I wrote this call down on my board in 2019. I learned about breathwork and it was SO powerful! It is an amazing tool to help you relax, relieve stress and anxiety. Today I’m sharing with you an amazing guest speaker that is a breathwork diva.
Breia White has been a dedicated practitioner of breathwork since 2013. Her fascination with breathing techniques first became apparent through her experiences with Kundalini Yoga. She was able to see how something as simple as a breath could quickly affect her mood, thoughts, and actions, and she began to incorporate breathing meditations into her routine as a method for increasing focus, creating a deep sense of mental clarity, and managing stress levels in high-pressure environments.
After receiving her certification in Kundalini Yoga, Breia wanted to expand her knowledge base of breath practices outside of Kundalini. Since then, Breia has attained her Level 4 certification of the Pranayama Two-Stage Breath technique as taught by David Elliott, a celebrated healer and leading force in the breath community.
Breia has traveled as far as the foothills of the Himalayas in India to work with masters and learn techniques for navigating life with more ease, grace, and love. She even spent time in Poland with world-renowned breath expert and Guinness World Record holder, Wim Hof; and is a part of the first official instructor class to teach the Wim Hof Method in the United States.
Her ultimate goal is to share all she has learned from her training and empower others to create more days of feeling healthy, happy, and strong. And you guys, she is so amazing at what she does. So, let’s jump right into what breathwork is all about
What is breathwork’
Breathwork is known as pranayama in the yoga world. It is the art of breath control. Prana means life force and energy. Yama means to stretch, expand, lengthen. And underneath this Pranayama umbrella are different breathing techniques to help with emotional clarity and emotional release. In yoga, there are different practices within it. And Breathwork falls into one of the different practices in yoga.
Breath directly affects your central nervous system. Through breathing, you are controlling how your nervous system reacts. The parasympathetic state is the rest and digest state. A sympathetic nervous state is where you are getting attacked by a bear, as in heightened emotions. So, what breathwork does is it allows us to tape into those systems. Breathwork can also increase your vascular plasticity, veins, and stuff in your body. Breathwork can work like a muscle and controls your nervous system and helps to work your nervous system like a lever, switching back into these symptoms to help control them.
Imagine we are walking around like an overinflated tire and at any moment we can just pop. We are on edge all the time, stressed, frustrated, not happy. But with breathwork, it helps to express that tire before you blow up. Take the pressure out of the tire by breathing and allowing your body to release those emotions and energy.
Now Breia had gone through some shit to get to where she is today in her breathwork journey. From injuries to leaving her career to not knowing what path she was supposed to follow in life. She ended up finding herself at a breathwork seminar. Not even an hour into learning about the Pranayama 2 Stage Breathwork and practicing it, she was stopped right in her tracks. This breathwork right there immensely changed the trajectory of what she was doing.
All the self-doubt, self-imposed limitations, insecurities just left and were no longer there. She found the oneness. She found a clear vision of who she was. She found true peace, like the peace you only read about.
She truly felt free for the first time. And where this has been her entire life.
After this she learned about Wim Hof and the method, he used for breathwork. This began her journey into the next part of her life. So, for those of you who don’t know him, Wim Hof is the master at what he does. He is serious in his belief that breathwork and cold can solve a whole host of ailments, mental and physical. And after working with him and doing what he teaches, you truly feel inspired by what he is doing to help people.
Wim Hof is able to have total control over his body. He is able to have control over his body and able to regulate his core temperature by developing a specific breathing system of breathwork. This system of breathing is one that is taught all around the world and really works! And Breia teaches this to her clients out in LA.
(Check at the bottom of the blog for all of this information and more!)
So what is it about breathwork that can help you get to that place’
The breath bypasses the mind. And that is why this is her number one go-to when she cannot get her mind to calm down. When the thoughts are taking over. Use the breath as a tool to bypass it. And for those of you who struggle with meditation, this is why when you do the breathing, it is easier for you to get into meditation. When you do the breathwork and use the counting, you are basically giving your mind something to focus on instead of sitting in quiet and having your mind constantly wandering off.
If you want to give breathwork a try, head over to the podcast because we jumped into sample breathwork with Breia that was truly amazing! Like I felt soooooo freaking good afterwards! So, give it a try and let me know what you thought of it! (Below is what we did in the breathwork.)
1 round of the Wim Hof method
30 breaths. Inhale through the nose exhale through the mouth
On the 30th breath take in a big inhale and exhale the breath out.
Hold it out as long as you can
As soon as you feel the need to take a breath, you take a big inhale in and hold that for 15 seconds
3 rounds of this is the best. Which would take around 10-15 minutes
Give this a try! Some of us are stressed to the max and it doesn’t have to be like this. Go find the practices that vibe with you because there isn’t just one way. Every effort counts no matter how small. Even if it’s just 5 minutes it counts.
Give breathwork a try and give us a shout-out! Tag Breia and me and let her know how it went! Instagram: @breathwithbreia Facebook: Breath With Breia
What makes you feel magical”
I have 2 magical powers. And the first one is I have got amazing people around me. My support is my magical power. My inner circle, my family, they are always striving to be the best possible versions of themselves, always seeking, learning, sharing their knowledge. They keep me in check and have my back. That’s invaluable.
The second one is this breathwork. This helps me lead my life with more grace, more ease, and more love. Full stop. We can make life so complicated, and it doesn’t need to be that way. And all I wish for is to love, be loved, and be at peace. And who I surround myself with those tools I use help me to achieve that. I am looking for powers that can keep me at peace no matter the circumstances. Love up on all people and receive that love in return.
LINKS
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FabFitSquad
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic/
Website: https://www.kimbarnesjefferson.com/
Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-girl-magic-healthy-living-for-women-over-40/id1476883661
Books mentioned
Wim Hoff Method https://amzn.to/33tWzIU
Cold therapy video
The Happy Life Blue Tub
Website: BreathwithBreia.com
Instagram: @breathwithbreia
Facebook: Breath With Breia
Wim Hof Method Fundamentals and Advanced workshop
Date: May 22 and 23rd
Location: VCF Athletics Van Nuys California
Sign up on the Wim Hof main site under instructor Chuck McGee III. We are cohosting the event.
WHM Fundamentals Link https://www.wimhofmethod.com/activities/whm-fundamentals-workshop-los-angeles-chuck-mcgee-iii/28760
WHM Fundamentals Workshop by Chuck McGee III at VCF Athletics, Hayvenhur…
Join Chuck McGee III for the WHM Fundamentals Workshop at VCF Athletics, Hayvenhurst Avenue, Van Nuys, CA, USA. …
WHM Advanced Link https://www.wimhofmethod.
