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Have you heard about breathwork?  Did you know how much science is behind it that has proven its benefits? How can SOMA breathwork help you release trauma?

In this podcast, I speak with Em Hollis about breaking through with breathwork and starting the journey to healing your traumas.

Meet Em Hollis

Em Hollis, Founder of The Freedom Project, is very passionate about sharing her story to show both women and men that it is possible to let go of their own limiting beliefs and live a life they never thought possible and how breathwork can help them do that.

Through telling her story and sharing her tools and techniques, she shows people how to live a life beyond the self-imposed limits we all create in our lives and how to get in touch with their true selves. She is now a HeartMath certified Add Heart Facilitator, Certified in Neuroscience for personal development online through Udemy, certified SOMA breath instructor, and an advanced student of Dr.Joe Dispenza.

After having her own deeply impactful experiences with breathwork, she now guides others as a breathwork coach, creating her own unique breathwork style and meditations, along with leading SOMA breathwork ceremonies.

Visit her website. Connect on Instagram and Facebook. Also, join the Ascension Breathwork on Facebook.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Email Emily at em@thefreedomproject222.com

Change Your Life Through Changing Your Breath: Purchase the mini-series

In This Podcast

Summary

• What is SOMA breathwork?
• Levels of SOMA breathwork
• Breathwork to try

What is SOMA breathwork?

SOMA breathwork is based in pranayama yoga as well as in … up to date deeply scientific research. (Em Hollis)

SOMA breathwork is about learning how to breathe consciously and stop or halt a stress response.

If you were in a traumatic situation many years ago, many people still remain in that trauma, their body remains in “fight or flight” mode for years after the event.

Our bodies should be in “rest and digest” which is where it needs to be to do the things it needs to do. If your body is not “told” that the event is over, it will stay in “fight or flight” almost indefinitely.

You can use SOMA breathwork to essentially tell your body and your nervous system that the traumatic event is over.

We have not learned – as I said at a young age – how to turn that off. So what happens when we’re in the stress response is [that] we breathe shallow, we over breathe, we hold our breath … because you’re holding onto life, you’re tense, you’re holding onto control. (Em Hollis)

When you let your breath out, you are releasing control, and through that you trigger your parasympathetic nervous system, your “rest and digest”, to kick in.

However, when you breathe shallowly, your body remains in the stress response. How you breathe is as important as what you eat, how often you exercise, how well you sleep, and so forth.

Levels of SOMA breathwork

• At a basic level, SOMA teaches you how to consciously breathe.
• At the next level, SOMA teaches you about breath retention, which is when you hold your breath for long on the exhale. This is where it fits in with pranayama yoga, and longevity.

Most people breathe 12 to 16 breaths per minute, SOMA, what we teach, is to ultimately get people down to five or six breaths per minute [because] that is where your body should be at to be in homeostasis, to be self-regulating, healing and working properly. (Em)

• At the next level, SOMA teaches you how to perform emotional and trauma releases.
• At the next level, SOMA teaches you spiritual connection, how to shift your awareness to connect to what it is that you feel closest to.

Breathwork to try

To relax:

1. Put your hands on your diaphragm, just below your ribcage.
2. Close your eyes if you would like to or look forward and soften your gaze.
3. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four. Exaggerate your belly rise so that you can learn how it feels.
4. Breathe out through your mouth for a count of eight. Exaggerate your belly falling flat, even to the point of your sucking it in, so that you can learn how it feels.
5. Do this three times a day at various times. Notice your emotions and how you are breathing when you try this breathwork technique.
6. Do this 10 times over for the full effect.

To energize:

1. Put your hands on your diaphragm, just below the ribcage.
2. Breathe in through your nose for two counts.
3. Breathe out through your mouth for two counts.
4. Do this for four minutes.
5. Then, breathe all the way out through your mouth, and hold your breath on the exhale, for as long as you can. Hold it past your comfort zone.
6. This is teaching you how to control your mind and push past your stress response, this teaching you to remain calm. Breath retention is learning about how to calm the mind. This is difficult at first, but with practice, you can learn as well.

How to relax your mind and body instantly:

Books mentioned in this episode:

Scott Sunderland – Finding Ugly: Transform Your Worst Moment into Your Greatest Gift

Useful Links:

• Freeing Your Mind And Body With Scott Sunderland: The Freedom Project, Part 1 of 4 | BM 70
• Finding Ugly with Scott Sunderland: The Freedom Project, Part 2 of 4 | BM 71
• G2G Bars – use code ‘Melissa’ for 50% off
• BTBFM FREE EMAIL COURSE
• Sign up for Busy to Bomb Fit Mom
• Connect with Melissa on Facebook and Instagram
• Email Melissa: info@melissavogelfitness.com

Meet Melissa Vogel

Melissa Vogel is an energetic keynote speaker, business owner, certified personal trainer, certified group fitness instructor, 1st degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, a mother of three, and a podcaster.

Melissa has been voted as the Best Personal Trainer for 2020 by Inland Empire Magazine, and Built the Busy to Bomb Fit Mom exercise system.

She is quickly becoming recognized for her expertise and influence in her field!

Melissa has contributed to numerous publications and has been featured in the Trail Blazer Magazine, and published in the April 2020 edition of Health Magazine. Her approach incorporates personal experience, energy, humor, and charisma.

Thanks for listening!

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