I recently came across a comment online that said "nervous system regulation is just new-age bullshit." As both a nurse and a breathwork business owner it got my back up and it got me thinking about how much we underestimate the power of our own breath and our ability to influence our body.

The truth is, our breath and our bodies are deeply connected. It's not just about staying alive; it's about how we feel, think, and experience the world. Our breath is a mirror reflecting our inner state, and it's also a bridge connecting our mind and body.

Most of my adult life was spent drinking and using drugs, not knowing how else to deal with my thoughts and feelings. The drinking and drug use got worse after my partner left in 2016. A prolonged period of bullying at work also contributed to a breakdown in 2017. I was convinced that I couldn't be helped and even said to my brother once “no one can help me Johnny, I'm too far gone”. I felt I was left with two simple choices; take my own life or ask for help. I asked for help and that was the beginning of my healing and getting to know myself, and who I really am.

Neuroception, an idea rooted in Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory, offers a framework for understanding how our nervous system unconsciously assesses safety and threat in our environment, shaping our physiological and behavioural responses. The interplay between our nervous system and our perception of the world has huge implications for how we experience the world and how we respond to breathwork practices.

Breathwork classes and workshops seem to be popping up everywhere lately. From trendy city studios to peaceful online retreats, it feels like everyone's talking about the power of conscious breathing. And with this newfound popularity come some pretty big promises – less stress, healed trauma, even a deeper spiritual connection. It's exciting to see breathwork getting attention, but it's important to be realistic too. Some of these claims might be a little too good to be true, and it can be hard to know what to believe, especially when you are first starting off.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Jennifer Kitzman

For the past several months, I have been toggling between two roles: student and teacher. I have been a student in a year long Breathwork Facilitator training program and at the same time, I have been a Teacher Trainer for S Factor, a feminine movement practice I have been involved with for over ten years.

Your first breathwork retreat is an exciting opportunity for profound self-discovery and healing. It's a chance to connect with the power of your own breath, release what no longer serves you, and step into your full potential. We understand that stepping into a new experience can bring up a mix of emotions. That's perfectly natural. This guide is here to gently support you, offering practical tips and insights to help you prepare so you can fully embrace the transformative journey ahead.

In the quest for optimal performance, athletes and fitness enthusiasts are constantly seeking innovative ways to push their limits and achieve their goals. While traditional training methods focus on physical strength and endurance, a growing body of evidence suggests that the key to unlocking peak performance may lie in a more subtle yet powerful tool: our breath.

Breathwork, the practice of conscious breathing, has been used for centuries in various traditions to enhance well-being and promote physical and mental performance. Today, a new wave of breathwork techniques, rooted in science and ancient wisdom, is revolutionizing the way we approach training and competition.

Listen to someone breathing. That's the sound of a human being doing something extraordinary. Not scaling a mountain or composing a symphony, but simply breathing. It's a primal act, one we perform thousands of times a day without even thinking about it.

And yet, science is beginning to reveal that this seemingly mundane act holds profound implications for our physical and mental well-being. Researchers are uncovering a fascinating connection between our breath, our brains, and our ability to navigate the complex landscape of human emotions.

The latest findings actually suggest that the key to unlocking the full potential of breathwork might not lie in striving for some idealized state of zen. It might, in fact, reside in something far more radical: the simple act of accepting ourselves, flaws and all, right here, right now.

It sounds counterintuitive. In a world that bombards us with messages about self-improvement and constant striving, the idea of accepting ourselves as we are can feel like giving up.