Donna Aazura is a certified breathwork facilitator and developer of Life Alchemy Breath.
She works with clients individually as well as in groups and workshops.
Breathwork: Therapy for Relaxation, Improved Health & Emotional Well Being.
Breathwork is not a familiar therapeutic process for many people. However breathwork can have great value to a large number of people. How we breathe has a direct impact on our stress levels, overall physical health and emotional well being.
Life Alchemy Breath are breathing techniques that quickly shift the body out of stress into a calmer state.
LAB processes also helps to resolve emotional issues and improve mental clarity and physical stamina.
LAB helps with spiritual awakening and a deeper connection to ones inner self.
Stress & Breath
Did you know that 70-80% of all Emergency Room visits are for stress related symptoms? All stress related symptoms can be tied to inefficient breathing. The majority of people have no awareness of how they are breathing throughout the day, shallow breath or deep breaths?
Take a moment right now and notice…..are you breathing shallow or deep? Take a slow deep breath into the belly and let the breath gently flow out. If it is difficult for you to breath deep, your body might not be used to deep breathing. With gentle practice it will become easier.
Why Does Stress Affect our Breathing?
Stress causes us to go into a physical response known as Fight or Flight, which is a reptilian brain survival instinct. In primitive times this instinct triggered the automatic response to fight or flight from predators or other dangerous situations. Fight or Flight is triggered by the subconscious mind sending the body the message "beware...watch out...warning!" Immediately chemicals get produced in the body that triggers rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing. As primitive humans, shallow breathing helped us to be quiet and still so we were not seen or heard by predators. The rapid heartbeat and increased adrenalin physically prepared us to flee quickly if needed. You might be saying to yourself..."we no longer live in the wild, what does this have to do with my life now?" The body’s physical response to any stress is the same.
What is the Reptilian Brain?
The brain stem is the oldest and smallest region in the evolving human brain. It's similar to the brain possessed by the hardy reptiles that preceded mammals, roughly 200 million years ago and is like the entire brain of reptiles living today. This is why it is often called the 'reptilian brain'. There are clumps of cells in the brain stem that determine the brain's level of alertness. This part of the brain also regulates the unconscious processes of the body such as digestion, breathing and heartbeat.
This part of the brain controls life functions such as autonomic brain, breathing, heart rate and the fight or flight mechanism. Because this primal brain is 'preverbal' and has no capacity for language, its impulses are instinctual and ritualistic. It's concerned with fundamental needs such as survival, physical maintenance, dominance, hoarding, preening and mating. It is at the base of your skull emerging from your spinal column.
The central emotions of love, hate, fear, and contentment originate from this first stage of the brain. Over millions of years of evolution, more highly developed reasoning skills have built upon that original brain. We can now consciously control these responses because of our ability to observe ourselves and make conscious choices on how we are going to respond. We can even consciously slow our breathing rate and heart rate when we learn how.
The Vicious Cycle of Stress & Shallow Breathing
Because of the high levels of stress many people experience, it is easy to become a habitually shallow breather. Shallow breathing tells the body you are in the Fight or Flight mechanism and the stress chemicals are produced. . So a continual loop can be formed, stress = shallow breathing - habitual shallow breathing = stress on the body. Being aware of your breathing and with simple tools to shift it can have tremendous benefits to your health, emotional well being, mental clarity and physical stamina.
Please call for more information on LAB for emotional clearing and the spiritual benefits.