Hello everyone and welcome to the Awaken Together podcast. I am Jen and today is another special
guest episode. Anna is a trauma informed breathwork facilitator and soul purpose activator. In
today's episode, we are going to dive into all the good stuff around breathwork, why
it's so significant to be a part of your journey, what it can help with, and Anna is even going
to guide us into a little breathwork towards the end of the episode as well. So with that,
welcome Anna. Thank you so much, Jen. I'm so excited to be here and thank you for that
wonderful introduction. Yes, great titles. I love what you are offering and I have to
tell our listeners first and foremost how we even met because it's very special. So
special. So one of my like very early on actually in my spiritual journey, I've shared on the
podcast that I like was doing yoga. That's like kind of my way I started journeying and
I was a yoga teacher and I was really feeling like I was in this place where I needed just
a greater shift and just time for reflection. So I did this pretty ballsy thing and just
booked this retreat with Rachel Brathen, who's known as Yoga Girl on social media. Kat and
I have also talked about her a lot because Kat also was plugged into Yoga Girl, which
is how we met. So Yoga Girl really bringing my people to me. But I signed up for this
retreat. It was a huge risk. It was my first time leaving the country by myself and Anna
and I connected in Aruba for this retreat, which was like 50 people. It was an incredibly
transformative experience. And I know for myself like that planted the seeds that turned
into huge transformations and shifts. And Anna, as you kind of share a little bit of
your story, I know that so much has shifted since we met for you as well from that retreat.
I know and what's so crazy about that retreat is that it was four years ago. Like this month,
I think. And so we've truly gone like a full high school or college experience since then.
And just so much growth has happened. So yeah, that was such a phenomenal experience. We
were like little babies. And I knew a lot was going to change, but there's so many times
I reflect back to that retreat. And yeah, I started hosting my own retreats like a couple
years after that and just having that little cord. And we all became so, you know, we held
such good space for each other in that moment. It's my first time having a whole group and
like understanding that I think community component and that holding space because so much came
up for all of us there. So much came up. And yeah, I really feel like it was so healing
just because of that because the community and the acceptance and just the love that
is shared without any judgment. And I think for me, that was like the first time I really
experienced a group of people on that level of just like pure joy and acceptance and just
like having a good time, but also healing. And for me too, that was a huge shift in my
journey of I am this, you know, strong corporate woman into whoa, there's this whole other
part of me of being a healer. And that was the first time I was like, this is coming
out.
Yeah, yeah, I remember we had a little dinner conversation there and you talking some about
your life. I just like can see the little movie scenes in my mind. But yeah, why don't
you share with our listeners kind of just some of the like bullet points of your spiritual
journey even before that or starting there?
Yes. Yeah. And first of all, so grateful we met on that experience. Oh my gosh, it came
back around so many times. So beautiful. So beautiful. I love it so much. And so my story
really goes back. I mean, if I pull it way, way back to like high school time, I was always
really interested in psychology and substance abuse. So I was a girl reading books about
addiction and kind of sign you take simultaneously experiencing forms of like depression and
anxiety. And in my college years, I went through, you know, the party phase, that's pretty natural
for people at that time period. But for me, I had layers of that anxiety and depression
in it. And so it was just a difficult time for me personally to where took a year off
of school, and then I came back and I graduated. And after that, I had been studying psychology
and I was like, you know, I don't feel super healed by myself on my own right now. So instead
of going down that route to become a therapist, I wanted to kind of work on myself. So kind
of went to a default career and moved to Silicon Valley, went into sales and you know, business
partnerships and became this corporate woman that I never really saw for myself. But at
the time, that structure and that growth and that leadership, I think was what I needed.
And it has helped kind of build me into the person that I am today. And when I was, you
know, in that corporate space, I was mentoring with kids in the foster system. So I still
had a little bit of that healing piece in me, but it just wasn't coming out full swing.
And then I started following Yoga Girl. And I saw that she had a retreat in Aruba. And
I was like, this looks so amazing, so incredible, very out of my comfort zone. And it was kind
of more of vacation for me. I wanted to book. And then going to that retreat again, like
that was the first time where I met beautiful people like you, Jen, and just the group of
women that were there that were just so supportive. And that brought me back into like who I was,
I think for the first time in so long. And ever since then, my spiritual journey has
just blossomed and grown to the point where just a couple months ago, I have fully gone
from being in the corporate world into, you know, having a spiritual based business and
being a breathwork healer. And I'm very excited to be in this new phase of my life. And my
Saturn return has just ended. Yeah, we did it. So yes, just that is kind of the shifts
I've gone through. And now I'm here to be of service and just grow and see where this
journey takes me. Beautiful. And yeah, I know you've you've experienced so many different
like events and stuff watching your journey unfolds and what you've like learned from
each thing. And I remember us talking past lives and all the stuff. So much has fallen
on your path like along the way to and it's it's so funny, you know, the more people that
I've gotten to connect with like that, you know, are familiar with this like spiritual
path, like we go in different routes, but we all end up with kind of the same exact,
you know, understanding and epiphanies, they just all kind of come out in different ways.
But where you're left is just this really big like opening and acceptance of so much
more there's like just a big community component to it, but also an understanding of how much
these like simple practices can make such an impact on so many things like it's the
little steps that actually matter and the showing up in places that scare you we talked
about that a little bit before we started like, it's it's been wild because I think
as you're living it, it feels like you're doing such little things. And then when you
actually look back and retrospect and can see how significant those little choices were,
it's wild. I love that. Yeah, just the little tiny moments that truly end up being transformational
and they don't necessarily feel like that at the time. But then you look back and you're
like, Wow, that was such a huge pivot. And what would my life be like without it? I so
agree. And yeah, like with people going down their own spiritual path, it starts differently
for everybody. And like you said, we do end up kind of in a similar space. At some point,
I remember I had a roommate back in the Bay Area and you know, my corporate days and she
was telling me about her past life and I was like, what is she talking about? Like, this
is crazy. She has a past life and then cut to four years later, I tell people that I
was a mermaid on the talk in when the planet was dying and normal part of my conversation.
And I know I can I just think back to have so many times people shared stuff with me
that, you know, ends up really feeling so underlined later, like, wow, even though that
information I didn't know how to receive it. Like, wow, was that like, that ended up being
a piece that helped me walk into a new scene, like with more acceptance, you know, to little
nuggets. That's why you know that like when you share something, it doesn't always land
well, you don't get that immediate gratification from so many little things you're often we're
piecing seeds together for each other. And it's such a bigger picture than what we can
see.
I love that. Yeah. And that's why it's like so important to live your truth, right? Because
like, as you're putting those little nuggets out there, maybe people don't resonate with
it immediately at the moment, but they'll look back and say, Wow, I remember when Jen
said this to me, and it didn't really land. But now it makes so much sense. And that's
why it's just like, even if it feels like you're walking blind, sometimes it's just
like so important to continue and move forward, even when that fear and that anxiety pops
up.
Beautiful and so freaking true. And on fear and anxiety, we take our next chapter into
breath work. So I would love for you to first share like when that really started being
significant on your journey, and then we can talk about all the benefits and yeah, how
it can like really shift and change so many things.
Awesome. Yeah, I'd love to and I know this has been huge for you to and nervous system
regulation is something that's really important in your work as well. So I'm excited to hear
your takes on it and how it ties into physical therapy. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it's such
like a great mind body connection. But I did a breath work for the first time. Honestly,
I can't really like pinpoint when because it had popped up at different yoga retreats
throughout the years. But when I started doing it consistently as a practice was when COVID
hit and there was that initial quarantine of everything is shut down, nobody's leaving
the house and there was so much fear popping up in the collective and like rightfully so
that was such a scary time for everybody. And on the flip side of that, I was really
excited because I didn't have to go to this job anymore. And like I was doing it remotely.
So I didn't have to commute 45 minutes in the morning in the afternoon, like I have
to stay home and I found a breath work teacher online and I started doing it almost daily
to where I would do like an hour experience with her either one on one or in a group.
And it deepened my connection to my body and kind of spirituality as well. And my intuition.
And while everyone was really kind of nervous and fearful, I was really excited about the
this new opportunity that I had to learn more about myself and to go deeper. And as a result
of that, I was feeling much more calm and just relaxed to the point where people are
like, aren't you nervous? And I'm like, I guess this is different, but I actually feel
really excited about this new realm I'm exploring. So I started doing it then and then about
a year ago, I became certified to be a facilitator to bring that beauty and bliss to others.
I love it. And yeah, let's get nerdy about it too, because yeah, I think for me, it's
the same thing like yoga calls you to do so much breath work. And I think a lot of techniques
are even explored. I know in yoga teacher training, I learned like a few techniques
and would throw those into classes. But there is definitely that was, I think for me, yoga
was nice because I got like my nervous system baseline down a little bit my fidgetyness,
like being able to move while I was breathing was helpful in some ways. But you also learn
that there's so many breath techniques that you can have in your toolbox that can accommodate
for even a higher baseline of a busy mind. And I think we picture yeah, in different
breath works, it's not always just that simple inhale and exhale, like there, there can be
a lot of complexity that can give you a lot more stimulation, so that the focus is easier.
But talking about that in regards to your nervous system first, and it definitely unlocks
so much spiritual stuff. But what comes to mind in one of the initial like, light bulb
moments from me, I'm a big fan of Wim Hof, you know, he's our guy. Wim Hof is, yeah,
this guy that really, really focused deeply on breath work and his own like personal journey.
And he really defied science. And he created a huge, a huge scene because I really think
that science had previously said you cannot affect the autonomic nervous system, which
is our, you know, sympathetic and parasympathetic and our body's response to, yeah, when we're
stressed, and then when we go into that calm and regulation mode. And they said a lot of
that is autonomic, it's automatic circumstance, we can't affect it. And then here's this guy
that focused on breath work constantly. And then he started being able to do stuff that
was unexplainable, like being able to regulate his temperature in ways being able to fight
different diseases in his body, like in ways that should have been impossible. And he's
sitting there interacting with it. So if we if we do a little nervous system review, the
sympathetic is our body's fight, flight, freeze and fawn mode. That's what happens in response
to stress, trauma, and some of us can be locked into this mode all the time with all of the
constant stimulation we have in our environment. And then the parasympathetic normally comes
online automatically. And that survival mode is supposed to come on just in times of a
threat. But we kind of feel like we're in a threat all the time these days. So it's
stand on a little more. And the parasympathetic is responsible for our regulation, which
includes our body's temperature, our digestion, our immunity, the things that actually help
us repair in our body. And that is something that when it's online more, our body can actually
heal itself in really deep ways. And previously, that was just said to just be something that
happens automatic. And now with the rise of autoimmune diseases, and all of this stuff
that is deeply reflecting this problem within the nervous system and how it runs, I think
returning to this knowledge of how breath work can actually change foundationally how
your nervous system is working, as can yoga and all these things. But breath work is something
so simple that you can literally do everywhere. And there is so much significance to it. And
that's something that I think we can add to it. So beautiful. I love that overview of
just the autonomic nervous system. So I think that should be really common knowledge. And
I see the breath as a tool that's built into our bodies that we didn't really know that
we had because we've always used it just to get oxygen to stay alive. But yogis, you know,
5000 years ago, they were using this to regulate their own emotions, they were using it to
release trauma, they were using it in prayer, they were using it for so many different things.
And back then, too, they didn't have this constant go, go, go hustle culture. So it
was very different. And it's almost more important now that we learn how to use the breath as
a tool, because we're not breathing properly as a population. A really great example of
that is checking in with yourself and noticing if you're breathing in through your nose more
often or breathing in through your mouth, your mouth is just meant for communication
and eating. It's not meant for breathing. But a lot of times, people are using it for
breathing and that leads to negative physical effects on your body. So just as a population
learning how to breathe and be cognizant of how you're doing it, but the breath can change
the way your nervous system is responding to the world. Like Jen said, it has those
different modes and humans are in fight or flight or your sympathetic nervous system
95% of the time, which is an insane statistic and designed for that. Yeah, we're not supposed
to be like, that high buzzing frequency so often of go, go, go. And there's actually
something beyond fight or flight that's called a global high. And that's to where you're
literally not dipping in to your parasympathetic or your rest and digest your body's so over
your simulated that you're in a global high, and you're constantly moving and going and
not stopping, which is honestly a trauma response for people that have experienced some sort
of trauma. And then in order to not really feel those emotions, they will be working
in nine to five, they will be working out afterwards, they'll be, you know, making dinner
for the family, like it just doesn't really stop. And so they never get out of that nervous
system. When you start to plug in different breath exercises, just in your day to day,
not in like a one on one facilitator setting, but with just the simple breath exercises
of doing like the box breath, or, you know, inter nostril breathing, Nadi Shahana, where
you alternate and flip what nostril you're breathing through, you can get out of that
global high state, you can get out of your sympathetic nervous system and switch into
the calmness and the blissfulness of your rest and digest nervous system. And when you
do that, your whole body slows down, like your heart rate slows, your breath slows,
your pupils literally dilate, like you just feel more calm and tuning into that regularly,
like not even in a breath work session, but just in your day to day taking two minutes
to do the box breath can be a game changer.
Yeah. And when we're actually in that state of actual calm, there is so much link to that
starting to really amplify a lot of the spiritual journey. That's the way that we actually can
feel into what is coming to us and why I feel like you're you sleep better, your dreams
are more clear. There is just so much that comes up at in addition to that, that makes
you be like just deeper sinked into everything. And it's wild. It's like, you know, this is
something, this isn't like new information. This is definitely really old information.
And especially in the US and how we're running, it's just we are we are so out of tune with
what this very like relatively simple thing is. And this is how we actually come into
a healing place. And within that, maybe even amplify more connectivity to every single
thing else. And it's a huge component to your spiritual journey is to just learn how to
breathe. It could be like the most important in so many ways. And I remember like realizing
that, you know, our exhale is like our letting go. I remember hearing that yoga like again
and again, but the exhale when it's dragged out, like it helps the body's parasympathetic
to come online. There's just it's so it's so simple in so many ways. But when you know,
like what your resting breath pattern is, it's often these like slow little sips using
our neck muscles too much, like it holds the same energy behind the tension we're holding
and the fear and all of it. It's like it's a physical like manifestation of that that
you can see. And the breath work can actually be a huge way to shift that.
Yeah, I love that so much when you pair an intention with the breath, you're not only
tapping into that parasympathetic, but you might be releasing anxiety or tuning into
love or tuning into your intuition. And it just adds another element of power that this
tool has. So it can go from a daily practice for your physical body to this expansion into
your mind, body, spirit, your full psychedelic experiences, breath work, like you take these
psychedelics to feel into everything else. And you can literally make all these colors
and patterns and wild stuff happen with enough breath work over time. I remember this like
blowing my mind when I did this long chanting breath work for like 30 minutes and had just
wild stuff come through. And I'm just like, it's that simple. Like, we think some of these
things are like, so off and so out of hand and that it's all like woohoo and crazy. Breathe,
breathe kind of like with some of this breath work styles for like 30 minutes and then see
where you land with how real some of the spiritual stuff is. And I think you might change your
mind kind of quick. You might change your mind. No, I totally agree with that. It's
like you are the drug. Like you can use this mechanism of your breath and like getting
more oxygen, getting more blood flow to actually feel high. Like your body will start buzzing.
It'll feel tingly. Like you actually tap into serotonin, dopamine, like the chemicals in
your brain that are stimulated by like Molly or psychedelics. It's like those will actually
be opened up more. And so you start to feel really good, but you're also like opening
your third eye and your crown chakra. So you're getting intuitive messages and guidance. And
some people will see colors that align to the different chakras. And it's just such
a beautiful and transformative experience that we don't even know we can do. Yep. And
yeah, and you could literally make that happen sitting absolutely anywhere. And that is just
wild. It shows how out of sync we are from really, really like simple stuff and how beautiful
we actually are as like human beings. It's actually incredible. And then yeah, for breath
work, you know, this is something that there, yeah, as Anna shared a few different styles,
there's like so many techniques. And I also think in regards to like the nervous system,
I think it's important. That's why, you know, as we get into like exercise and just body
movement practices, I think that is like a good baseline to at least start reflecting
on your breath. Like that, I want to share that because for me, I had such a terrible
relationship with exercise from just toxic diet culture and not thinking of exercise.
I thought of exercise so much as changing my physical form and not being the only point
of it that I could never get myself to want to exercise because it was like self hatred
and shame amplified times 2000. And then I think really what I connected as I started
like reframing it into body movement and just realizing that that was a way for me to get
out of my like busy head and get more into a meditative state. But a huge light bulb
moment was I get to when I'm moving my body, I'm working with my breath to like, it's impossible
to go into any type of body movement practice that has you know, is getting your heart rate
up to not start paying attention to your breathing. And I was like, a kind of a big light bulb
moment for me because I just didn't, I didn't pay attention to my breathing, right? It was
something that happened automatically, I would have never in a million years thought twice
about my breathing. And then you exercise and you'll realize like, wow, I'm really short
of breath really easily. But you don't think that there's like a correlation, you develop
like rhythms of breathwork through movement practices. And that was one way that I like
kind of got into it. And with yoga, realizing how often I held my breath, when I was uncomfortable,
and just noticing those like patterns I had a lot of that came out through body movement.
And then I ended up like getting more into yeah, let me do some like fun sitting down
ones and like laying down ones and explore like different techniques. And the more time
I spent in that, like the more incredible like experiences I was having.
That's so beautiful. I love that you made that shift from working with your body as
something not to know be skinnier or you know, look a certain way, but just feel good in
your body. And then that led you to notice your breath and that like continued down the
rabbit hole until like, wow, my breath can actually be super powerful.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I think for patients, I tell them that all the time, like, you know,
stop thinking as movement as this thing that's against you. More that you know, this, this
is when we actually feel in control of our body and our breath, this tool can't be taken
from you in so many ways, you know, your with your body is like the one thing you can control
in some ways. And your breath is definitely something you can control. And nothing else
really is any semblance of control. And I think that was huge for me to to realize that
I can always control my breathing and how I'm doing it. And the fact that that is the
only real guarantee in a lot of ways. And then what it like opens up doors to is incredible.
And I do want to add to that too. Yeah, I read a book, I think it's called Breathe by
James Nestor. Oh, my gosh, such a great recommendation. He talks so much about how you know, I know
with a lot of people and maybe even some of our listeners, like, there's asthma and like
all these breathing conditions, like respiratory problems and sleep apnea. And he really discusses
in that book, like, this is a side effect of a lot of these things, right? Like our
body just being in the stress response really long amounts of time and how yeah, it it might
take some work. And if it's like, I literally can't breathe through my nose. It's something
to practice. It's not going to always be so easy, because we're also dealing with a lot
of side effects of stuff. So in that book, he really talks about his own personal journey
of not being able to like, breathe besides like big mouth gulpy breasts, which does not
circulate oxygen through our body at all. And how he like retrained himself into breath
work again. And then yeah, started using it as a superpower. And that book's full of knowledge
and studies and how we've evolved through breath work. It was so good. I love that.
It's so funny. I have it like with me on my desk right now. It's so good. And I love it
too. He talks about how to cure diseases in a holistic way. Like you said, like sleep
apnea, snoring, asthma, when you change the way you breathe, you can actually counteract
what those diseases are doing to your body. And he also discusses the evolution of like
our facial structure and how it's not right now as we are because we are eating foods
that are very soft. And because our brain is highly developed, and it's really large,
and our vocal cords are really large, we have a really small sinus passageway, and our mouths
have gotten smaller, which has made it harder for us to breathe. And so we're kind of actually
going against the grain and what's good for us. And so tuning into your breath and learning
how to do it is a great physical practice. And I've learned too that life longevity is
a direct correlation between life longevity is your breath. It's not diets, it's not exercise.
It's your ability to breathe properly. And that's like our baseline for like respirations
per minute has changed. They've literally adapted to our unhealthiness. Like, like,
okay, you used to only need to take like eight breaths within the minute now we're up to like,
you know, that was mind blowing in that book too. Like we medically had to shift all these
normative values, because we're so out from what it used to be. And that's mind blowing
too.
It's so crazy. It's just so crazy. And like, how like when you're having a panic attack,
your default is to breathe really, really quickly and really shallowly because you think
that's going to get more oxygen to your body, but it's actually over breathing and it's
doing the opposite. And so in those moments of like fear and anxiety and panic, you really
need to slow down and just like count your exhales and breathe out for your through your
mouth and just slow breathe. And that's what's super, super calming.
Yeah, we have every instinct to do what the opposite is. And there is like very, yeah,
that book really painted the picture of why it's so easy to fall into that. But it's also
yeah, a thousand percent our society. But yeah, when you think of this, like in the
like awakening like mindset, it's actually crazy. You know, we've fallen from all of
these like natural things and now the fallout of symptoms because of that is like really
long and maybe, you know, we can get so overwhelmed by like, which things we need to do and like
we can start turning even our spiritual practices into another stress cycle and turn every single
thing into something so much bigger when we have so many like tools within us. And it
does take practice to like get into that. But I noticed with consistent yoga for me,
how much that started changing what I was noticing and paying attention about myself
as I was moving into things and the awareness behind my breath, like amplified greatly.
The more you practice something, the more it becomes like in the forefront of what you
notice and pay attention to. And even after reading that book, I was like looking, I was
like mouth breather. I was like, I want to teach them. I was like noticing everyone I
tell my patients this all the time. But it was so wild. I was like going through the
grocery store watching everyone's breathing pattern. I was all big.
It was like you notice things that you never noticed before. And you're like, oh my gosh,
like this is so prevalent. It's happening everywhere. And like I remember sitting in
class and like hearing people behind me breathing and being like, why is this person breathing
so loudly? And I was like, I know why. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's like, it completely makes
sense. But it doesn't mean that the work is not important. And it doesn't mean that we
can just say, I can't do that and just close the chapter. The fact that we can't well is
a giant like alert system that something is off. And so instead of treating it like I
just can't do it, it's something to really explore and trial with. And it matters for
so many reasons. But mainly like start with it being a journey for your health. And I
think what you'll get is a ripple effect even beyond that will be incredible too.
Yeah, it's so beautiful. It helps your body and it helps that mind body spirit connection.
I know for me, like it's really beautiful. You said you notice how this changed your
life through yoga, intentional breathing. When I started doing like one on one breath
sessions or even just breath practices throughout my day, I was able to start understanding
which thoughts of mine were like the inner critic and anxiety or fear versus like what
was my true higher self or like my intuition or just like my soul and just the calmness
of moving forward. And I could differentiate those thoughts and instead of kind of freaking
out and reacting to them, I would say, okay, that's my thought. And I would just kind of
let it pass versus before that I would feel like I needed to act on those different thoughts.
And that is something like that I know was a result of doing breath work because I was
tapping into my parasympathetic nervous system more often than I was before to where those
other thoughts were always at the forefront because I was moving so quickly and always
going and just constantly like that hustle and striving and being a high achiever. So
those thoughts were there all the time. And now that I'm like relaxing a little bit more,
I just notice them and kind of allow them to be there and I can like feel it. And then
I can let them pass so much more easily than I used to.
Yeah, there's a reason they say like the doing meditation and breath work like gets you out
of yeah, out of those cycles of responding to every single thought you learn to become
the witness, watch those things and then detach from it and go into a space of just so much,
so much peace and surrender. And then that carries over into all of your actions, how
you move through the world, how you respond to people, all the things, all of the things.
And I breath work too, it's like, it's an easier form of meditation because it's hard
to just sit there and close your eyes and to like focus.
Yeah, absolutely. And there's so many complexities as I was saying that you can play with breath
work that challenges you to focus in so many fun ways like that for me was huge too.
Yeah, exactly. So many different ways to do it. And one thing I did want to touch on too
was like in this trauma response of, you know, being in that pair or the sympathetic all
the time, our bodies like when we experience trauma, when we're overstimulated, our brain
can't process what's happening that quickly. And so those emotions of fear or like pain,
they get stuck inside of our bodies and we're kind of carrying them around as baggage. And
breath work is what goes beyond the conscious mind, you're dipping into the subconscious,
which is like talk therapy is fantastic for, you know, working through and processing emotions
in the conscious. But when you want to actually get deep and release, that's what breath work
can do. It can kind of hit those pieces in your body and allow you to release it. And
an example I like to use is when an animal like a gazelle, for example, like on the African
safari is being chased by a lion and the lion wants to feed his family. And that is
like a fight or flight mode for that gazelle, right? They're running away. And for like
in this example, if the gazelle escapes for whatever reason, like a pack of baboons, like
scares the tiger or a lion away, like that gazelle is going to have this response in
its body. So it was in fight or flight, and then it's going to go ultimately into freeze
because it almost died. And then after that, it's going to slowly start twitching. And
then before it leaves and moves on, it's going to do like a full body shake to release the
trauma that just happened to get it out of its body. But humans, on the other hand, instead
of shaking and releasing when we experiencing, experience these traumas, we just stuff it
on down. And like we like we hold it in our brain can't process it all at once. And so
our body takes over and holds that. And we don't even realize how much we're holding
or how heavy that can feel or know when that's being triggered. And so breathwork can get
you into into your body to feel into those emotions and have a really safe emotional
release, just a little why a lot of times people will cry, will sometimes yell, will
have you like kind of hit your fist to release anger. And it's just that letting go which
can feel so so good. Yeah, the emotional release. It's actually incredible when that happens,
because it's an emotion that's so not tied with a thought, you know, you can tell it's
like coming from just an actual sense of safety. It's a very unique experience. Yeah, like
and you've talked about that happening in like hip openers and yoga before too. Yeah.
And honestly, like the initial pattern will be, okay, I'm going into something that makes
me very uncomfortable, let me hold my breath. And I can see you know how it plays out. And
that plays out way more than on the yoga mat. So if in the yoga mat, I'm carving out the
space actually do it different. And I'm like, Okay, I'm uncomfortable. This brings stuff
up. Let me focus on exhaling and breathing slowly. And then yeah, huge shaking responses
I've had come up huge tears. I've had that happen with a lot of clients. So yeah, this
this can bring up stuff. And it's not because you're doing it wrong. It's because everything
is happening right and your body is actually releasing what it needs to. And it's not that
if you don't have those experiences, but it's not so very impactful. But I think a lot of
times to bring our body down into a sense of calm can be the first time we've actually
let our guard down enough. And yeah, the parasympathetic is deeply responsible for a lot of this stuff
too. So of course, like it's it's going to come up, it's lowering your heart rate. There's
so many things that can come up when you're not just like at this baseline of trying to
look outside of you to see who's going to kill you who's going to take you down. That
is not a mode where you're going to be like, I should cry. Like it just doesn't happen.
You know, you're you're just moving on from every single thing so quick. Anna, why don't
you tell us before we do our guided breathwork session, for people that are wanting to kind
of like look into different styles. We're definitely going to shout out your page too.
Because we have some awesome little tips, but give some of the basic ones to kind of
look into when you're first like starting your breathwork journey, just to kind of hear
there's some of the titles and terms. Sure. Yeah. So I will just quickly go over the box
breath as like an easy one to practice. And Navy SEALs are actually taught this. So you
know, if they're doing it, then it's good. And it works, right. So that's where you're
just inhaling in through the nose and you do it for four counts. And then you hold it
there for four counts. And then you release through the mouth for four counts and hold
it there for four counts. And that's called a box breath for a reason. If you kind of
look at the pattern of the breath, it is just simply going in that box motion. And that's
a really easy way to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system. And if you do that for 30
minutes, or even just until your body feels regulated, which could, you know, for some
people be three minutes or one minute, it can make a big difference really quickly.
There are lots of different breath patterns that you can do in a session. So there's the
Wim Hof type breathing. There's triactive type breathing, there's holotrophic type breathing.
And that's where you're really going to be getting deep, deep into it. I know sessions
can last between one hour to three hours, depending on how far you want to go with it.
And you can do this with, you know, different facilitators at yoga studios, or, you know,
with people like myself that are trained to be a facilitator and can work with you one
on one.
Yeah, I love it. And I know, yeah, the alternate nostril breathing that you brought up is a
really good like beginner friendly one and diaphragmatic breathing is something that
I do with a lot of my patients because it's crazy how our diaphragm is a muscle, we can
strengthen it. And when we're breathing with the proper muscles, we save our neck so much
tension. Our chest is even in the physiological side of it. I'm always trying to teach patients
like breathing techniques, just to yeah, actually circulate oxygen through and to work on the
muscles that are meant to be working so you're not over stressing these muscles that were
never designed to be carrying the load of everything. Because you're, your breathing's
not correct. And that happens all the time. But yeah, I think this is definitely stuff.
I think if you are knowing that you have that background of trauma, like the facilitators
can make such a huge difference, because they're going to be able to hold space for you as
this stuff is coming up. And I think more therapy offices are adding in breathwork because
they're understanding the significance behind that, and how much it's connected. And yeah,
there's also like, you know, I've definitely done a lot of different styles on YouTube
just to kind of figure out like what fit what fit was good for me. But I know having that
extra level of like a coach is to go over like how you're doing it, because even seeing
an example, it's really easy to still have compensation within your body from you know,
years of breathing through certain patterns.
Yeah, absolutely. And I love that you said how your posture like affects your breathing.
Oh my gosh. So much. So much. It's like we're not like even that like our modern day posture
is impacting like how much air and oxygen we're getting, which then makes us go into
fight or flight more often. Like how, how crazy is this? It's all connected. It's the
same homework, we can give you a million reasons why the homework matters. Just the homework,
I know. So yeah, just to like segue or piggyback off that I have a workbook that I created,
it's called Modern Breathwork for your evolution, where I talk about the benefits of breathwork,
kind of where it came from and how it impacts your body, like on a physiological level,
and how it impacts your mind too, because it gets you out of different habits and patterns
that you may have been playing out for years and years and years. And within that too,
there are some very simple exercises of doing, you know, Nadi Shahana, the intranostural
breathing, halo active patterns, which is into the nose out through the mouth, which
is a great heart, heart opener, and then even the box breath and how to pair that with your
own intentions. So you can work through, you know, whatever you're personally working through
on that day. So that's just a really easy resource. It's the best workbook. I love it.
Thank you. Yes, I know it Jen helped me launch that I get up, get that off the ground. And
it's just been so awesome. I've actually had a couple like therapists that have said that
they want to offer it to their clients just as a resource for people. Yeah. And how can
they find it one more time while we're on? Yeah, yeah. So modern breathwork for your
evolution is just $13 available through Amazon at any time, or you know, following just going
to my page and I have it listed there. Yeah, and give us your handle. We're here. Let's
do it. The Anna Lee underscore breathwork. And that is on Instagram and Tik Tok. Yay.
And with that, Anna is going to guide us just through a short and sweet just so we can get
in. So if you are in the space where you can do a little breath work guided with us, or
you can come back to this episode when you're in a good spot to do it. And I'm so excited.
Me too. So I picked one that is actually from the book breath. So I'm happy that you brought
that up. And just a little bit of background on it. This breath has been used in different
prayers throughout the ages, like Buddhists have used this. In African culture, Hawaiian,
American, Christian, like Taoist, all these different things. And they found that the
perfect breath of getting the right amount of oxygen to your body of you know, circulation,
heart functioning, nervous system attuned to peak frequency, all these beautiful things
can be taken away from this breath. And just as an example, like if you've ever heard Sat
Nam, and Kundalini Yoga, you are inhaling for five and a half seconds and exhaling and
speaking for five and a half seconds. When you do the OM meditation, you're supposed
to be inhaling for five and a half seconds and exhaling for five and a half seconds.
And then the Ave Marina, if you're Catholic and have that background, that is the same
exact thing that song is a five and a half and five and a half alteration. And that's
like the perfect quote unquote, perfect breath. So I thought that would be a great thing for
us to do today just for a minute. And I will be guiding you through the halo active version
of this. So you will be inhaling through the nose for five and a half seconds and exhaling
through the mouth. And we'll just do it for one minute. And you can really notice the
shifts that take place in your body when you settle in and get really intentional with
this tool that you're using. So with that, Jen, do you have any questions? And I'll ground
this thing.
No, that was amazing. I got chills like describing like, of course, it syncs up through across
so many different things.
This stuff is just so beautiful and like so nuanced. And it's been around for so long.
And I'm so happy. It's like coming back up again.
All right, let's do it. So go ahead and just sit into your space. Put your hands up to
receive more energy. If you feel like you want to ground, put your hands down and just
know we'll be taking big inhales in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Okay.
Three, two, one, inhale through the nose. Two, three, four, five, and exhale through
the mouth. Four, five, inhale through the nose. Three, four, five, exhale through the
mouth. Three, four, five, inhale again through the nose. And exhale through the mouth. Inhale
again through the nose. Exhale through the mouth, letting it all go. Letting that air
fall out of your mouth. Inhale again through the nose, filling up your chest and your belly.
Exhale again through the mouth. And just one more round, taking a really deep inhale in
through the nose. And on this exhale, do an audible exhale and just let it all go. And
there you go. You can return back into your normal breathing, settle in and just notice
if you feel a little bit more calm, a little bit more relaxed, to let any anxiety go. Hopefully
you feel a little bit better. Yeah. So simple. So nice. Thank you so much, Anna, for guiding
us in that and all of your knowledge. Make sure if you're listening that you go follow
and support Anna and we look forward to seeing you for another episode of Awaken Together
Podcast. Thanks for being here, Anna. Thank you so much for having me. Bye. Bye.