Saturday, August 16, 2014
During the time I lived in California I did what any good resident of the San Francisco Bay area would do. I attended numerous personal development trainings. Some trainings were weekend workshops. Others were short two hour events offered on a weekday evening. And still others were week-long intensives. Two organizations that proved especially prominent in my personal growth exploration were the Body Electric School of Massage and Lifeforce Education Corporation. I experienced the healing power of breathwork in trainings offered by both organizations.
I also had the immense pleasure of meeting Christian de la Huerta. Christian has made breathwork a central focus of his life's work. Christian is also known for being the author of Coming Out Spiritually. His book was was nominated for a Lambda Award. I enjoyed the opportunity to do breathwork sessions with Christian in both California and Hawaii. He is a talented, compassionate man with a big heart and great vision. If you want to learn more about him check out his website.
My fondest memory of breathwork facilitated under Christian's direction dates from May, 2011. I journeyed to the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i for a breathwork retreat. My fellow breathwork retreat participants and I were hosted at the beautiful Hui Ho'olana. I especially enjoyed the day we made a hike down the steep cliffs on the northern side of the island to the Kalaupapa Peninsula. The peninsula also features the Kalaupapa National Historic Park. Kalaupapa is well known as being the site of a leper colony established after leprosy came to the Hawaiian islands.
It may seem strange that a quarantine location for those afflicted with leprosy would be sited in such a stunningly beautiful place. And yet the island of Moloka'i is both beautiful and extraordinarily isolated. I remember hearing stories about how those stricken with leprosy were often thrown overboard boats and left to swim to the Kalaupapa Peninsula. At least they were quarantined in a place of immense beauty. Some sick people live out their last days with far less beauty beyond their windows.
I am giving something of an exuberant shout out regarding Christian's commitment to breathwork after being reminded of its power this past week. During my session speaking with my therapist we did some hypnosis work in which I engaged in something of a dialogue with my stomach. Despite the fact that each of us are truly unique we nonetheless have some common experiences. One common experience is where we sublimate our stress in our bodies. Like many people, my stomach tends to be my repository for stress. Like the arts of singing and chanting, breathwork done with focus and conscious intention can be profoundly enjoyable and transformative.
If you are actively undertaking a journey of personal healing and are new to the art of breathwork consider doing the following exercise for your waking hours of only one day: Pay attention to your breath. That may sound easy. But by 'pay attention' I mean devote a bit of your mental focus to the quality of your breathing at frequent intervals throughout your day. Pay particular attention to how your breath changes when you change activities, when your mind wanders, when you fantasize about activities you find stressful or pleasurable, when you exercise and so on. In bringing a conscious focus to each inhalation and exhalation you can begin a deeper process of inquiry into yourself.
Conscious, personal transformation can begin when we recognize that each and every breath we take can be experienced as an invitation to begin anew. Each inhalation is a beginning. Each exhalation is an ending. What do you wish to begin? What do you desire to breathe life into?
During the time I lived in California I did what any good resident of the San Francisco Bay area would do. I attended numerous personal development trainings. Some trainings were weekend workshops. Others were short two hour events offered on a weekday evening. And still others were week-long intensives. Two organizations that proved especially prominent in my personal growth exploration were the Body Electric School of Massage and Lifeforce Education Corporation. I experienced the healing power of breathwork in trainings offered by both organizations.
I also had the immense pleasure of meeting Christian de la Huerta. Christian has made breathwork a central focus of his life's work. Christian is also known for being the author of Coming Out Spiritually. His book was was nominated for a Lambda Award. I enjoyed the opportunity to do breathwork sessions with Christian in both California and Hawaii. He is a talented, compassionate man with a big heart and great vision. If you want to learn more about him check out his website.
My fondest memory of breathwork facilitated under Christian's direction dates from May, 2011. I journeyed to the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i for a breathwork retreat. My fellow breathwork retreat participants and I were hosted at the beautiful Hui Ho'olana. I especially enjoyed the day we made a hike down the steep cliffs on the northern side of the island to the Kalaupapa Peninsula. The peninsula also features the Kalaupapa National Historic Park. Kalaupapa is well known as being the site of a leper colony established after leprosy came to the Hawaiian islands.
It may seem strange that a quarantine location for those afflicted with leprosy would be sited in such a stunningly beautiful place. And yet the island of Moloka'i is both beautiful and extraordinarily isolated. I remember hearing stories about how those stricken with leprosy were often thrown overboard boats and left to swim to the Kalaupapa Peninsula. At least they were quarantined in a place of immense beauty. Some sick people live out their last days with far less beauty beyond their windows.
I am giving something of an exuberant shout out regarding Christian's commitment to breathwork after being reminded of its power this past week. During my session speaking with my therapist we did some hypnosis work in which I engaged in something of a dialogue with my stomach. Despite the fact that each of us are truly unique we nonetheless have some common experiences. One common experience is where we sublimate our stress in our bodies. Like many people, my stomach tends to be my repository for stress. Like the arts of singing and chanting, breathwork done with focus and conscious intention can be profoundly enjoyable and transformative.
If you are actively undertaking a journey of personal healing and are new to the art of breathwork consider doing the following exercise for your waking hours of only one day: Pay attention to your breath. That may sound easy. But by 'pay attention' I mean devote a bit of your mental focus to the quality of your breathing at frequent intervals throughout your day. Pay particular attention to how your breath changes when you change activities, when your mind wanders, when you fantasize about activities you find stressful or pleasurable, when you exercise and so on. In bringing a conscious focus to each inhalation and exhalation you can begin a deeper process of inquiry into yourself.
Conscious, personal transformation can begin when we recognize that each and every breath we take can be experienced as an invitation to begin anew. Each inhalation is a beginning. Each exhalation is an ending. What do you wish to begin? What do you desire to breathe life into?
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