214 Breathwork the human place within it, with significant methodological tices. In all these cases, skillful exercises serve innovations. to awaken interior levels of conscious awareness in the Of course while the dominant themes of the Brazilian practitioner, and some practices activate powerful healing context – both the social and the environmental – shape to energies in the psyche. a considerable extent the theological reflection on the In contemporary Western culture, was environment, the larger context also shapes this reflection. perhaps the first to recognize the power of breathwork Thus the importance of human care for the natural world practices, and his clinical work revealed that psycho- as care for God’s creation, often expressed by the Pope, logical defenses and physiological tensions are often and the environmental interests of other parts of the closely associated with restricted breathing. Since Reich’s Catholic Church from contexts beyond Brazil may play a pioneering work, breathwork has emerged in a variety of role in shaping Brazilian Catholic environmental thought. contemporary forms. Numerous professional associations A similar role is played by Brazilian participation in the have been formed to promote and facilitate various forms larger arena of international Christian theological con- of breathwork, including the Association for Holotropic versations, as well as interaction with secular thought and Breathwork and the International Breathwork Foundation. participation in secular social movements. Over the past two decades, breathwork has experienced growing application in ecological circles. Australian rain- Heidi Hadsell forest activist John Seed began utilizing breathwork in his retreat programs for activists in the early 1990s. The Further Reading Satyana Institute in Colorado has introduced breathwork Boff, Leonardo. Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor. Mary- to environmental activists in many regions throughout knoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1997. the United States, holding annual breathwork programs Boff, Leonardo. Ecology & Liberation: A New Paradigm. for environmental leaders in Colorado and Idaho. As Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1995. one environmental leader Matt Baker characterized his Gebara, Ivone. Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Poor. breathwork experience, “it allowed me to let go of pre- Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1989. conceptions, to root myself, and to experience deeply who See also: Amazonia; Ananda Marga’s Tantric Neo- I am” (Baker 2001: 3). William Blake once observed that Humanism; Boff, Leonardo; Christianity (6a) – Roman “The tree, which moves some to tears of joy, is in the eyes Catholicism; Christianity(7c) – Liberation Theology; of others only a green thing which stands in the way” Gebara, Ivone; Rainforests (Central and South America); (1906: 259). The latter perspective is epitomized in a Rubber Tappers. timber executive’s remark that trees are nothing but stumps with stacks of money on top. Breathwork and similar transpersonal or shamanistic practices have an P Breathwork uncanny power to transform such mechanistic of nature, and awaken in the breather a lived experience of The term “breathwork” refers to a broad array of practices the sacred mystery that inheres in every life form. In and exercises that work specifically with the process of breathwork, trees are frequently experienced as Blake respiration. Practical techniques to intensify, control, or perceived them: a living embodiment of the unperturbed, withhold the breath have been utilized for centuries in centered, timeless of life itself, far beyond many cultures to awaken deeper levels of consciousness the turmoil of the world. and spiritual awareness. Although breathwork has tradi- Readers unfamiliar with breathwork may understand- tionally been practiced in a spiritual, religious, or thera- ably find it difficult to imagine that merely working with peutic context, it has a strong capacity to awaken insights something as seemingly simple and ordinary as the breath and awareness about nature, the Earth, and the mysteries could have much effect. Yet breathing practices are power- of life itself. Hence, applications of breathwork are rapidly ful methods for awakening deeper dimensions of con- growing in ecological contexts. sciousness and awareness, which is why they have been Breathwork has a vast history in religious practice. employed extensively in spiritual traditions. In the words Nearly every spiritual and religious tradition around the of psychiatrist , “Unless one has witnessed globe has utilized breathing exercises in one form or or experienced this process personally, it is difficult another. Examples of traditions that emphasize breathing to believe on theoretical grounds alone the power and practices include Kundalini and Siddha Yoga efficacy of this technique” (Grof 1988: 171). (bastrika), Raja Yoga and Kriya Yoga (pranayama), Breath is intricately fundamental to life, and thus to Tibetan Vajrayana , Sufism, Burmese Buddhism work with breath is to work with the intimate spirit and (tummo), and Daoism. More subtle forms of breathing mystery of life itself. In many languages this is reflected disciplines are also found in Theravadan Buddhism etymologically, where the word for “breath” and “spirit” (vipassana), , and certain Daoist and Christian prac- are the same, or have the identical root. Prana in Sanskrit Breathwork 215 means both spirit and the of breath. Pneuma in Two principles are of central importance in Holotropic ancient Greek has the same double meaning, as does ruach Breathwork. First, there is no “correct” or prescribed in Hebrew. The Latin spiritus also meant both breath and experience that breathers are supposed to undergo. The spirit, and has come down to us in English as the root of innate wisdom of each individual is recognized as the spirit and respiration. authority or guide for the breathwork session, so that each participant’s inner process is honored and supported in Western Breathwork: Holotropic Breathwork its natural unfolding as non-directively as possible. The Perhaps the most clinically developed and tested mode of second principle is that emotional and physical expression breathwork in the West today is known as Holotropic is encouraged during the breathwork session, including Breathwork, developed by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof and the release of painful or negative emotions that normally his wife Christina. The Grofs and their colleagues experi- might be repressed or avoided. A sense of spontaneous mented for several years at in California psychological and/or physical healing often occurs natu- with many different kinds of breathing practices – drawn rally as a consequence of full experience of such emotions from ancient spiritual traditions as well as contemporary or unconscious material that had been previously blocked. psychology. From this foundation, the Grofs developed the After breath sessions, people often report a sense of Holotropic methodology, and they have trained hundreds expanded awareness, fresh insights, an open heart, and of practitioners around the world. The term “holotropic” renewed creative energy. means moving toward wholeness or totality of experience (derived from the Greek holos, “whole,” and trepein, “to Breathwork Experiences move toward”). Participants’ experiences in breathwork are often quite The Holotropic technique combines sustained rhythmic vivid and psychologically impacting, spanning a broad breathing with evocative music and focused bodywork. spectrum of personal, psychological, archetypal, spiritual, The practice typically activates an “inner journey” in the and mystical dimensions. These experiences may include breather, a form of introspective exploration in which unresolved personal issues, past traumatic physical or breathers become aware of deeper dimensions of their own emotional experiences, birth memories and experiences, consciousness, often evoking experiences of tremendous death and rebirth sequences, awakening of compassion insight, healing, or psychological or spiritual significance. or ecological consciousness through identification with As usually practiced, Holotropic breathwork is gener- other beings or life forms, and a wide variety of trans- ally done in pairs in a group context, supported by care- personal and mystical experiences that touch mytho- fully selected music. Each “breather” has a designated logical, archetypal, and universal dimensions. “sitter” who gives undivided attention to the breather, and Grof has mapped out a general classification of these provides logistical or emotional support as needed. The diverse experiences into what he calls a “new cartography sitter’s role is crucial, and often proves to be a powerful of the human psyche” (Grof 1988: 1). Breathwork experi- and moving experience in its own right. Trained facilitators ences are grouped into three broad domains of qualitative oversee the process, and provide focused body work and character: biographical, perinatal, and transpersonal other individual interventions when necessary. Breathers lie realms. The biographical realm refers to the breather’s per- on mats with their eyes closed and breathe intensively, and sonal life history, the perinatal realm refers to experiences the sessions generally last between two and three hours. relating to birth and death, and the transpersonal realm Outwardly, the process of breathwork may at first seem relates to experiences that transcend ordinary space, time, to be a deliberate activation of the respiratory syndrome and personal identification, including mythological and known as “hyperventilation.” Yet among the Grofs’ key spiritual experiences. Of particular interest is a whole findings – after conducting intensive breathwork sessions category of experiences relating to ecological conscious- with more than 30,000 people – is that this traditional ness and the natural world. Experiential identification clinical understanding of rapid breathing is fundamentally with animals is not uncommon and can be extremely mistaken. The Grofs conclude, authentic, including direct insights into physiological sensations, instinctual habits and drives, and detailed faster breathing extended for a long period of time of the natural environment from within the changes the chemistry of the organism in such a animal’s perceptual framework. Some of these insights way that blocked physical and emotional energies have been later verified in the research literature by people . . . are released and become available for peripheral who had no prior knowledge of them. Identification discharge and processing . . . It is thus a healing pro- with plants and trees are also common, as well as rivers, cess that should be encouraged and supported, and mountains, oceans, and the Earth itself. not a pathological process that needs to be sup- The rich breadth and depth of breathwork experiences pressed, as it is commonly practiced in mainstream is analogous to what emerges in deep , dream- medicine (Grof 2000: 192). work, and contemplative spiritual disciplines, all of which 216 Breathwork entail non-ordinary states of consciousness. Such experi- The experience of being Mother Earth then changed ences can have a profound potential healing or trans- into actually becoming the planet Earth. There formative effect on consciousness. Grof emphasizes that was no question that I – the Earth – was a living modern Western society is the only culture in the world organism, an intelligent being trying to understand that has held the view that people can transform their myself, struggling to evolve to a higher level of limited consciousness and psychological or spiritual awareness, and attempting to communicate with perspectives by simply thinking about or analyzing them. other cosmic beings. All other cultures – both ancient and contemporary – The metals and minerals constituting the planet recognize that some form of non-ordinary state of con- were my bones, my skeleton. The biosphere – the sciousness is essential to catalyze the development of plant life, animals, and humans – were my flesh. I expanded awareness and authentic spiritual insight. experienced within myself the circulation of water When done in groups, breathwork serves as a powerful from the oceans to the clouds and from there into catalyst for the dynamics of group process, and often little creeks and large rivers and back into the sea. opens the group to deeper shared perceptions of life and The water system was my blood and the meteoro- nature. This happens in several ways. First, breathwork logical changes – the evaporation, air currents, the facilitates deep inner work within each individual, often rainfall, and the snow – ensured its circulation, characterized by new insights or healing experiences. transport of nourishment, and cleansing. The com- Second, the process naturally cultivates a unique form of munication between plants, animals, and humans, bonding and intimacy between the breather and sitter, including modern technology – the press, telephone, which often becomes a powerful dimension of the overall radio, television, and the computer network – were experience. Third, the breathwork process creates a subtle my nervous system, my brain. field of collective presence and “healing energy” in the I felt in my body the injury of the industrial group – often quite palpable – that enables all participants insults of strip mining, urbanization, toxic and in the group to bear compassionate witness to one another radioactive waste, and pollution of air and water. and to the larger context of which they are a part. This The strangest part of the session was that I was intensified bonding experience often extends beyond the aware of rituals among various aboriginal peoples immediate human community to include larger circles of and experienced them as very healing and abso- life, including ancestors, other life forms and ecosystems, lutely vital for myself. It seems somewhat weird and and a palpable sense of interconnection with the Earth and bizarre to me now, when I have returned to my the cosmos. everyday rational thinking, but during my experi- ence it was extremely convincing that doing rituals Breathwork and Nature: Some Examples is important for the Earth (in Grof 1988: 66–7). Three examples are given below to illustrate how breath- work can awaken ecological insights and profound 3) The final example illustrates how breathing experiences of the natural world. practices have the potential to open the heart, and release 1) A scientist had been intensively researching the the practitioner from ordinary consciousness into the vast habitats of elk for an ecological protection campaign, and expanse of mystical or spiritual rapture: attended a retreat where he experienced breathwork for the first time. During his breathing session, he suddenly It felt like I was on a ride as I twisted and turned, experienced himself transformed into an elk. He vividly always pushing forward. I heard the music but did felt himself as a large elk, galloping across a high moun- not feel connected to the group or the room. Then tain meadow amidst a herd of fellow elk. This experience it began to feel like birth. I pushed and pushed – was so uncanny and viscerally compelling, he reported, through this small narrow tunnel, with much effort. that in some real sense he had somehow actually become After what seemed like a long time I finally pushed an elk during that time, and he described feeling “elkness” through this place. And then I just exploded out – as his own very being. In this non-ordinary state of trans- into the most love I have ever felt. I cried and cried personal identification, he had a flood of insights into in love and profound gratitude. It felt very sacred. what elk actually experience living in the wild. Similar Here I relaxed into expansiveness and love. There experiences of identification with animals and plants and was no sense of body, no me. Only love. (This even the entire Earth are widely documented in breath- account of the breathwork experience, as is the first work literature. one, is drawn from the author’s client files.) 2) A woman experienced herself in breathwork as the Great Mother Goddess, Mother Earth, and then from Breathwork provides a profound vehicle for in-depth this shifted into the following experience of planetary exploration of the spectrum of human and ecological consciousness: consciousness. Breathing practices span a vast array of

A sample entry from the

Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature (London & New York: Continuum, 2005)

Edited by

Bron Taylor

© 2005 All Rights Reserved Breeding and Contraception 217 specific techniques that have not been touched upon here. Breeding and Contraception The literature on breathwork is extensive and profound, yet no words can substitute for actual experience, and The natural environment has always set the outer limits readers who wish to experience breathwork are advised to for human fertility. Archeologists and anthropologists seek instruction and guidance from competent practi- who examine Cro-Magnon, Neanderthal and early Neo- tioners. The sages who developed breathwork maintain lithic artifacts suggest that concern for fertility, both in that the deepest secrets of breathing practice can never be animals and plants as well as in humans themselves, was conveyed in words or concepts. As the Indian mystical central to early human religions. Following the agri- poet Kabir muses: cultural revolution, as human settlements became larger and more complex, religions also became more complex, What is God? with rituals and deities connected with a broader range He is the breath inside the breath. of human productive activities. Specific deities were wor- shipped as guardians of human fertility, others as mistress Will Keepin or master of animals, some as the embodiment of natural forces such as storms, rivers and springs, and yet others as Further Reading goddesses and gods of grain and other crops. Virtually all Ambikananda, Saraswati. Breathwork. London: Thorsons, religions until relatively recently in human history have 2001. tended to pronatalism as a result of human insecurity Baker, Matt. “Annual Retreat for Colorado’s Environ- during millennia of fairly substantial fluctuations in mental Leaders.” Satyana Institute Newsletter VI human population levels. Until the modern period, human (Summer/Fall, 2001), 3. population expanded and then contracted in response to Blake, William. Letters of William Blake. A.G. B. Russel, ed. famines, epidemics and wars, increasing only incre- London, 1906. Quoted in E. Underhill. Mysticism. mentally over long periods of time. While some religious Oxford: Oneworld, 1999. cults of the late Neolithic prescribed castration for the Bly, Robert, ed. The Kabir Book: Forty-four Ecstatic Poems priests of some individual deities, pronatalism was the of Kabir. Boston: Beacon Press, 1977, 33. standard for the masses, though of course specific groups Grof, Stanislav. Psychology of the Future. Albany, NY: and families periodically limited fertility to the level of State University of New York Press, 2000. resources available. Grof, Stanislav. LSD Psychotherapy. Alameda, CA: Hunter Evidence for deliberate human control of fertility House, 1995. begins in societies with written records. The most common Grof, Stanislav. The Adventure of Self-Discovery: ancient practice of fertility control around the world was Dimensions of Consciousness and New Perspectives in certainly infanticide. Many local religious traditions Psychotherapy and Inner Exploration. Albany, NY: accepted infanticide, though under circumstances that State University of New York Press, 1988. varied from group to group. Among Vikings, for example, Hendricks, Gay. Conscious Breathing: Breathwork for newborns were formally presented to fathers that they Health, Stress Release, and Personal Mastery. New might decide whether the child would live or die; weak York: Bantam, 1995. or defective children were frequently exposed, and the Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of necessity for their deaths was legitimated in religious Breathing. New York: Crossroad/Herder & Herder, myths. In some societies such as ancient Arabia, female 1995. infanticide was common, both as a way of limiting the Reich, Wilhelm. The Function of the Orgasm: Sex- population of some nomadic bands, and to spare families Economic Problems of Biological Energy. New York: the expense of raising daughters. The story of Onan in the Strauss and Giroux, 1961. Hebrew Torah demonstrates that primitive contraceptive Yogi Ramacharaka. Science of Breath. London: L.N. Fowler practices such as coitus interruptus were used in the and Co., 1995. ancient world. Some parts of the ancient Gnostic move- See also: Art of Living Foundation; Blake, William; ment espoused celibacy in the belief that incarnation, and Council of All Beings; Esalen Institute; Gaia; Harner, materiality itself, corrupted the soul and prevented it from Michael – and the Foundation for Shamanic Studies; New unity with divine energy. Buddhism and, later, Christianity Age; Radical Environmentalism; Re-Earthing; Seed, John; introduced the idea that monastic celibacy, in order to – Neo; ; Yoga and devote one’s self totally to the pursuit of salvation, was Ecology. the most perfect vocation. Neither religion expected all to take up this superior path; for both religions, those who chose the secular path linked to materiality had chosen limited (and in Buddhism, illusory) goods over ultimate good; in both traditions, reproduction and supporting