Breathwork & Meditation
Barratt Breathwork is primarily facilitated as a guided breath meditation, yet emphasis is placed on supporting students in cultivating a self-directed practice.
Barratt Breathwork is comprised of five key aspects: awakening the innate breath, unraveling tensions in the breath, contemplative breathing, resting phases, and meditation. Each of these aspects is an integral part of an integrative approach to cultivating mindfulness of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions of the breath.guided breath meditation, yet emphasis is placed on supporting students in cultivating a self-directed practice.
.Yoga science teaches us that, although the body and mind do not directly interact, they are energetically linked. Different qualities and patterns of energy form and shape what is referred to as the “vital sheath,” or subtle body. It is the subtle body that acts as the bridge between the body and mind, and allows them to communicate and function as a unit. Composed of a vast network of energetic pathways through which energy flows in and around the physical body, the anatomy of the subtle body is highly complex, and impacted by many variables. The most central and fundamental of these variables is the breath itself.
In addition to supplying oxygen during the process of respiration, the breath simultaneously draws in another energetic quality, known as "prana," or "Qi." It is the vital energy of life. With each breath, the body takes in and absorbs prana, constantly energizing and influencing the energy flows that comprise the “subtle body”. Acknowledging that the breath is a vehicle for prana, one begins to understand how specific qualities of the breath like rate, depth, and rhythm all have a critical effect on energy flow.
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Poor breathing habits can result in the inhibition, or blocking, of this vital energy flow, further creating energetic imbalances that negatively impact the functioning of the subtle body. This interferes in the communication between the body and mind, undermining health and well-being. Barratt Breathwork® employs a progressive sequence of contemplative breath practices designed to dismantle these tensions in the breath as a means to stimulate and free energy flow. Attending to energy flow and allowing it to move more freely can have transformative effects on consciousness as well as physcial health and well-being. By removing these energetic obstacles, we rejuvenate the subtle body, restoring communications between the body and mind, and enhancing physical, mental and spiritual well being.
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Meditation
All of our breath practices conclude with formal meditation. As we cultivate an inner stillness in meditation, moments of silence seem to gently come upon us. These moments in the beginning can be rather short, yet being able to settle into this silence, for even a little while, is immensely impactful. In this “inner quiet,” there is a vibrancy, a quality of consciousness that is transforming. As our meditation practice becomes more consistent, these moments of silence lengthen, enhancing an expanded awareness and an inner aliveness. It is in this deep inner silence we discover an unmistakable presence of consciousness—awake, fully alert, and resting in the seat of transcendental awareness.
Classes and private sessions offered weekly with -
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