We have been doing more work in the California prison system lately, breathing with hard core criminals, jacked up former gang bangers, violent offenders and death row inmates. And the healing, growth and the heart openings have been real and powerful.

Witnessing this has renewed my love and awe of the human spirit, of breathwork, the power of the heart, and simple human connection. It has also reinforced my belief that, as Jim Leonard used to say, “willingness is enough.”

It is estimated that 60% of people in this world are living with unresolved traumas of one kind or another. I think it’s more like 90%. And so it makes sense that the treatment of trauma and the recovery from trauma has become an extremely important focus globally.

And breathwork—conscious breathing—has emerged as one of the most effective methods and as a main element in many if not most trauma treatment and recovery models.

We are into the season of cheers and goodwill, of holiday greetings and blessings. A time when people wish the best for families and friends, and even strangers. And a time when everyone prays for peace on earth.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep these holiday wishes of love and peace and joy alive in us all the time? Wouldn’t it be nice if the cheerful gift giving and warm-hearted wishes were part of our everyday way of being? If only the Spirit of Christmas was an everyday affair!

I was on a breathing call with Tony Robbins recently and he reminded me of a talk by Jim Rohn called “Five Steps to Go From Average To Fortune.” It got me thinking about how his advice applies to the journey of Breath Mastery. So this month, I’d like to share some of those thoughts.

This month I’d like to share with you some of the Spiritual Breathing exercises, techniques, and meditations our group has been practicing as we travel through India.

And I’d like to start with mantras. Mantras are words or sounds or phrases that are repeated or used for meditation and as part of various spiritual practices.

They work to quiet and focus the mind. And in many ancient religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, it is believed that they carry vibrational energy that can uplift, strengthen, or soothe spirit, mind, and body.

Leonard Orr, the father of the Rebirthing-Breathwork movement, my dear friend and one of my favorite teachers, once said that the greatest skill or art in life is:

“Learning to merge the outer breath which is air, with the inner breath which is Spirit.”

There is a knack to mastering this art, and it involves combining peace and power. It means breathing in a powerful way while being completely relaxed, and being completely relaxed while breathing in a powerful way.

I recently presented at a beautiful event called BlissFest, together with John Gray, Reena Jadhav, and several other amazing heart-centered presenters.

It was a sold-out fundraiser for FreeMeals.org. And it took place at the Firehouse Theatre in Pleasanton, California.

I also worked with a group of inmates at the California Correctional Facility in Vacaville. It was a very intense experience, and deeply inspiring.

Winter is fading and spring is right around the corner! This is a good time to focus on your inner work. My friend and teacher Leonard Orr used to say: “It’s ok to take a break from the self-improvement business now and then.”

And it’s also necessary to remain focused on healing and growth, personal, professional, and spiritual development. A every now and then, we need to dive into it with everything you’ve got!. This is especially true for life-long learners. And I assume that’s you!

Winter is fading and spring is right around the corner! This is a good time to focus on your inner work. My friend and teacher Leonard Orr used to say: “It’s ok to take a break from the self-improvement business now and then.”

And it’s also necessary to remain focused on healing and growth, personal, professional, and spiritual development. A every now and then, we need to dive into it with everything you’ve got!. This is especially true for life-long learners. And I assume that’s you!

Winter is fading and spring is right around the corner! This is a good time to focus on your inner work. My friend and teacher Leonard Orr used to say: “It’s ok to take a break from the self-improvement business now and then.”

And it’s also necessary to remain focused on healing and growth, personal, professional, and spiritual development. A every now and then, we need to dive into it with everything you’ve got!. This is especially true for life-long learners. And I assume that’s you!

Winter is fading and spring is right around the corner! This is a good time to focus on your inner work. My friend and teacher Leonard Orr used to say: “It’s ok to take a break from the self-improvement business now and then.”

And it’s also necessary to remain focused on healing and growth, personal, professional, and spiritual development. A every now and then, we need to dive into it with everything you’ve got!. This is especially true for life-long learners. And I assume that’s you!

This month we focus on the art of Energy Breathing. Leonard Orr, the Father of the Rebirthing Breathwork Movement said; “Learning to breathe energy and not just air is the secret of Rebirthing.”

Mastering the art of breathing energy is a life skill with immediate and long term–even eternal benefits! And so I’d like to help support you on your path by getting you to drill down on some of the essentials of Energy Breathing.

Have you ever considered joining the elite One Percent Club? No, it’s not about financial status, or athletic performance. It’s about how breath awareness and conscious breathing can lead you to optimum health and awaken your highest potential.

On average, we take about 20,000 breaths a day. What if you were to invest just 1% of those breaths and apply them toward your healing, growth, and awakening? What if you could accelerate your evolution and unlock your highest potential by using just 1% of the breaths that God or life gives you every day?

On our recent Weekly Practitioner Coaching Call, I introduced a Spiritual Breathing Technique called “Still Point Breathing.” Like many genuine spiritual breathing practices, it came about not through intentional seeking, not from trying or effort, and not even by conscious choice.

It came to me through the Practice of Meditation, Relaxation, and CO2 Tolerance Training. It came about as a byproduct or a side effect of the practice of Breath Awareness and Conscious Breathing.

I learned Co-Meditation from psychotherapist Dick Boerstler, when he visited our Growth Center in Fairhaven, Massachusetts back in 1982. He was training nurses, counselors, clergy, and hospice workers around the country. He was helping patients, and their families cope with the stress and anxiety of terminal illness. And he gave them a very beautiful and practical way to deal with their very real fears and tensions.