Cautions and Contraindications for breathwork

Contraindications
Breathwork as fast deep breath is contraindicated for: 

• pregnant women
  
  people with:
  
  
• severe cardiovascular problems 
  
  
• severe hypertension 
  
  
• severe glaucoma
  
  
• history of severe mental illness:  
  • schizophrenia and paranoid personality disorder
  • bi-polar disorder
  • multiple personality disorder
  • uncontrolled and escalating anxiety attacks 
    
    
• Breathwork may be contraindicated in any case of mental illness where there is not on-going support and concurrent therapy
  
  
• epilepsy 
  
  
• recent surgery 
  
  
•  Severe asthma, or any asthma with cardiovascular problems. 
  
  
• The beginning stages of a cold or flu
  
  
• any fever
  
  
• Any drug or alcohol intoxication
  
  
• You should not do Breath-Work too full of food or too hungry
  
  

Cautions

The following situations may warrant caution. If any of these cautions apply to you please inform the facilitator (that's Adam Atman). You can always do a mini-session of 5-10 minutes to test the waters.

Use cautiously in: 

• Diabetes- monitor blood sugar reactions. Bring blood sugar monitoring equipment and medication. Monitor blood sugar after 10-20 minutes or if you are uncomfortable. If you are diabetic please do what you need to do to have your blood sugar well handled. 
  
  
• Hypoglycemia – If you have strong reactions to skipping a meal – make sure they are not going in to a breath-work session too hungry 
  
  
• If you have been overwhelmed by a major crisis or are undergoing an emotional or spiritual crisis, it is often best to first ground with therapy, bodywork, acupuncture, herbs, etc. to remove the surface layer of shock, then check in with the facilitator to see if you are ready for Breathwork it is often great in this situation, but the timing must be right. Please consult with the the facilitator before deciding whether to participate.
  
  
• If you have a history of abuse or post traumatic stress  – it can easily bring it up. Are you ready for that to happen? Do you have a support network of therapist and others?
  
  
• A history of anxiety attacks – Breathwork actually is very useful but you should start gently.
  
  
• mild or well-controlled asthma – have an inhaler available in case you get into difficulty
  
  
• If you hold fundamentalist views - this might not be the right approach for you.
  
  
• patients addicted to drugs - You must be in recovery and sober.
  
  
• severe muscle cramping tendencies - inform the facilitator. Breathwork can be fine, but start gently.
  
  
• severe impairment of circulation to the extremities. Breathwork can be fine, but start gently.
  
  
• Any planned social activities or alcohol or marijuana use immediately following the Breathwork is not advisable.

Bear in mind that in many of these situations Breathwork is also very useful, so proceed, but consider working up to a full session of fast deep breathing by first utilizing simple deep, full breathing, and then a few mini-sessions. If those go well then you can continue to full sessions.

If you are interested in coming to a Breathwork session read through the cautions and contraindications. If any of them apply to you call Adam on 408 476 9799 to discuss whether or not a group Breathwork session is appropriate.

 

 

Reactions that can occur during a breathwork session

Remember the following are reactions which may occur when going into a deep fast breathing process:

• dizziness, or a sensation as if one is about to pass out are quite common reactions within the first few minutes. Be reassured that this is common and that people do not generally pass out during Breathwork, but they might feel as if you are going to. You are encouraged to move through this phase and not to let this anxiety stop you. But to find a comfortable rhythm with the breath.
  
  
• shaking – This is normal, be reassured. For information on  the healing nature of shaking seehttp://www.traumaprevention.com/index.php?nid=article&article_id=84
  
  
•  Numbness, tingling cramping, even intense cramping, are quite common reactions. Intense cramping tends to occur in the first 10 or so sessions more frequently, but may occasionally re-occur prior to a big release in Breathwork  It is best not to obsess on the sensations. For some these sensations can seem to be quite difficult. I always reassure people that these sensations will gradually pass within 3-10 minutes of slowing down a rapid  breathing process. I Always let people know that they are in charge of the session, and can slow it down if they want to, even if I am encouraging the group to move forward. 
  
  
• You might notice your sense of temperature fluctuating, or thirst, or energy streaming through the body, sensations of body parts being very light or very heavy etc. and you might feel a discomfort with the various sensations of the body. The best advice I can give is to notice what you are feeling but not to dwell on it. Instead to go back to the focus on the breathing and let the body take care of itself. When you are new to Breathwork this might seem difficult because all the sensation are new, but after a while you can get the feel for it.
  
  
• Coughing, a sensation as if gagging, nausea and occasionally vomiting may happen as part of a release, although all of these reactions are rare. There will be tissues and a receptacle for vomiting ready just in case. I reassure participants that it happens rarely, but if it does happen it is okay.
  
  
• Intensely felt anxiety, fear and trembling may be present. I always reassure participants that this is normal, and a good sign, and that they are in a safe environment to let themselves feel these emotions
  
  
• Great sadness, grief and weeping may happen. I reassure participants that this is fine, and that they should allow themselves to feel these feelings.
  
  
• Irritation and anger may come up. You may judge yourself as not doing it right or well, or feel physically irritated and restless. I Invite participants to feel these states, rather than act them out.
  
  
• States of Joy, laughing, Peace, freedom, bliss etc may occur. I Invite participants to feel and enjoy these states, and allow them.
  
  
• Breathwork participants may feel sensual, sexual or aroused. I invite participants to feel and enjoy these states.
  
  
• Sometimes a participant may make a variety of movements and sounds that could include screaming, baby talk, animal voices, talking in tongues, shamanic chanting etc. It can sometimes get noisy during a big release, and, just as in sex, some people are noisier than others. As a participant it is important to know that there is no 'right' way to have a release. You can be very quiet or silent and be just as deeply in your process, so don't compare what others are going through with your own experience. It is also fine not to need to make any noise at all, and mostly people don't. 
  
  
• You may have transpersonal experiences of elevated states of consciousness and journeys into a spiritual dimension. Don't worry, it is a round-trip ticket; you will come back to high functioning in consensus reality, once the Breathwork is done. 
  
  
• You may have body-memories of early childhood, birth or prenatal experiences. These experiences are safe to feel in the space of the Breathwork session. 
  
  
• You may experience past-life memories, contact with spirits, angels, entities etc. These experiences are safe to experience in the space of the Breathwork session. 
  
  
• It is often useful to receive bodywork while you are breathing; I will try to be sensitive to what you need and explain what I want to do and why, and I will ask for permission. Bodywork is a tool to help the breath and consciousness enter into a certain area or organ where it seems blocked. Often this is an area where you might be feeling blockage or pain. Remember that you, as a participant, are in charge of your experience. If I or an assistant touches you in a way that doesn't feel right to you, you can tell us to stop.

 

 

Resources to learn more about breathwork

• Don’t practice this technique on your own until you have practiced it with a skilled facilitator a number of times and been cleared to use it on your own. Here are ways to connect to a Breathwork teacher
• http://www.rebirthingbreathwork.com/  this is the site for Leonard Orr, one of the pioneers of this field who developed rebirthing-Breathwork
• http://www.rebirthingbreathwork.com/directory/list   this is a directory of practitioners in Leonard Orr’s technique
• http://www.breathwork.com/  this is the website for Stanislav Grof M.D.’s association which teaches holotropic breath-work This is a great site to read up on research on Breathwork and to find practitioners
• http://www.ahbi.org/facilitators.asp    use this page to search for practitioners in your state who offer individual sessions or workshops
• http://www.holisticmed.com/inner/breath/radiance.html   this is the website of Gay Hendricks who developed radiance breathwork
• http://www.hendricks.com/breathingcoach/   this is a link to a page by Gay Hendricks about his Breathwork techniques

 

other sites offering training

• http://www.rebirthing.com/pages/workshops.html#weekend
• http://www.integralbreathwork.com/
• http://www.transformationsusa.com/breathTraining.html
• http://www.ibfnetwork.com/
• http://www.breathworkalliance.org/home.php
• http://www.breatheintohealing.com/breath-work/workshops.html
• http://www.breathwork.be/Articles/Breath-work/

this is a another good resource for articles about Breathwork