Breath is life. Though every human takes around 23.000 breaths per day, not many of us are aware of even a single one.

Be honest, how many mindful breaths have you taken today?

Did you know that intentional breathwork can also dramatically shift your mood in just sixty seconds? To take it a step further, setting an intention before your breathwork practice and then guiding your breath towards the affected areas in the body, has the potential to release emotional blockages or physical pain. For example, if you have recently experienced a heartbreak you can direct your breath, and therefore your energy, to your heart space. This method will help you move any lingering uncomfortable feelings and transform your sadness into hope. You can seriously achieve results in your life you never imagined possible- all with the power of the breath. 

If breathing is the KEY to being more present and connected to ourselves, body, mind, and emotions, then imagine how powerful breathwork would be applied to an active meditation, performance, improvisation, or dance session. As a dance movement facilitator, you can help participants access their inner power by combining the powers of breathwork and movement.

To sum it up - breathwork combined with movement is the key to helping your attendees live their lives to their fullest potential. YES, IT IS THAT IMPORTANT! 

I hope you aren’t gasping for air now. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to point out the sheer importance of breath so that you, a dance movement facilitator, will feel compelled to start incorporating a breathwork practice into your own life as well as the sessions you facilitate.

How to Breathe (as a Movement Facilitator)

There are many modalities for getting started with breathwork. But because The Dance Alchemy is all about movement, I have combined breathing AND movement techniques from various methods including Pranayama, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong and packaged it into one powerful recipe I call Core Energy Activation. Below I will explain all the ingredients to this recipe as well as share more about Core Energy Activation so that hopefully you can start using it during your sessions.

One Part Pranayama

Pranayama is the control and extension of the breath which awakens Prana (life force energy). Pranayama is often neatly divided into two words - prana-yama - prana meaning 'life force' or 'energy source' and yama meaning 'control' or 'restraint’. In this respect, ‘pranayama’ can be translated into 'breath control’. However, the same word may be differently divided into prana and ayama. Where yama means to 'restrain' or 'control', ayama means the opposite - i.e. to not do that. Thus in a Pranayama practice, we are not in fact trying to control the prana, but instead to free it. Whatever the interpretation, there's no doubt that a regular and sustained practice of Pranayama not only ‘supercharges’ our entire body but prepares our mind for deep meditation … And in our case, prepares our mind to let go and to bring us into an awareness-conscious-presence, so the dance and creation can happen through us!

A Handful of Qi-gong

Qi-gong is an ancient Chinese practice of breathwork and gentle exercise that has been around for over 2,000 years. It mainly consists of slow and repetitive movements combined with breathwork and meditation, which are said to help align physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the mind and body. Even though Qi-gong is a traditional Chinese practice, people from all walks of life have used its breathwork techniques over the centuries to improve their overall well-being—whether through the cultivation of chi energy or simply taking the time to focus on the breath. Modern qi-gong classes can be found in many Western cities today for those interested in diving deeper into this ancient art.

And a Spoonful of Tai chi 

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese physical exercise that has been practiced for centuries. It is much more than just a form of exercise, however; it's a holistic practice focused on breathwork, mind-body connection, and relaxation. Unlike other forms of martial arts, there is no aggression involved in tai chi - instead, practitioners use their breath to channel energy and mindfulness throughout their body as they slowly move through a series of choreographed poses derived from animal movements. While perfecting these postures takes time and dedication, the practice of tai chi provides numerous health benefits including improved balance, flexibility and strength - not to mention the peace of mind that comes with any mindful practice.

Stir It All Up And What Do You Get? Core Energy Activation

Finally, the Core energy activation technique is a 10-15 minute modality that I have been using on myself and while facilitating sessions with others for the last 15 years - and it has proven to be very powerful. It combines Pranayama breathing, Tai Chi, and Qi-gong. During the sessions, participants are guided to breathe fast and deep so that they can connect to their inner power. This technique activates their core energy, thus balancing their mind and emotions and empowering the body, while also working within the flow of the energy through them and around them in a Torus energy shape. The important thing to understand about the torus is that it represents a process and not just a particular form. It shows us how energy moves in its most balanced dynamic flow process. The basic principle of breathing is the same as Pranayama breathing but with exhaling into The Hara. The Hara is located at the navel, about two inches inwards from the skin, and is considered the gateway into the etheric envelope surrounding us and the planet. This portal is called The Hara by the Taoists and is often mentioned in martial arts. Hara means ‘sea of energy’ and this is exactly what it is. The etheric envelope is like an infinite ocean of energy. It is no coincidence that as a fetus you were fed through the navel. In fact, you could still feed (on energy) through The Hara if you were to remove all the energetic blockages in the belly. Combined with breathing into The Hara, we also perform martial art grounded movements and actions. The result? A new understanding of your energy, emotions, and mind. 

Breathwork combined with an active meditation, performance, improvisation, or dance session is a recipe for maximizing one’s fullest potential. With so many breathwork modalities out there, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why I recommend jumping in with my Core Energy Activation - especially if you are looking to host dance movement retreats and workshops. Core Energy Activation combines several breathing and movement techniques from various ancient modalities such as Tai Chi, Qi-gong and Pranayama. 

Breath = Life!