THE QUICKEST WAY TO YOUR INNER KNOWING

Prāṇa is the Sanskrit word for breath. Masters of ancient India used prana practices to become limitless 5,000 years ago. The wonderful Wim Hof (aka ICE MAN!) made breathwork popular in our time. (learn more about Wim Hof below) It boils down to this…if you learn how to control your breath…you will eventually master your mind and integrate your mental, emotional and physical bodies.

Another master of breathwork is Master Mantak Chia from the Tao Gardens of Thailand. Mantak Chia breaks prana down here.

Breathwork is hands down the most helpful tool I have come across in my 20 years of inward adventures. It is the very first thing I teach people, because I want them to have access to a method that will be like their best friend when their physical best friend isn’t around. I want them to have that liberating feeling of knowing they have everything they need inside of them. I devoted my life to sharing this tool with as many people as I can because it’s the fastest way I have witnessed people transform their pain and suffering.

There is no one that knows you better than the observer within. This inner friend has been with you from your first breath and will be with you for your last breath. It is your true north…your center…the gateway to wholeness. Breathwork is the fastest way to establish that deep connection to your inner-friend.

”Inner-friend” is a whole world in and of itself. She/he/it knows everything about you and loves you unconditionally.  They know when you are fooling yourself; when you are are going against your true nature; when you are rockin your authenticity beyond the beyond; and when you are on point with your purpose.

No one will ever give you better advice than your true north because they can see the bigger picture of your soul’s evolution. Their main mission is to help your soul evolve during this incarnation. So developing a relationship with inner-friend as soon as possible is very advantageous for your training as the love warrior that you are!

Everyone comes across challenging or dark times in their life… Breathwork is an incredibly valuable tool to transform those challenging moments into soul growth opportunities.  Make no mistake, you are taking the road less traveled when you do the “inner work.”  You will most likely have cathartic ups and downs on the journey to your delicious center; so prepare yourself with a daily solid breathwork practice! I recommend a 15 minute breathwork practice 2-3 times a day for those with intense PTSD or chronic illness.

ARE YOU READY TO HEAL
AT THE ROOT LEVEL
WITH BREATHWORK?

WIM HOF :: ICE MAN

This dutch man is Wim Hof aka Ice Man is a hero of ours! His breath method has helped many! He’s got a heart of gold and 26 official Guinness World Records! Learn more below!

”We don’t need 20 years of cave training to understand the purpose of life and be happy. Breathing techniques are accessible, effective and scientifically proven to give us the power to own our own minds and understand our soul. This is a transformational technique that will change mental health care! " -Wim Hof

BREATHWORK FOR
ALL THE SEASONS OF LIFE 

Below you will find 3 popular types of breathwork methods available in the world. It seems as though there is a new breathwork style being born every year.  I love trying them all because each of them have taught me something new about myself. I use different breath methods for different situations that arise in my life. When I work with clients I tend to use hacks and methods of each of these styles depending on the needs of the person I’m working with. I call my style, Sacred Breath.

1.) SHAMANIC BREATHWORK

We use Shamanic Breathwork for students when they need to tap into their warrior spirit. We experience this form of breath fusion to allow people to go way outside the mind, and get present with the bigger picture of their hearts. You will loose all concept of time and space and get deeply in touch with the core of your being.  So many of our students have reported that they felt God, or an ancestor who came to them during a 45 minute Shamanic Breathwork class.

Many cry or release unresolved anger.  This method is incredible at allowing the honesty of your emotional body to surface and be processed.  Shamanic Breathwork reminds me of the powerful feeling I get when I’m around epic grandmothers that have “done the work.”   You don’t fully understand how they work their magic…but it’s powerful and comes on with a bang!

This method is great for divorces/seperations, a loss of a loved one, PMS, PTSD and big life changes.
  Here is a short video about Shamanic Breathwork and their official website. 

2.) THE WIM HOF METHOD

We use the Wim Hof Method for clients that prefer a more masculine-linear approach using time/watches. It’s a very methodical and scientific style that is great for a consistent daily 15 minute practice to keep your emotional integration on point. Wim Hof is one of my personal heroes, and one of the most beautiful souls I’ve ever heard speak! Let’s geek out for a moment on the mind bending things that this man has shown humanity is possible:  Wim Hoff aka Ice Man is a 60 year old Dutchman that is known for being able to withstand extreme cold which he attributes to his breathing techniques and cold plunging.  Wim’s says that the techniques he uses are all from the great teachings he has gleaned from Mother Nature.  

Wim holds 26 official Guinness World Records! What a rock star!He climbed 22,000 feet up Mount Everest wearing shorts and shoes! Without training and only wearing a pair of shorts, he ran a full marathon in the Arctic Circle in temperatures close to -20 C. He broke his own cold endurance record in 2011, remaining submerged neck-deep in an ice bath for 112 Minutes.He completed another marathon without training in the Namibian desert in temperatures of up to 104 Fahrenheit without drinking a drop of water. Scientists injected him with E Coli and he used his breath techniques to get rid of it immediately!

Wim started engaging with different breathing techniques and meditation  after his wife took her own life in 1995. Now he’s using his achievements and records as a platform to prove, with scientific  backing, that his method of breathing can be used by anyone to eradicate depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), amongst other things.

“We don’t need 20 years of cave training to understand the purpose of life and be happy. Breathing techniques are accessible, effective and scientifically proven to give us the power to own our own minds and understand our soul. This is a transformational technique that will change mental health care!”  -Wim Hof

Partial Sourcing from here.  Check out Wim’s Ecoli Experiment here
Here is Wim Hof’s official website, and here is Wim’s Breath tutorial.
One of my favorite podcastors (Aubrey Marcus) did a show with Wim Hof that is fantastic… here it is!

Research & Scientific Proof of the Power of Breathwork and Conscious Awareness: Article Published about Wim Hof in “Neuroimage” called Brain over Body.  A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure.

3.) NADI SHODHANA BREATHWORK

We can hold deep reverence for the brilliant & wise yogis that were the originators of breathwork! Pranayama in sanskrit means breath control.  Nadi Shodhana is a 5000 year old yoga science of ancient India which is still practiced today.

This kind of breathwork balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain.  The Love Warriors use this breath method for a calming journey into our heart space.

In relationships, it’s great to use this method before talking about matters of the heart; especially if you have been left brain dominate at work all day.  It’s amazing what 10 minutes of Nadi Shodhana breathing can do for your communications skills.

I like to start my day with this style of breathwork. Every morning, before I meditate, I do Nadi Shodhana for about 3 minutes in order to go deeper into a mindful state before I sit still.  Great tool to develop focus!

Here is an example video of Nadi Shodhana.

BREATH LOCKS / BREATH RETENTION

Sacred 60 utilizes most of these breathing techniques in our personalized breathwork programs.   Most of them involve breath retention on both the inhale and the exhale.  (Also known as breath locks) The following is some helpful information about breath locks that you can utilize with your Sacred 60 Breathwork Programs.

BENEFITS OF BREATH RETENTION

1.) Less Oxidative Damage
When you practice breath retention you increase your ability to hold your breath for progressively longer periods of time, which makes you more  efficient at using oxygen and less at risk of oxidative damage.  Makes you look younger too!  Breath Retention is also known as Rechaka Pranayama.

2.) Stem Cell Circulation
The longer you can hold your breath, the deeper into hypoxia you will go and the more chance you will have for stem cells to move around your body.  (which also makes you look younger)  Hypoxia therapy is exposing people to brief periods of low oxygen. 
 Which was originated 5000 years ago in India.

3.) Be Able to Generate More Heat
Intermittent hypoxia has a magical effect of creating heat in the body.  This means you can stay longer in your daily ice bath or cold plunge shower.  Cold plunges help your muscles & joints by limiting your inflammation, and boosting your immune system.   When you mix cold plunges and breathwork you are creating a positive stress response; which leads to the production of feel good endorphins and hormones like adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin.  Having controlled positive stress responses through hyperoxygenation, breath retention, cold exposure and an aerobic exercise leads to adaptive changes in the brain and body.  Becoming highly adaptive in a world of constant change is a very smart idea!   Inspired from here.

HACKS FOR BREATH RETENTION

1.) Breath Out Fully
Make sure to not breathe any air back into your lungs when you are practicing the breath retention portion. You may even pinch your nose during the breath retention.  Make sure you have completely breathed out all the air from your lungs by making a hissing sound at the end of your full exhalation to completely “deflate the balloon.” (Otherwise you will not experience the full benefits of intermittent hypoxia.)

2.) Be Patient and Persistent
You are slowly and organically preparing your whole body to become very efficient at using oxygen. It takes time.  Be patient with yourself as you build up your retention times. Inspired from here.

INHALATION RETENTION + BENEFITS

Inhalation Retention is the process of taking one big inhalation and holding it for 10-20 seconds and then release it.  This is known in the Wim Hof method as the, recovery breath that resets you back to normoxia.  (normal oxygen state)   The retention on the inhalation creates an extra powerful surge of fresh O2 that rushes into your tissues, cells, and especially into the brain!  Partial sourcing from here.

WIM HOF QUOTES

FROM THE AUBREY MARCUS PODCAST

For the full podcast click here.

”New Science Shows us that we have the ability to tap into the core of our brain’s operating system!  We are not built to have a subconscious for the rest of our lives.  First, we learn to walk and neurologically connect within our brain and then we learn speech.  Then, we learn about time and space. Next, we learn about timelessness and spirituality.  Then we learn that the subconscious mind is just a phase of our lives."

”The subconscious is a temporary state that we can learn to transcend and then integrate and unify the entirety of our being from spirit to body through the brain …and unify all of that….. to be in control.”

”We don’t need 20 years of cave training to understand the purpose of life and be happy. Breathing techniques are accessible, effective and scientifically proven to give us the power to own our own minds and understand our soul. This is a transformational technique that will change mental health care! "

”We now know how to tackle the terrorists of humanity. (Depression, BiPolar, Anxiety, Fear, Trauma, PTSD).

All of these mental disorders are mainly created by hormonal imbalances, inflammation, and neurotransmitter imbalances.”  

”These breathing techniques bring the inflammation down and re-balance the serotonin and dopamine levels…which means you become happy at will or in short
 “Get High on Your Own Supply”.

Wim Hof often speaks about the Periaqueductal Gray Hemisphere aka PAG aka the deepest part of the brain.   The Periaqueductal Grey Hemisphere is the place where all the good hormones, opiates, and cannabinoids are being activated!

”When we practice breathwork daily, we are strongly activating the PAG part of the brain.  As we release endogenous opiates/cannabinoids that mediate decreased sensitivity to cold exposure and promote a feeling of euphoria and well-being, we allow the ourselves to assert a higher level of control over key components of the brain’s autonomous system.”