Breathwork. A Path to Healing & Connection

Wellbeing experts, mental health practitioners, celebrities and influencers are endorsing breathwork’s benefits world-wide, while corporations and organisations have started hiring breathwork practitioners for employee programs. Researchers have taken notice too.

There is a new global movement centred on conscious breathing, emphasising its role in enhancing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing. Breathwork practices originated in temples, monasteries, caves and deep in forests around the fire. In Indian yogic traditions, these practices are termed Pranayama, with “Prana” meaning life energy and “Yama” referring to control — life energy control.

Similarly, Buddhist monks in the Himalayas manipulate their breath to generate inner heat, enabling them to endure sub-zero temperatures without distress. First Nations Elders and Shamans worldwide employ breathing techniques to enter trance states, connecting with ancestors and spirits of the land for guidance on illnesses, crop cycles and community threats. These techniques are revered, practised, explored and passed down through countless generations globally.

When I had my first experience using a breathing technique called ‘conscious connected breathing’ in a group setting, I was uncertain about what I had signed up for. I followed the practitioner’s guidance, embracing deep belly breaths with circular breathing. Initially uncomfortable, I gradually surrendered to the rhythm.

Joshua Wrest is a breathwork practitioner, holistic psychotherapistnd counsellor based in Canberra / transitionbreath.com

Sensations of tingling and intense heat suddenly engulfed my body, accompanied by fractal-like images similar to those encountered in psychedelic journeys.

Then, the tears began. Not your run-of-the-mill ordinary tears but profound, gut-wrenching sobs — the uncontrollable flow releasing a torrent of held grief. I wept for the self-judgment and shame I carried as a gay person living in a community that did not celebrate my identity. I cried for all the lost opportunities for authentic self-expression, the inner policing and the abandonment of self. With each tear shed, I felt a release of this pain.

When the tears slowed, I began to relax, feeling an immediate sense of safety and belonging in my body. The burden I had carried my entire life suddenly felt lighter. My mind quieted, with fleeting thoughts dissipating like passing clouds. In this deep state, I found peace, ease and even joy within myself. Then, a transformative realisation landed — I am loveable as I am — a profound acceptance and worthiness of self-love for all that I am.

Two years later, I finished a comprehensive two-year breathwork training course, delving deeply into the realm of breathwork and therapy. Throughout this experience, I processed layers of trauma and painful mental constructs. Gradually, my self-awareness expanded, allowing me to understand my behaviour patterns. I developed an appreciation for the mind-body connection, realising how my mental state and experiences of stress manifested as tensions within my body.

Embracing the expression of my emotions and finding my voice, I embarked on the lifelong journey of realigning myself to my true essence.

Deep Healing

Breathwork serves as a powerful tool for deep healing and transformation. It is beneficial for supporting with trauma-release.

While experiencing trauma is a part of being human, especially for us queer folk, it also serves as a doorway into realms of greater self-knowledge. By consciously confronting our trauma and its physical manifestations, we shed the layers that obscure our true essence. By exploring our inner landscapes, we cultivate a deeper connection with ourselves, our community and this world.

While breathwork is helpful for supporting mental health and processing trauma, it also releases stress and tension held in our nervous system. It gives us access to deep states of relaxation, which is particularly important given the demands of this modern world.

Breathwork can bring us deeper experiences of love, joy and appreciation for our loved ones. It can help us connect with this Earth, our home, or give us more clarity about our meaning and purpose for this life. People may have early childhood memories or reconnect with a loved one who has passed. Breathwork holds limitless possibilities if we’re ready to listen and let go.

“Then, the tears began. Not your run-of-the-mill ordinary tears but profound, gut wrenching sobs — the uncontrollable flow releasing a torrent of held grief.” — Joshua Wrest

There is research supporting the effectiveness of breathwork too. Studies have shown that conscious connected breathing can alter human brain waves, positively impacting cognitive processes, emotional regulation, heightened awareness, enhanced concentration, flow states, creativity and mood.

Additionally, research indicates that conscious connected breathing induces changes in brain and nervous system activity similar to those experienced under the influence of high doses of psilocybin (magic mushrooms).

This altered state of consciousness often results in blissful experiences, unity consciousness, increased insightfulness, visionary encounters and a reduced fear of ego dissolution (death). Ongoing studies are investigating the potential benefits of breathwork for veterans dealing with PTSD.

For the past seven years, having run breathwork sessions in Canberra, across Australia and abroad, I’ve witnessed incredible transformations in people’s understanding of themselves. One of my greatest pleasures is facilitating a workshop called Queer Breathwork. The concept of Queer Breathwork comes from the recognition that the LGBTIQ+ community possesses a unique energy full of life and love.

Perhaps you’ve experienced this energy yourself, whether on the dancefloor among your community or in the company of other queer folk.

When the LGBTIQ+ community gathers, we ignite something incredibly beautiful within us. We have done this in our equal rights movements, in our celebrations and now in the privacy of our own hearts.

Now... take a deep breath and follow the link below for some simple breathwork techniques and tips that can improve your life. 

3 Beginner Breathwork Techniques for Everyday Life

Joshua Wrest is a breathwork practitioner, holistic psychotherapist and counsellor based in Canberra (Ngunnawal Country), offering private breathwork and counselling sessions, group breathwork workshops, retreats and corporate programs.

MORE DETAILS AT TRANSITIONBREATH.COM