BREATHWORK

WHAT IS SOMA BREATH?

SOMA Breath is a form of breathwork based on ancient Vedic breathing practices that is paced with music, creating an uplifting and unforgettable experience. Legend has it that the Rishis—yogis and sages of ancient India who were said to be capable of superhuman feats and exceptionally long lifespans—used to consume a potentially hallucinogenic drink made from a plant called soma, which provided them with spiritual insight and health. However, the soma eventually ran out, and the Rishis busied themselves to find a natural substitute. What came from this ancient research was breathing practices—pranayama—that are said to improve health, extend lifespans, and be able to simulate similar good feelings as the original plant drink.

In fact, the ancient Rishis studied lifespans in nature and found that some of the longest-living animals took the least amount of breaths per minute—such as tortoises and certain whales. This has inspired some breathwork practices, including intermittent hypoxia, which some recent studies have shown has positive benefits, including reduced oxidative stress on the human body.

THE TECHNIQUE I USE…

While there are multiple breathwork practices out there, SOMA Breath largely incorporates heart coherence and parasympathetic breathing that is interspersed with brief intermittent hypoxia practices. In this way, we breathe in beats, making it much easier to breathe rhythmically. Some recent studies have found that gamma brainwaves—the brainwave frequencies of the flow state (+40hz)—highten during SOMA Breath sessions.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

As a rule of thumb, please arrive with no expectations. Trust that your soul has its own plan for how the session is to evolve and what you are meant to know.

If the intention of a breathwork session is to release, then we will likely use also headphones. The reason for is….

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Most SOMA practices are excellent for anyone to do, particularly rhythmic slow to average paced breathing patterns. However, forceful breathing, fast breathing, and extended breath holds should not be practiced if you are experiencing any of the following:

• Severe/critical diseases or infections that impairs your ability to breathe
• Severe uncontrolled hypertension (usually after a heart attack)
• Organ failure or late-stage terminal illness
• Pregnancy
• Epilepsy, a pacemaker, or irregular heart beat (Exception: your doctor gives you specific permission)

Some conditions may be aggravated by breath holds, forceful breathing, and rapid breathing, such as hernias and tinnitus. In such cases, it is important to follow the technique or to simply stick to rhythmic breathing.

It is advised NOT to do SOMA Breath in the following circumstances:

• Full stomach
• Flu or fever
• Driving a car or operating machinery
• In water