The Power of Active Breathwork

By Erin Goodwin and Jenna Starkey

Is active breathwork for you? If you are ready to try something different, and open to getting uncomfortable, this might be the breathwork practice for you…

It’s no secret that to me (Jenna), building the capacity to be with uncomfortable emotions and experiences and being able to to hold space for my truth are important parts of my definition of fulfillment. Over the years, I have tried and tested many different methods of diving more deeply into myself and my authenticity. Not to mention, I have a history with anxiety: social anxiety, hypervigilance and just plain nagging fear. So, when I finally gave active breathwork a try, something profound and almost magical happened when I least expected it.

I left the session buzzing, feeling above the clouds and high on life, connected to myself in a deeper way than I had in a long time, and centered in what could only be described as “my true self". I was surprised and in awe of the experience. The fog lifted, the debris fell away. I fell so deeply in love with this style of breathwork that I dove head first into learning how to facilitate it, so that I could use it to facilitate my community’s healing. I knew that this could be a missing piece, a somatic experience that helped to uncover what was below the surface. Soon after my first breathwork session, I completed my breathwork facilitator training to begin sharing the practice with friends and clients in my community.

Today, active breathwork is an integral part of my fulfillment coaching offerings, and is a potent practice that I use to support myself and my clients in our fulfillment journeys. The breathwork technique that I teach is a 3-part (belly-heart-mouth) activating meditation technique that was taught to me by Erin Telford, Josephine Edmonson and David Elliot. This breathing technique enlists the help of the breath to bypass the thinking brain, by intentionally and lovingly activating the body’s stress response. The activation supports the nervous system in reprograming the fear stored in the subconscious, allowing for the processing and releasing of painful or racing thoughts, and suppressed/repressed emotions. In doing so, it increases dopamine, which allows you to drop into your body’s wisdom, and It clears the way for you to connect to your intuition, your authentic self, and ultimately open your heart. Active breathwork is different from other types of breathwork out there, and it might not be what you think it is because the practice is almost all done through the mouth (breathing through the nose is recommended when not in active breath mode) and the calming sensation happens at the very end. Because of the activating nature of this practice, please note that my breathwork sessions are not recommended for people who are pregnant, or have a history of epilepsy or seizures. You are always welcome to reach out to me if you are concerned about whether this is the right practice for you.

When I opened myself up to the possibilities of this kind of breathwork, I found myself more able to connect to, be with, and process my pain, heartache, fear, anger, and everything in between. I felt spacious, as if I had allowed some sticky, stuck energy to dislodge, to flow, and to move through me. I felt free, centered, and present. I knew that my personal growth journey had expanded.

Facilitating and practicing breathwork to a fresh playlist, really fills my cup (I love good music - if you don’t know that already). What I love about this technique that I teach is that yes, regulating your nervous system is a welcomed byproduct of the experience, but it offers so much more than that. It activates the lines of energy in your body, and clears the cobwebs of stagnated emotion and energy that are stored in the parts of you where you may not have looked. Active breathwork brings energy back to life, back into flow, back into alignment, back into its true nature.

The power of breath as it infiltrates every cell, is that it ignites your innate healing power, your capacity to hold yourself through discomfort. Active breath helps me find my center in the midst of suffering. It brings me into stillness, while the world continues to spins around. It supports me in building resilience, in building the wherewithal to be with myself in the good times, and the challenging times. It is the embodiment of the power of nature’s flow, of integration.

I love facilitating active breathwork sessions in groups and for individuals 1:1. There is nothing more nourishing than being able to hold space for you and your next evolution, for your connection to yourself - because you have the capacity to expand in ways you never thought possible. And as you expand, I will be here to hold you through your discomfort, to bear witness to your sacred breathwork experience. It is a gift that I cherish, and I am honored to offer that space, and this practice, to you.

Curious about breathwork? Join me for my next donation based breathwork event, or book a private breathwork session with me. I look forward to connecting with you.

Jenna x