Breathing Differences

It is going to be helpful in the future to think of basically three schools of breathing:

• Breathwork
• Breathing work
• Breathing/pulmonary/rehabilitation

Breathwork is about the Energetics as related to altered states of consciousness, spirituality and rapid personal transformation. Breathing is hopefully just "natural" effortless breathing. Breathing work is more about the mechanics of the way you breathe. Breathing exercises can be both breathing work and/or breathwork. They both include specific things one does to effect specific changes. Pulmonary rehabilitation is what you get from the hospital. They are masters at keeping people alive in the surgical arena. But due to their audience being largely comprised of sick people, they rarely get opportunity to work with optimal breathing techniques, exercises and nutrition. So their clinical research is centered around illness instead of wellness.

Each contains aspects of the other. You might say that breathing work represents the body, and breathwork the body/mind/spirit, but we know that the body and mind and spirit are not separate; to work with one, is to work with the other. It is a matter of priorities; energy creation and distribution. What are the goals and needs of the breathing person.

I classify the breath in six major categories. There may be many more levels or sub-levels but this is as far as I have gotten at present.

• Passive
• Semi Passive
• Semi Active
• Active
• Extra Active
• Super Active

All systems I've come in contact with need to add key breathing reflex insights that are the basis for effortless lung volume increase and diaphragmatic rise (excursion).

The Major categories of Breathing from a volitional perspective

Hatha yoga may be included here depending on the stretch. Actually Yoga is probably represented in all the levels though I am not familiar with any in the semi active category. Weight trainers, some "hard way" martial artists and barrel-chested public speakers and emphysema victims may have difficulty with breathing reflexes but they are well be worth the extra time needed to develop them and let them guide the workouts and Katas. Also techniques that press on the ribs that precipitate an exaggerated breathing reflex. Bodywork, massage, chiropractic, Acupressure Kinesthetic sensing; how the breath feels and noticing its changes and subtleties, expansions and contractions that result from slight changes in movement or posture. Middendorf, Speads, Rosenwork. The Basic Basic exercise series in the #191 Secrets of Optimal Natural Breathing manual speak to this level.

Most yoga including pranayama, chi kung (Qi Gong), asthma and emphysema techniques. Bioenergetics, Yoga, Tai Chi and Chi Kung. NOTE: When you try to take a deep breath as with many breathing "exercises" you actually tighten the rib cage a little or a lot and restrict the easy in-breath. This can create breathing problems over weeks and months of repetition. The breathing tests help you gauge your progress or regress. Recommended program

Due to the opening up of deep emotional issues that may need professional counseling and processing, this work necessitates a skilled facilitator and preferably one with many, many years of training and/or a professional mental health background including working with the breath. Gifted non-academically trained facilitators exist but are a rarity.

Do you know how to breathe right? Click here.