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Breathwork refers to techniques that intentionally channel and focus on the breath (Prana = energy) as foundation to shift our state of being. For thousands of years, Eastern medicine practices, including Ayurveda and traditional Chinese Medicine, have employed breathing techniques to calm the body and the mind.
Breathwork is currently one of the main stress management techniques in the world, it helps calm you down and move your body and mind out of survival mode. Opposite to “Up-Down” Therapy (psychological therapy, talking therapy, coaching, mindset therapy…); Breathwork is consider Down-Up therapy. Breathwork works directly with the nervous system and after the practice we have time to intentionally journal and give ourselves time to process and fully integrate the process.
When we focus on working with our breath, we are sending signals to our physiology that cause a rebooting of the Nervous System; thus if there is an unresolved remaining trauma keeping us in a fight, flight, freeze or fawn nervous system state, we can experience somatic releases that act as cleansing balms. Once that memory load is released from the physical body, like a weight that has been dropped off, we might experience a lighter state of being, more freedom (from past experiences, unhealthy patterns and anxiety) to make decisions consciously and more awareness of the present moment.
Benefits: reduces stress, improves mood, brings balance and sense of peace, strengthens connection with SOMA, calms and reboots the nervous system, may improve the opportunity for the creation of new patterns of behavior.
Sound healing therapy is an ancient practice that harnesses the power of sound vibrations to promote healing and relaxation. Research shows us that sound waves have vibrations that affect us on a neurological, physiological, and biochemical level; it can slow down our brain waves and put our bodies in a very relaxed, dreamlike state. Sound vibrations have a pretty powerful effect on our minds and bodies. It may also be able to help with certain physical and mental health conditions. Sound healing is an invitation into a deeper state of consciousness, where you unplug from external stimuli and focus on what’s going on within you.
A sound healing session involves lying down in a cozy and comfortable setting, closing our eyes, and allowing the body to relax while experiencing higher frequency sounds made by carefully crafted musical instruments like wind chimes, different types of singing bowls, drums and tuning forks. It's a deeply immersive, full-body listening experience that uses sound and mindfulness techniques to invite gentle yet powerful therapeutic and restorative processes to the mind and body.
Benefits: reduces stress, improves emotional state, balance and sense of peace, strengthens connection with self, calms and soothes at cellular level.
Recommendation: It goes perfectly well combined with a Yin Yoga practice.
Yin Yoga
While “yang” yoga focuses on your muscles, yin yoga targets your deep connective tissues, like your fascia, ligaments, and joints. It’s slower and more meditative, giving you space to turn inward and tune into both your mind and the physical sensations of your body. Because you’re holding poses for a longer period of time, yin yoga helps you stretch and lengthen those rarely-used tissues while also teaching you how to breathe through discomfort and sit with your thoughts.
The practice of yin yoga is based on ancient Chinese philosophies and Taoist principles which believe there are pathways of Qi (energy) that run through our bodies. By stretching and deepening into poses, we’re opening up any blockages and releasing that energy to flow freely.
Benefits: Lengthens connective tissue, increases flexibility, boosts circulation, reduces stress levels
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is one of the most popular styles of Yoga. It’s a Yoga practice that links together physical poses with breathing, as well as a slower, more alignment-focused practice. Because Hatha tends to be a slower form of yoga with a greater emphasis on pose instruction (versus simply performing them), it's a great style of Yoga for beginner students.
Benefits: reduces anxiety, improves balance, promotes presence in the now moment, alignment and endurance.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa Yoga is said to stand in opposition to Hatha, Hatha classes focus on one pose at a time, with rest in between. In contrast, flow classes string poses together to make a sequence. In vinyasa yoga, each movement is synchronized with a breath. The breath is given primacy, acting as an anchor as you move from one pose to the next. The literal translation of vinyasa from Sanskrit is "connection”, connection in this case from movement and breath, as well as connection from one pose to the next.
Benefits: reduces anxiety, activates the natural physical flow, improves balance, alignment and endurance.
Power Yoga
Power yoga, for example, is designed specifically to improve muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance. The poses are challenging, and you move from one pose to the next quickly. Power Yoga power yoga is a form of Vinyasa, which has its roots in Ashtanga yoga; its mainly focus is on strength and avoiding injuries.
Benefits: reduces stress, strengthens muscle tissue, improves balance, proper alignment and physical endurance, helps with detoxing the body (sweating).
Breathwork Yoga
This Kundalini inspired Breathwork Yoga is a series of repetitive movements (Asana) together with a specific breath (Prana) patterns and sounds (Mantras) that when practiced in a specific order and with a specific intention it becomes a “completed action” or Kriya.
A Kriya is said to aid in cleansing, activating and balancing the energy channels of the body. This is believed to allow the proper flow of energy to happen again, in areas where it might have been stuck; and this proper energy flow is said to promote health, lightness of being and enlightenment.
Benefits: reduces stress, improves emotional management, balance and sense of peace, strengthens muscle tissue, proper alignment, better breathing health and physical endurance, helps with detoxing the body and energy channels.
At age 20, Andrea found herself in a Yoga class and her life started to shift positively. Since then she has adopted these practices as her daily recharging method, which has helped her deeply in the path of healing from challenging life experiences.
Andrea, has been a Yoga student for over sixteen years and a certified Yoga instructor for eight years and counting. She has continued her studies with renown teachers, and has recently (2023) become a Breathwork & Somatic Release practitioner.
She is driven with groundedness, curiosity and outmost respect towards creating safe spaces for her students to have the opportunity to find peace and balance in their SOMA (mind-body-soul) with harmony and honesty in their thoughts, words, feelings and actions.
She strongly believes that we may grow greatly on our own, but we grow better hand in hand with our supporting community.
She also believes we all have a roll to play in sharing wisdom and anchoring peace in this world, and we can all do that by cultivating compassion and humanity as foundations, while living in loving harmony within ourselves, our community and our planet.
It fills her up with joy and gratitude to share this practices with her students; and her biggest gift is to see her students and clients finding their peace, their harmonious selves and their full authentic expression.
“It is a blessing to be a part of this world in this day and age, because I know in my heart that we have what it takes to help ourselves and support each other; and if we can do something nourishing everyday for our self-development, we have a chance in making this world a better place.” Andrea.