“A brand new idea that’s 2500 years old.” On the one hand, there’s nothing “new” in the current prominence of better breathing seen in the popular media and bestselling books like Breath by James Nestor. On the other hand, science is quantifying common sense and ancient wisdom and encouraging us to take a closer look at the broad importance of this vital function.
What Basically Does It Look Like?
Breath work is education, instruction and coaching to help you breathe better and enjoy all the benefits that go along with it. Straddling pragmatic breath science and yoga pranayama, “Better Breathing” minimizes the esoteric concepts, emphasizes facts and established studies, to offer a tiered approach to improving this core element of your being. The foundation is to help you understand what is happening when you breathe, and then building on that with different techniques you can try trial to determine what is most useful to you and your life situation. You will have more tools in your toolbox that you can now consciously decide to pick up and use when and where they are most useful to you. More detail can be found in experience descriptions.
Where Does It Take Place?
Breath work is done in a large yurt, with panoramic windows to the forest and transparent dome for sky-gazing, you will feel like you are nestled organically into the woodlands. It’s a peaceful place & space to be focusing on your breath, and thousands of trees put out a lot of oxygen!
Why Can It Be Beneficial?
Much like a race car driver knows all the mechanical ins and outs of their machine to maximize performance and control, understanding how breathing works can lead to improved health and well-being. Employing conscious effort to alter breathing can affect oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, which in turn can affect stress response specifically and overall health broadly. Some practices like resonant breathing (essentially slower breathing) are particularly restorative and have been shown to have effects similar to meditation.
Who Delivers This Service?
Neil Baldwin has studied the physiology of breathing as part of 200-hour yoga teacher training, done breathing-related online Yoga International courses, and has completed the Advanced Pranayama & Physiology of Breath Teacher Training through Awakened Spirit Yoga School. Read full bio.
How Can I Access This Service?
Better Breathing, at the Introductory or Extension level, is one of over a dozen experiences you may select from for your Personal Day Retreat. It is also available as an add-on for airbnb guests staying on-site. It is not otherwise available as a standalone service.
Soul Trail 