Breathing is an exchange between our inner self and the atmosphere which surrounds us. When we are breathing, we do not only inhale oxygen but also the reality around us. This is why an optimal way of breathing is crucial for our physical and emotional well-being. On the physical level, our way of breathing has a deep impact on the health of our inner organs which depend on the level of oxygen in the blood. But our breathing influences also the mental and spiritual aspects of our being.
Rebirthing or conscious breathing is a specific technique of breathing. We are breathing relaxed as most people do during deep sleep. The inhale is connected to the exhale. We can experience the breathing as a circle which supplies the body with fresh energy on the inhale and relieves it from toxins and old patterns on the exhale. This breathing pattern initiates a natural cleansing process on the physical and mental level. Feelings and body sensations can arise which are connected to unresolved experiences in our past and which can be integrated with the help of the breath. Step by step, blocks are resolved which inhibit the free flow of the energy in the body.
Compared to many other modern techniques of breathing, rebirthing is characterized by an exclusive concentration on the breathing. A relaxed and open breathing profile is considered as key to our inner self. Each thought and each emotion can be seen as form of energy which finds its expression as a breathing pattern. So we see the value of this technique as we have to change our breathing when body and mind need to be healed.
The name Rebirthing was formed by Leonard Orr in the seventies and refers to the feeling of being newborn which is often experienced after the breathing session. Memories of one’s birth can also arise during the breathing process. But rebirthing should not be mistaken for working with past lives or previous incarnations.