Breathwork Contraindications
*Waiver / Terms*
As a precaution, the following conditions are contraindicated for anyone thinking of practising Breathwork. It is crucial that you inform us if any of the following conditions are relevant to you, as you may require medical clearance to attend:
Pregnancy
Detached Retina
Glaucoma
High Blood Pressure (not controlled by medication)
Cardiovascular disease including angina, previous heart attack or stroke
Diagnosis of aneurysm in the brain or abdomen
Uncontrolled thyroid conditions and diabetes
Asthma – if you are asthmatic, you are welcome to come providing you bring your inhaler to the session
Epilepsy
Perforated Eardrums
Prior diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or previous psychiatric conditions
Hospitalisation for any psychiatric condition or emotional crisis within the last 10 years
Any other medical, psychiatric or physical conditions which would impair or affect your ability to engage in deep, fast breathing and / or emotional release.
Breathwork Set up
ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR BODY ABOVE ANYONE ELSE – YOU KNOW YOU THE BEST!
To get the best out of any breathwork session it’s best to …
Breathe on an empty stomach. If you are going to engage in a prolonged breathwork session it is advisable to not eat anything heavy for at least up to two hours prior to breathing. If your stomach is digesting food, it will require a higher demand of blood which will interfere with the Breathwork experience.
Avoid coffee 2-3 hours before your practice, as it can interfere with the bodily experience during your breathing exercises. You should also avoid smoking and drinking alcohol 4-5 hours before the session, as they cause toxic energy and make detoxification more difficult.
It’s best to do breathwork on an empty bladder for obvious reasons.
Breathwork Support
The integration phase is just as important as the breathwork session.
Continuous Breathwork is intentionally activating on the nervous system. Which is why it is important that you be gentle with yourself during the integration phase. Please be kind to your nervous system and reframe from over stimulating it and support it while it rebalances. The kinder you are to yourself, the more beneficial the breathwork will be for you.
Ideally be in nature, be it a walk or meditation. Reframe from alcohol, caffeine and overstimulating environments.
Some integration phases can be quite intense. Rest assured this is a positive thing, as it’s an indication you’re going through some intense somatic and cognitive releases.
As part of our breathwork session, I include a 15 minute check in post your session. For those who would like to go a little deeper and address anything that comes up for you. I offer NLP coaching sessions tailored to your needs.