When Rebirthing was first invented, all the sessions were done in a hot tub. The precise breathing technique had not yet been discovered and people were generally encouraged to simply submerge themselves in a hot tub, and using a snorkel, to breathe. The water and the loving presence of the Rebirther seemed to trigger memories and activate the breathing. 

    People would get all jammed up (often with hyperventilation symptoms) and they were then removed from the tub, placed on a massage table, and various mind and body processes were done to explore and unravel the fear and tension that had been triggered by the tub session. 

    Gradually, Leonard Orr and the original Rebirthers worked out the birth trauma theory, the death urge syndrome and other limited conditioning. When Leonard observed the dramatic changes in breathing that occurred with the release of a major psychosomatic condition, he began to suspect that the breathing pattern itself held a secret. 

    The way that a person breathed after they released their birth trauma was very different from the way they breathed while they were still carrying it. The spontaneous breathing pattern that occurred naturally when a person was in the middle of deep spiritual healing and recovery was obvious and distinct. 

    That breathing pattern, in a way, became the technique. Since it was observed to take place during each spontaneous healing session, it made sense to use the very same pattern to trigger the spiritual healing event. And it worked.

    The Rebirthing process thus began with 5 to 10 "dry sessions," where a person became skilled in the connected breathing rhythm and comfortable with the spiritual energy that it provoked. Then, a person progressed to "wet sessions" and the entire process became much gentler and efficient. 

    It was learned that the water brought up too much too fast for people, and without breath awareness and breathing skill, the rebirthing sessions were needlessly dramatic, intense and uncomfortable. Now, Wet Rebirthing, when done after several dry sessions, acts to open up deeper layers of the healing process, and. Wet Rebirthing offers the experienced breather a whole new level of growth & transformation.

MORE ABOUT WET REBIRTHING

The Essex Retreat has become the unofficial Wet Rebirthing capital of New England. The tub room is Essex is beautiful. With lush plants, a large skylight and all the amenities, it is a perfect and peaceful setting. The space is always kept very clean, and the water is constantly filtered, purified and replaced. The energy is perfect, and after 30 years, I doubt that there is any tub in the world that has seen more miracles!

We will be organizing regular Warm Water Rebirthing sessions in Essex, and you are invited to make an individual appointment with me or to organize a small group process. The following is an overview of my approach to Wet Rebirthing. I shall be editing this piece over the next few weeks, and would appreciate your comments.

Before doing a wet rebirthing session with me, you must have attended one of my trainings, done some breathing with me beforehand, or have done rebirthing with someone that I know.  You need to have developed a certain rapport with the breath and the "energy" of the breath. You need to have a good understanding and sense of the connected breathing rhythm, and it helps to be able to maintain a meditative awareness while engaged in a relaxed continuous rhythm.

Wet Rebirthing is meant to be a wonderful experience of peace, relaxation and pleasure. It is also a profoundly powerful healing experience. You can expect that it will activate buried traumas and awaken blissful memories. Before the session, we will have an opportunity to talk about your life, your spiritual path, your growth process, or anything that you feel is important. It is often useful to have a goal, or a purpose for doing a wet rebirthing session. It may help to decide on a theme, or to focus on a particular issue before beginning the process.

Sexual issues, intimacy and boundary issues, self-acceptance and body image, original innocence, birth trauma and patterns of abuse...these and many other issues are important and will be precisely impacted by the wet rebirthing experience. It is important to know that you determine the pace and the direction of your own healing process. 

Everyone showers and bathes thoroughly before entering the tub. Nudity is allowed. A bathing suit is fine. (Jean cut-offs which can fray are not permitted.) Long hair should be braided, pulled into a pony tail or tied somehow. It is often useful to fast for several hours before the session, and it certainly doesn't help to have a large meal just before breathing!

Getting into the tub, the mood can be sacred or playful (or both). There will be natural nervousness or anxious expectation. In the tub, you may float on your back and breathe thru your nose, or using a snorkel, turn face down and breathe thru your mouth. You will be supported and held. The position of your body will be determined naturally according to comfort and relaxation. I enjoy having an assistant in the tub with me, so that you can be supported by two people at once.

All thoughts and feelings you have in the tub are important. Specific ideas like "I can't" and "I'm afraid" are quite common. And so are thought like "Yes!" and "I am ready!" Moments of timelessness, feelings of being rushed, mystical experiences, unconsciousness, powerful images, insights, impressions of all kinds, urges to push or withdraw, and everything in between: these are all normal during wet rebirthing.

The amount of time you spend in the water depends on many things. This is an intuitive, organic process that is self-regulating. We often reach a clear sense of completion in the tub, but just as often, the session is completed out of the water. I will sometimes test the moment. Getting out of the water is like leaving the womb. It is an important aspect of this process, and almost always relates to your birth. Getting out of the tub often triggers a whole new cycle in the process. Were you ready? Did you want to stay longer? What did you think as you left or were removed from the water? What feelings? Emotions?

The session is completed by spending time after the tub experience integrating the session. Over the next few hours, it is important to follow your heart, trust your desires, tune into your senses. Dialogue, feedback, and sharing the experience is important. The dreams you have that night, the ideas you get over the next few days, coincidences, contacts, and events that follow the session are part of the experience.

It is very useful to keep a journal, to maintain contact with a support community. It is important to be sensitive to changes in you and around you in the days and weeks that follow a wet rebirthing session. Remember to ask for what you want, and to be loving an accepting of yourself and others. You are a divine being of light filled with peace and power!

to be continued...