Healing Pranayama Breathwork: A Mind and Body shift.
A practice to release trapped energy and stuck emotions. Experience a shift of consciousness and feel more grounded, lighter and connected.
We practice Breathwork to get out of our rational head and into our emotional body. Through an active and rhythmic breathing technique, we allow our body to move energy and release trapped emotions.
Breathwork can help us become unstuck, make us feel more grounded, hear more clearly our intuition, find a greater sense of inner calm. The practice is guided, performed lying down, with the use of music and some scents to facilitate the healing process.
Breathing is like pressing the reset button
Our bodies have memory, they are our vessel for this life experience and they store all our memory and emotions. These emotions get stuck inside our muscles, guts, habitual thinking patterns etc. Some emotions can become a weight that holds us back as we try to move forward in life. Breathwork can help us release some of that.
The breath and the mind-body connection.
The mind and body are connected. When we relax the body, we relax the mind. When we relax the mind, our body follows. Breathing techniques (fast or slow) are the key to influence and control our autonomic nervous system and even our immune system. For example a slow breathing will eliminate the stress hormones cortisol from our body, and a fast breathing (like in Breathwork) burn toxins in our blood through the rapid exchange of Oxygen and CO2.
Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts — Thich Nhat Hanh
Why I am guiding Breathwork
During my personal journey into holistic practices, I had a vision of the breath line or rope that we can follow to find our way back home if we ever feel lost. The breath is our connection with the life itself. It is an honour and a joy it is to help others experience this practice.
My role as a Breathwork facilitator
I hold space and create a safe environment for the practice. I am acting as your guide through a breathing modality that allows your body to re-align itself by clearing and balancing.
My personal experience
The first time I practiced Breathwork, I felt as if I had taken a small dose of Ayahuasca. I had a clear vision of a sadness I was still carrying and was able to release it by crying. Following the session I felt lighter, like a weight had come off my shoulders. During the session, I noticed how people around me where expressing different kinds of emotions. There was some laughter, howling, screaming, …something beautifully primal.
All our power and answers are within ourselves already, we just need the ways of accessing them. — Rio Otoya
What type of Breathwork?
“Breathwork” is an umbrella term for various types of breathing practices.
For example “Transformational Breathwork”, “Shamanic Breathwork”, “Holotropic Breathwork”, etc.
Each has slight differences but share the same core practice. Many trademark or brand it breathwork. The Breathwork I practice is a 2 step Pranayama that we refer to as simply Breathwork or Healing Breathwork. I learned it from Erin Telford, as taught by David Elliot.
Testimonials
I am very grateful with Rio. He guided me through the power of my own breathing and guarded the place (energetically and physically), actions that gave the freedom to focus completely in the work within me. He acted as guardian and as an emotional lighthouse, using different tools for me to ride the breath journey: inspirational music, perfume oils, incense, and his own voice. I felt completely secure to go deeper into my own shadows and light. Powerful stuff. I completely recommend Rio, and I hope I will do another breathwork with him pretty soon.
Mauricio — Entrepreneur and Photographer, Peru/ USA
I meet Rio only one time in Bali and I directly tuned with his energy. So when I saw he was doing this breathwork session, I directly wanted to do it with him. What I really like about him is that he is super present and he is very intuitive. He knows how to read you, and his presence makes you feel in a safe place. I could let go my tears, anger, as Rio knows how to give you all the space you need for these intense expressions of yourself. I was feeling in confidence with him. Its actually all about letting go things that are not necessary anymore in your life, and Rio with some metaphores help me to see things in a new way. After the session we had a little chat that was very helpful. I really needed this session! feel calm and more focus now. Big thank you Rio for your presence, kindness and listening!
Hila— Graphic Designer, Israel
Río guided me on a unique journey inside myself. As a breathwork virgin I put my trust in him which he honoured and gently accompanied me as I went to depths that released a range of strong emotions and he compassionately held space for me while I experienced what was there to experience, and then softly brought me back to the entrance of the journey. That he managed to create this experience online and not face to face is testament to how well he is able to do this work.
S — Entrepreneur, UK
Breathwork it’s a powerful tool to connect, re calibrate and woking up the body in so many levels. It was really important to have someone like Rio as guidance and to held the space making me feel safe to open up and go deeper into my inner-work during the session. I would defiantly recommend this breathwork if you are looking to healing your emotions! Peaceful soul journey :)
E — Art Director, UK
I love Rio’s gentle, kind presence. In my Breathwork session from the very beginning he harnessed a safe space to let go, to unhinge all inhibitions, to go deep to fully surrender with full compassion. Its such a gift in todays world. There was softness yet firm guidance, like a safe hand to hold onto throughout the process. Even as a frequent meditator, it always amazes me how incredibly powerful our simple control of the breath is, how transformative. How much of a profound impact it can have on our body, on our emotional body. I felt so deeply relaxed, and yet energised after our session, but more than anything I felt emotionally and physically cleansed. Ana, Sociologist and Yoga instructor.
Ana — Serbia / UK
About the facilitator
Rio Otoya (Maya Dhamma) is a Yoga teacher, mindfulness coach and a Breathwork facilitator. He certified as a yoga & pranayama teacher in India in 2011. He worked 4 years at Google, where he led startup programs and led meditation classes with gPause, Google’s mindfulness initiative, as well as for entrepreneurs from around the world.
