the better it feels.

With Somatic Breathwork, you won’t feel out of control or run by your nervous system as you probably did when the event of concern actually happened in your life. It’s more like a taste or flavor of it. It’s enough to see where the pain is and work through it, so you never have to feel it again.

I want to be totally honest…

With Somatic Breathwork, you get straight to the issues that have brought you to therapy. That means that the work is hard.

But it’s also rewarding. In fact, it might be some of the most rewarding work you do in your life.

Let me be there beside you as you do it.

Call me today for a free consultation. Let’s talk about how I can help: (805) 836-0975.