I recently attended a breath work class at The Sanctuary Yoga and Wellness Studio that blew my mind and resulted in emotional freedom.
The human nervous system is made up of many types of cells but the predominant ones are called neurons. Neurons use chemical and electrical signals to carry information throughout the human body. Most human neurons are clustered in the brain but we also have neurons in our heart and in our gut. In fact there is a new scientific discipline known as neurocardiology which looks at emotional communication between the heart and brain and how that impacts mood. Even cooler is the fact that electrical element of the heart is about 60 times greater than the brain. The gut has been labeled the second brain and contains approximately 100 million neurons which impact the brain and vice versa.
For most of us the brain acts as a gatekeeper and censors input from the heart and the gut. For example, have you ever felt on the verge of tears and had the thought “don’t cry” that stopped your tears from flowing? Or have you had a gut feeling about something or someone that your brain chose to ignore and your gut ended up being right? These are both examples of how our brain can hijack our heart and gut and stop us from doing or experiencing something that may just change our life.
My brain was definitely telling me to bow out of the breath work class, and a deeper gut knowing urged me to go. By listening deeper I ended up in an intimate room with five other women learning how to do conscious, connected, circular breathing. This special breathing technique involves two nasal inhales (diaphragm and chest) and one nasal exhale repeated for 26 minutes. This “new to me” breathing technique occupied my brain so the cells and neurons in my heart and gut could express themselves. And, express they did! I bypassed (or blew) my mind to have the most amazing deep cry followed by somatic experiencing that allowed the “issues in my tissues” to float to the surface and be released. We were also encouraged to let out a coordinated scream which felt really, really liberating. For those who might find this kind of communal emotional expression challenging, know that everyone was wearing an eye mask and the music was loud so we couldn’t hear each other. The instructor was adept at holding safe, sacred space so we all felt comfortable, yet a bit awkward. I don’t remember who was in the room but I do feel connected to them having shared such an intimate experience. Wellness research shows that safely expressing emotions is beneficial for good health. Some of us may chose to express with a therapist, a trusted friend, a journal, or our breath. There are different types of breath work experiences offered at local yoga studios. If you’re interested in letting go of trapped emotion and feeling more peaceful and embodied, gift yourself a breath work experience.
Nicole Hambleton is a wellness coach, meditation, and energy medicine practitioner living in Mulmur. Follow her on Instagram@purpletentwellness.