This month in Our Breath Mastery Training, we have been exploring the practice and process of Rebirthing Breathwork developed by Leonard Orr.

One of the first seminars in the Rebirthing program was called the Spiritual Psychology Seminar.” A central idea in Spiritual Psychology is the idea that “Thought is Creative.”

This means we create our experience of life and reality with our conscious and unconscious mind. And the principle is simple: positive thoughts produce positive results and negative thoughts produce negative results.

We learned that as soon as we change our thoughts and beliefs, our experience of the world changes, our reality changes. And so, in Rebirthing Breathwork we examine our thoughts and beliefs, especially those formed at birth and early in life.

In Spiritual Psychology and creative thinking, there are three principles:

1. The Analysis Principle

Since my thoughts create my reality, if I look at my life, I can learn what thoughts I must be thinking (consciously or unconsciously) to create or attract such a reality.

2. The Goals Principle

What kind of reality do I want to experience? What kind of life do I want to create? This tells me what kind of thoughts I need to think to create such a reality.

3. The Affirmations Principle

This is the art of creating powerful thoughts—affirmations—which are like seeds that we plant in our unconscious mind to produce a desired result.

The first step to uncovering our unconscious thoughts and beliefs is a process called “Five Minutes of Uncensored Thinking.” I encourage you to take some time and do this work.

The idea is to observe your stream of consciousness for five minutes, and to write down every thought that passes through your mind. Keep your pen moving and try to catch every single thought that arises.

After five minutes, review the thoughts you captured and mark each thought that seems negative or limiting. Then create positive affirmations to reverse or neutralize any negative or limiting thoughts you hold.

Do this practice every day for a week or so to see how you can gradually process your unconscious mind. And develop your ability to create powerful affirmations to neutralize or reverse the effect of the negative and limiting thoughts that you uncover.

When we work with affirmations, we use a page with two columns: on the left is the affirmation column, and on the right is the response column.

We write the affirmation at least 20 times in one sitting. And we use our mind’s response to adjust and refine our affirmation.

When you work with affirmations, we make sure to use your name (or a nickname you had as a child) and write the affirmation in all three persons.

For example: “I Dan, deserve love. Dan, you deserve love. Dan, he deserves love.” We do this because we took on negative programming and limiting beliefs in these three ways.

And, if I begin with the affirmation “I Dan deserve love.” And after writing it, I have the thought: “That would be nice if it was true.” I will use that response to tweak my affirmation: “It is true that I Dan deserve love.”

Or if my mind reacts to the affirmation: “I Dan deserve love, my mind’s response is: “only if I am good.” Then I adjust my affirmation to: “I deserve love whether I am Good or not.” In this way we process our mind.

In Rebirthing, we talk about our “Personal Law.” This is the most negative or limiting thought we have. It is a deep impression upon which all our other thoughts and feelings are built or depend.

This thought is often unconscious and formed around the time of our birth. Since this is usually a negative impression or belief that goes against the truth of our being—our divine nature and our essence, we also called it our “personal lie.”

If we can uncover or identify this thought and change it, then all the other negative thoughts that it feed and support it will automatically collapse.

It’s like the game we play with dominoes where we stand them all up in a row. When we knock the first one down, we trigger a chain reaction, and they all get knocked over.

Every Rebirthing Session is an opportunity for us to re-parent ourselves. To recover from sins of commission and sins of omission that we suffered.

Another powerful exercise is what we call our “Purpose in Life Process.” It was created by Phil Laut one of the early Rebirthers. And this is another homework assignment for you!

It starts by making a list of all your favorite qualities, talents, traits, and abilities—all the positive aspects of yourself and your personality. (for example: generosity, patience, compassion, intuition, ability to listen, creativity, courage, etc.) Try to list at least 20 things.

The second list is a list of things you enjoy doing, things that you love to do. These are action words: teaching, traveling, listening to music, cooking, reading, gardening, hiking, praying, speaking, writing, problem-solving, dressing up, making love, etc. (Try to list at least 20 things)

The next step is to write down your idea of “heaven on earth” or your idea of “the perfect world.” It should be a small paragraph—about three sentences.

Now you are ready to create a statement of your purpose in life.

“My purpose in life is to use my _______, my _______, and my _______ (pick three personal qualities from your first list); by ________, and ________, and ________, (pick three action words from your second list); so that ____________ (connect it to your idea of the perfect world.”

For example, my statement might be:

“My purpose in life is to use my courage, my intuition, and my compassion; by learning and traveling, and teaching; so that I help to create a world full of peace and harmony, free of pollution and violence, and where everyone is free to do what they truly love and to become all they are meant to be.”

After doing this Spiritual Psychology work and writing out your “Purpose in Life” Do several rounds of 20 Connected Breaths. First in a very fast, active, and powerful way. Then do another set of 20 Connected Breaths in a very gentle, subtle, conscious way.

Go back and forth like this a few times and meditate on your energy before and after each set of 20 Connected Breaths. Make sure that you breathe with full body awareness. Make sure you are infusing every cell with breath-energy.

Then find a set of 20 Connected Breaths that bring together both active and powerful, yet gentle and subtle. Find that sweet spot that incorporates both versions of 20 Connected Breaths. And feel each breath sending a pulse or a wave through your whole body.

After some time, you will feel both energized and alert, and calm and relaxed. You should be buzzing and tingling… Do an inquiry… What do you think might be a possible consciousness factor related to your birth, infancy, or childhood?  And then breathe about it… breathe into it.

Somewhere in the bible it says: “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. These spiritual psychology exercises in Rebirthing Breathwork are very practical ways to accomplish this.

Good luck in your practice, and enjoy the process!

Love to all,

Dan

(Guchu Ram Singh)
February 2022

During one of our recent Online Breath Mastery Training sessions, we played with a wonderful style of Breathwork created by Jim Leonard called Vivation. I also teach this practice in the O2 Fundamentals Course. And this month, I invite you to master it.

There are a couple of very powerful concepts in Vivation. The first one is that “joy is inherent in existence.” This means that all you need to be happy is to exist. And it also means that if you are not experiencing happiness, then you must be doing something to block the natural joy that comes from simply being alive.

When it comes to emotions, most people think there are two choices: either expression or suppression. Vivation teaches us a very practical and transformational third option. And that is “Integration.”

Another important concept in Vivation is the difference between “content” and “context.” Every experience has both content and context. For example, if I have one hundred dollars in my pocket, that is the content of my experience. It is what it is, what it is, what it is! It’s the reality.

Context on the other hand, is what I think about it, the meaning I give it, how I feel about it, what I tell myself about it. If I think one hundred bucks is a lot of money, I will probably feel happy. But if I think “I am almost broke,” I will probably be unhappy.

Jim coined the term “make-wrong” to understand the cause of suffering. When we make something wrong, when we think it shouldn’t be what it is, we naturally withdraw our energy and awareness from it—which means we are cutting ourselves off from a part of ourselves, from a part of existence. And this is a central cause of suffering.

Most people think that happiness depends on the content of their experience. But Vivation teaches us that context is the cause of our happiness or unhappiness. Most people accept whatever context their mind automatically conjures up—out on habit, unconscious beliefs, or early programming. Vivation is about creating or choosing context.

There are Five Elements of Vivation:

1. Circular Breathing
2. Complete Relaxation
3. Awareness in Detail
4. Integration into Ecstasy
5. Willingness is Enough

Circular Breathing means there are no pauses or gaps between the breaths. The inhale turns into the exhale and the exhale merges with the inhale, in a continuous uninterrupted breathing rhythm. There are three circular breathing patterns in Vivation:

1. Fast and Full
2. Slow and Full
3. Fast and Shallow.

We use fast and full breathing when we want to activate energy. We use slow and full breathing when we want to take in or increase the feeling of pleasure. We use fast and shallow breathing to process something big or unpleasant. We also use fast and shallow breathing for the fun of it. Like a happy dog!

Complete Relaxation means we are relaxing on every exhale. It means we are doing our best to relax quickly, again and again, and to relax deeply and totally all the while we are breathing.

Awareness in Detail refers to physical sensations. Our focus is on the body. There is no reason to engage the thinking mind. We experience every feeling directly as a pattern or energy in the body. And we understand that feelings and sensations are the physical expressions of emotions.

Integration into Ecstasy is the fourth element of Vivation. Every experience has some potential for enjoyment. Some things are obviously easier to enjoy than others. In Vivation, we choose to find and focus on the maximum potential for enjoyment in every moment.

This fourth element is about choosing context or creating it. It’s about re-framing. It’s about using affirmations. And it’s about eliminating any make-wrongs. (Is your glass half full or half empty?)

Do whatever you do, willingness is enough. This is the fifth element in Vivation. It means that if you are willing to enjoy something, you will find a way. If you are choosing to enjoy something, whatever you do will work!

In the practice of Vivation, we remember the Three Points:

1. Breathe Into the strongest feeling.
2. Track the subtle changes in your energy.
3. Enjoy this moment as much as you can.

Since the purpose of Vivation is enjoyment, it makes questions about the practice easy to answer. For example, should I breathe through my mouth or my nose? The answer is: which one do you enjoy more right now? That’s what you should do!

You can do Vivation anywhere, anytime. You can do it for a few minutes or for an hour. Try it the next time you are feeling uncomfortable or unhappy.

Get your breath moving in a continuous, circular, connected breathing rhythm. Begin by breathing as fully and freely as you comfortably can. And then adjust your breathing to whatever speed and volume and intensity that you like.

Get out of your head and get into your breath. Practice body awareness. Use every exhale to relax more. Enjoy every breath as much as you can. And enjoy every feeling and sensation that arises in every moment, as much as you can.

Notice where the strongest feeling in your body is, and Inhale into or through that feeling. Notice the subtle moment-to-moment changes in your energy.

Imagine listening to your favorite music. If it is not loud enough—if you can’t hear it—how can you enjoy it? On the other hand, if the music is too loud, it is very difficult to enjoy.

It’s the same with Breath-Energy. You must breathe fully and deeply and actively enough to awaken energy. Breathe enough to trigger subtle or powerful tingling and electrical sensations—but not so much that it is frightening or uncomfortable.

Practice meeting and greeting every feeling that arises in you with the breath, with relaxation, and with conscious awareness. Remember that all your feelings are safe, that it’s safe to feel all your feelings. Don’t be afraid of your own energy, of your own aliveness!

You are an infinitely powerful being of light. Life is intense. Love is intense. Joy is intense. And profound peace is intense. Use Vivation to learn how to enjoy opening and relaxing into intensity. If you do this, you will be awakening your natural healing and creative capacities, and you will be practicing self-liberation!

Good luck in your practice and many blessings on your path,

(Guchu Ram Singh)
February 2022

This month I’d like to share with you one of the Breathing Drills that I teach in the New 6-Month Breath Mastery Training.

This is being called my ‘Legacy Training’ because it contains the most important exercises, techniques, and meditations, and the most popular lessons, taken from all the seminars and workshops I’ve done over the past 47 years.

By the way, it’s not too late to enroll in this Online Training. In fact, because you are a Breath Mastery Subscriber, we will extend the early bird discount if you enroll in the next two weeks.  Read More

I’m a Missionary for the Breath and a teacher of Breathwork because it gives everyone with a belly button a way to eliminate or prevent an immeasurable amount of human suffering. But the main reason I teach and preach Breath Awareness and Conscious is because it is an irresistible and unavoidable calling. It is a personal mission and the main purpose of my life.Breathwork can awaken us to the truth, and to reality, and it can connect us to the source and essence of our being. It is truly transformative. It offers us a beautiful and powerful way to love and serve humanity and to support and uplift each other. It is a genuine spiritual path and a practical method of personal and planetary healing and growth.

I have been one of the constant forces behind the modern Breathwork movement for 50 years, and so I celebrate the fact that it has finally made its way into the mainstream. These days it seems that everyone is jumping on the Breathwork bandwagon.

Breathing is becoming big business. It is now a legitimate career choice, an accepted therapeutic practice, and a popular healing modality. In fact, soon you will need a license to teach Breathing! This is great news but it is also concerning. I say that because it is attracting “wanna be” therapists, and others who are not at all suited for this sacred work, and sadly, by people who pretend to be compassionate for the cash in it.

In some ways, the past year has been very difficult for me, and for many others. I’ve been paying for my missteps and miscommunications, my blind spots, arrogance and unconsciousness, and my indiscretions, especially in relation to personal boundaries and professional ethics. It’s been a period of conflict and betrayal, and of anxiety and depression. But it has been a perfect opportunity for self-reflection and re-evaluation.

My mistakes have given some people a chance to get on their high horse and display their superiority and self-righteousness. And maybe some people just need to vent the fear and anger they hold and carry. I’ve learned that some people revel in creating or stirring up negative energy. And sadly, some people are simply malicious and vindictive.

Difficult times seem to bring out the best and the worst in us. And it appears that the ‘cancel culture’ is alive and well in the Breathwork world. It’s easy to hide behind a keyboard these days. I am so sorry for the hate mail and social media trolling that some of my friends, partners, practitioners and students have had to endure.

Yet it is very important to remember that our personal challenges are relatively small compared to some of the very serious problems in the world—such as poverty and starvation, ethnic conflicts and racial violence, human rights violations, natural disasters, drug wars, mass shootings in the US, and the war in the Ukraine.

We can go up and down and back and forth in our head over these problems forever. And many people are preoccupied or even obsessed with them, which keeps them stuck in painful emotions, and unable to move forward in a creative or productive way.

I am reminded of the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

And I am also reminded of Breathwork. I have been practicing what I preach: Circular Breathing and Sighs of Relief. There is something very powerful about creating a primal order or restoring a natural flow of our energy.

The subtle vortex that is created by Circular Breathing (also called Conscious Connected Breathing), produces a force that draws in and spins off the energy of our prayers and intentions. And the merging of the inhale and the exhale helps us to transcend the level of duality and opens us to an experience oneness and wholeness.

Conscious Connected Breathing means continuous rhythmic breathing, with no pauses or gaps between the inhale and the exhale, or between the exhale and the inhale. There is a smooth seamless transition—a merging of inhale and exhale, of exhale and inhale.

If you have not mastered this practice, you owe it to yourself to do so as soon as possible! Start with practicing the 20 Connected Breath Exercise created by Leonard Orr.

And if you want to master this and many other Breathwork Exercises, Techniques and Meditations, join us on February 7 for the first call of the New Online Breath Mastery Program. The first month of training is free and open to all. I hope you will join us.

Here is the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81773744988?pwd=TjFBYVh2dldIeHM1aWdMbWJCN0h3dz09

By the way, one of my biggest lessons of the past few months has been the need for us to tame our lizard brain before doing any inner work or any helping or healing work.

When we come riding in on our white horse like a religious crusader with sword in hand, our inner child only sees a demon on a dragon and will run for cover—regardless of our good or loving intentions!

Wishing you much luck in your practice, and many blessings on your path,

(Guchu Ram Singh)
February 2022