What Is Rebirthing Breathwork? | Techniques and Health Benefits

Rebirthing Breathwork aka Therapeutic Conscious Connected Breathing or Conscious Energy Breathing was developed in the 1970s by Leonard D. Orr.

A fundamental idea behind Rebirthing Breathwork is that one can treat certain diseases, addictions, and behavioral issues, and can relieve emotional and physical pains by using special breathing techniques. One of its main goals is to release suppressed traumatic childhood experiences and memories, notably those related to one’s own birth.

Leonard Orr explicitly claimed that breathing techniques can be used to expulse and eliminate traumatic childhood memories that had been repressed. This then can result in giving you more joy, aliveness, and peace in your life, and the ability to form healthy attachments to people. In fact, the therapy is supposed to give you a “new entrance” into the world, without the trauma or instability you originally experienced.

Rebirthing Breathwork is typically practiced in the form of individual Breathwork sessions, online or live, guided by a professional Breathwork facilitator or therapist. A session involves that the client i.e. patient lies down, relaxes, and under supervision of the therapist breathes (for a period of time) using the Conscious Connected Circular Breathing technique. It’s thought that prolonged attention to this breathing technique spontaneously exposes inhibitions and unconscious defense patterns that have developed from birth on.

In contrast to the above, so-called “wet sessions” are also possible: those sessions are done in a pool or tub filled with water, in which the patients sometimes goes entirely nude, in order to simulate the environment of the womb.

In any case, Circular Breathing involves deep and full inhaling breaths, followed instantly by a stable exhalation breath, that is, without a break between an inhale and an exhale, and without breath retention (without holding your breath).

The Conscious Connected Circular Breathing technique — also called Conscious Connected Breathing — is basically the idea of speeding up Circular Breathing, which means that the patient applies rapid breathing, but still with full intake of breaths.

During the actual therapeutic session, patients may trigger and release emotions, traumas, or difficult childhood memories, but they are encouraged to “breath through them” while maintaining full attention and awareness.

In a more general sense, one could say that Rebirthing Breathwork sessions aim at supporting clients in releasing and clearing negative emotions, traumatic memories, stress, tension, anxiety, undigested psychological events, and blocked energy in a safe and trusted environment.

Mind, however, that there is no scientific evidence that individuals can really remember their own births. In the scientific community it’s thought that the memories of one’s birth that resurface during a Rebirthing Breathwork session are the result of imagination and false memories.

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