Somatic Breathwork

Get in touch by email to arrange a chat or to find out more at hollywilliamscounselling@gmail.com

What is Breathwork?

Breathwork is a healing, self enquiry practice. It is an opportunity to connect with our body, our feelings and our mind in a safe and supported way, in an environment where you are allowed to feel and express deeply and freely. 

Many of us are living in an almost permanent state of dysregulation and our nervous systems are fraught. We live in a world where we are constantly being triggered and we rarely have the time, space or environment to process, reflect and heal. 

The specific Somatic Breathwork journey I offer is one hour long. The first half of the practice uses up-regulating breathing techniques which activate the nervous system, bringing awareness to whatever stored stress, emotions, trauma or embodied experiences might be there. The first half is an opportunity to become aware of, process and clear out whatever might have been stuck and affecting you, or holding you back. I will be there alongside you to support and guide you through the journey. The second half involves down-regulating breathing techniques which provide the much needed soothing of the nervous system. The process of activating and regulating the nervous system helps to build resilience by conditioning it; it learns that it can become activated and also trust that you are able to bring it back down. 

Why Breathwork? 

Trauma is often stored in the body as implicit memory (unconscious and not verbally articulated). This can make it hard to process and heal the experiences through talking therapy alone. When these embodied experiences are triggered the amygdala becomes hyperactive in response as it perceives present situations as if they were historical threats, triggering a cascade of physiological responses. In this way, implicit memories can influence our emotions and behaviour without our conscious awareness. This may take the form of an explosive reaction with your partner or as shutting down into a state of freeze in a stressful situation at work. I have worked with trauma in many different ways and I have personally found somatic breathwork to be powerful and transformative as it allows us to access these somatic experiences and work through them in a safe and grounded way. 

For me, to find a practice which encapsulates the core conditions of person centred therapy, the understanding of the neuroscience of trauma, which honours the unique human experience, without pathologising it, and helps connect us to our bodies, to others and to our inner world, I knew I had found an incredibly important pathway for the healing journey. 

How, When and Where?

Sessions are 1.5 hours in total. The breathwork ceremony is one hour, with an introduction beforehand and time afterwards to share and process your experience, and transition back into the world. 

I work 1-2-1 in person or over Zoom. 1-2-1 sessions are £100. I also offer groups sessions at a lower rate. The group rate will vary depending on the location and number of attendees. You can find dates for group sessions on my Instagram or Meetup pages here:

https://www.instagram.com/somaticbreathworkwithholly/

https://www.meetup.com/bristol-somatic-breathwork/

https://www.meetup.com/tarifa-somatic-breathwork-group-english-speaking/

https://www.meetup.com/budapest-somatic-breathwork-english-speaking/