Origins and evolution of the breath
Conscious circular breathing: history and differences
Conscious circular breathing was brought to the West by Leonard Orr in the 1970s. Since then, many variations of what he called Rebirthing have emerged. Rebirthing means being born again, and it is a fact that conscious breathing, whatever the technique, brings about a rebirth in those who practise it. The breath takes us deep into the part of us called the unconscious, where traumas, unresolved issues and cultural and family conditioning are stored, and brings them to light to be dissolved and understood, allowing us to be reborn free to express our true nature.
Other approaches
Around the same time, Stanislav Grof, a Czechoslovak psychiatrist who settled in the United States and co-founded Transpersonal Psychology, used circular breathing and called it Holotropic. He too recognised the great power of the breath to bring up and release what we have relegated to the unconscious, and the deep states of consciousness it can evoke.
Another technique based on circular breathing is Vivation by Jim Leonard, who built the whole method around the breath with its five elements. Transformational Breath by Judith Kravitz was inspired by Rebirthing, Holotropic Breathwork and Vivation, adding the connection between body and breath through touch, sound and movement.
Breath & Body Wisdom®
Breath & Body Wisdom draws inspiration from all these approaches, but becomes aware of the deep wisdom of the body, including the segments of Wilhelm Reich’s work, movement, breath and the use of healing sounds.
It contains everything the other techniques have brought, yet offers something new: the way of breathing itself. It places the emphasis on the body through abdominal breathing, with a long, deep inhalation and a short, relaxed exhalation.
Why the breath starts from the belly
Other techniques do not specify how the circular breath should be. Speed and the absence of pauses often lead people to breathe mainly into the chest: this way abdominal breathing, so natural in children, is lost, and with it the contact with our grounding and our most authentic self.
Fast, high breathing can more easily lead to altered states of consciousness, but without them being well grounded in our being. The breath should start from the belly and then rise into the chest, while staying connected to the belly, where life began through the navel. A cycle with a long, deep inhalation and a short, relaxed exhalation also helps to avoid respiratory alkalosis, staying closer to the most physiological and spontaneous breath.