As some of you might know, in the mid 80’s, I visited Communist China to study Chi Kung (Also called Qigong) with Master Hu Bin. And I wrote a small book—a training manual—called Chinese Medical Breathing Exercises: A Brief Introduction.

Hu Bin was a perfect teacher for me because he was not only the greatest living Chi Kung Master at the time, but he was also a medical doctor and a university professor. For several years, he served as the head of the Public Health Department in Beijing. And he combined Traditional Chinese Medicine with Modern Medical Science.

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The use of positive affirmations is a very important part of healing and growth, and an important part of Breathwork training and the Breathwork process. Good Breathworkers are good at creating positive affirmations for themselves and their clients. And we encourage our clients to get good at creating affirmations for themselves and others.

Affirmations are meant to neutralize, dissolve, replace, or cancel any negative or limiting thoughts that we have taken on about ourselves, life, others and the world. Affirmations are like seeds that we plant in our consciousness to soothe, strengthen and uplift ourselves—in mind, body and spirit. Read More

For three years in a row, Breathwork has been the leading trend in wellness globally. It seems that everyone is jumping on the Breathing bandwagon these days. And I say: It’s about time! Because it’s basically impossible to be a healthy human if you are not a healthy breather!

Just about every physical, emotional, and psychological issue or problem can be linked to dysfunctional breathing habits and patterns. In fact, respiratory health and breathing capacity is one of the strongest indicators of life expectancy and longevity. And did you know that up to 60 percent of 911 ambulance calls in America’s largest cities are related to breathing disorders? Read More

Breath hold training is a big part of breath mastery. But it’s not just for breathworkers, it’s for modern yogis and extreme athletes, it’s for meditators and martial artists, for special forces, high performers, and first responders, and it’s for healers, helpers, coaches, and kids.

In fact, it’s a good practice for almost anyone with a belly button! Breath hold training helps ordinary people to cope with extraordinary changes, and to navigate everyday emotional issues, physical problems, psychological challenges, and of course, global pandemics! Read More

I love it when people tell me that their breath changes whenever they put their attention on it.

For most people, when they put their attention on the breath, in that moment their breath behaves differently. This is normal, and it proves that you are human!

All great teachers have said that our deepest work is on the level of consciousness, and breathwork is a perfect way to awaken, deepen, refine, purify, and expand our consciousness. Our normal everyday mode of consciousness disturbs our nature. And so we need to develop a different quality of awareness. Read More

I recently had a wonderful conversation with Martin Jones about a spiritual breathing exercise that he calls “Holographic Breathing.”

I experience it as a “diaphragm or “pump”. In the throat. It involves what Leonard Orr called “subtle energy breathing.” It helps in the activation of the pineal gland. And it’s something that I observed happening in both BabaJi and Hu Bin from time to time.

Here’s the practice in a nutshell: Read More

It has been called the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Shiva, the Eye of God in the mind of man. The ancient Greeks and Romans considered it to be the supreme gland.

Descartes called it the seat of the soul. Maybe it’s what Jesus was referring to when he said: “If thine eye be single, the body will be full of light.”

The pineal gland gets its name from the pinecone, and it is shaped like one. This tiny structure sits deeply in the center of your brain, and yet it is sensitive to light—and it is especially to vibration. Read More

At our sessions and seminars recently, we have been focusing on the second ingredient in the Formula for Transformation and one of the cornerstones of breathwork, which is relaxation.

We have been diving deeper into our natural ability to trigger a deep sense of safety and security in the body… This is very important during a breathing session because if your body doesn’t feel safe it will not let you fly! Read More

I recently got a question from one of our O2 Fundamental students about the difference between these two ancient Pranayama techniques:

Bhastrika, also called “Bellows Breathing” and “Breath of Fire,”
Kapalbhati, also called “Skull Shining Breath.” Read More

Recently, the International Breathwork Foundation sponsored a teaching session called “Befriending the Elephant in the Room: Recipes for Trauma Release in Younger and Older Bodies.” It was a pleasure to create the presentation with Joanne Lowell and The Breathing Classroom Team.

A fun and beautifully illustrated booklet is in production and will be available through the IBF soon. And if you’d like to view the Zoom Presentation, contact the IBF. Read More

I think most people would agree that the main thing in any relationship is what you bring to that relationship. A similar thing applies to communication: often what matters most is not what you say, but how you say it. And Breathwork is no different: the quality of attention and the purity of intention that we put into the practice determines what we get out of it.

This month, I want to remind you that there are three pillars or cornerstones in Breathwork: consciousness, relaxation, and breath control. And it’s a reminder that it’s easy to get caught up in the technical details and the measurable aspects of the practice and miss the subtle essence of it. Read More

Shakespeare could have been talking about Breathwork in Romeo and Juliet when he said: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”

The point is, it matters not what something is called. What matters is what it is. Breathwork is a basically a modern name for Pranayama, the Hindu Science of Breath. Yogi Ramacharaka turned me on to the Science of Breath as a young teenager. (And by the way, on the very same day, I discovered Ernest Shurtleff Holmes and Science of Mind.) Read More

I am reminded today that I’ve written an article about breathing every single month since June of 1976. And this month—although I’m a bit late getting it out—is no exception. Welcome to my October 2020 Breath and Breathing Report.

Breathwork is truly a gift. It’s a genuine blessing to the world, and this month I am celebrating that fact! People everywhere are getting turned on to the breath big time! Medical scientists, sport psychologists and corporate executives are finally waking up and speaking up about the real and practical benefits… And it’s about time! Read More