The technique used in all sessions at Berkana is a circular/conscious connected breath, CCB, via a nose inhale, find out why and what CCB is, here. A session runs between two to three hours depending on the needs of the client on the day. The first session will run for at least two and a half hours as it includes a thorough introduction and breath technique segment. The actual breath journey, where the breather engages a conscious connected breath, lasts for between 50 minutes to an hour. However, if the breather wants to or is required to do a modified journey, the journey segment will run for thirty minutes. What type of journey that will best serve you is decided once you've contacted me to make a booking and I have sent you the intake form. Someone with severe active trauma would start with a modified journey, you can read more about that here.
You may wonder how and if you'll be able to maintain the breath for as long as 50 minutes or more. It sounds like a long time at first, I know, especially if you aren't an avid meditator. The beauty with breath work though, is that it quickly alters your brain frequency and takes you into an altered state of consciousness, which means time is only really relevant in the beginning of the journey.
The first ten to fifteen minutes can feel long and restless, you may have mental resistance surfacing, and your body can feel wriggly etc. However, quickly it's as if you step over a threshold, time as we normally know it disappears, and soon you're on the other side entering deep relaxation. I'm there to guide you and your breath, I also create playlists to take you through the journey all the way from build up, to peak, to integration. Although, it's important to note that the breather is always in control over how fast, slow or much they breathe. Trust yourself!
At the end of the journey the client will be gently guided into deep relaxation for between 10 to 20 minutes, again the time varies with individual needs. During the deep relaxation segment your breath is relaxed, in a way natural to you. What I offers before and after the actual journey depends on the needs of the client. But I always incorporate some breathing exercises before each journey to bring the breather into a relaxed and embodied state and to further strengthen the breathers' relationship with their own breath and their body/mind connection. At the end during deep relaxation I usually play my singing bowls . Once out of deep relaxation some light snacks are served and the opportunity to speak about the journey and what surfaced during it is offered. If the breather don't feel called to speak they are more than welcome to sit in silence, draw and/or journal, all of which are important parts of integrating the journey.
Safe space holding and spaciousness of the experience is of outmost importance to me, which means integrating the journey is of out most importance. I honour the need for integration and grounding in each journey, as without these it's hard to create lasting change, reap all the benefits from the journey and/or anchor in the wisdom and healing contained within it. I provides spaciousness within the journey for things to surface, be expressed, and integrated on the breathers' terms. Without this spaciousness a breath journey can in fact be re-traumatising. To provide a safe space means to be trauma-informed. Read more about what trauma-informed means here.
I will give everything I've got to facilitate a journey allowing you, the breather, to come in contact with your indestructible essence. I believe wholeheartedly that regardless of what experiences we live through and in what ways these experiences may have impacted our sense of self, personality, beliefs, identity, and the ability to feel safe in our body, our essence is always there, intact, awaiting our return. Allow your breath to bring you home to fuck yeah!
