“Rebirthing is a form of yoga that uses relaxed, intuitive breathing to merge one's inner breath with the outer breath. This merging of pure life energy with air sends vibrations through the nervous system and circulatory system which cleans the body and the human aura, and nourishes and balances the human mind and body.” Leonard Orr

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Rebirthing is a breathing meditation that enables us to observe and dismantle blockages and obstacles that we have accumulated since birth, and which have been repressed in our conscious mind. At the end of each breathing session, we feel as though our consciousness is reborn into a new understanding of who we truly are, on a physical, emotional and mental level. Through "connected rhythmic breathing" - the Rebirthing breath, we can release pain and tension and embrace healing energy. This conscious breathing brings life energy into the body and releases negative energy from the body; it cleanses and balances our physical, emotional and energetic bodies, and supports us in reaching a higher level of spiritual consciousness.

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The developer of the method, Leonard Orr, rediscovered the Rebirthing process in the 1970s, after experiencing spontaneous Rebirthing while meditating in warm water. Orr realized this was a powerful tool, and therefore, in 1974, he founded a group that studied this process, a group of renowned therapists, including Louise L. Hay (developer of the Heal Your Body method) and Sondra Ray (developer of the LRT workshops). When he realized that the power lies in the breathing process itself and not necessarily in the warm water, Orr developed the breathing method that is now known as Rebirthing breathwork, or Conscious Energy breathing.

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The assumption behind the Rebirthing method is that birth, as our first experience in the world, holds the primary and most significant behavioral pattern that shapes who we are, and the way we see and manage our lives. Birth is also the first and most significant traumatic event in our lives, an event which we repress due to the pain it caused us. From the moment of birth onwards, we find we might be governed by different behavioral patterns that stem from our thoughts, positive or negative. The main pattern that dictates our behavior is the birth pattern - the most powerful pattern - which stems from a thought/thoughts we experienced at the moment of our birth and in the time leading up to it.

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It is important to note that the goal of Rebirthing is not to re-experience birth. The goal of the Rebirthing method is healing, and healing is done through the breathing process. This conscious breathing process as if lifts the barrier between the subconscious and the conscious mind, enabling us to recognize the negative thoughts and emotional traumas that reside there. The trauma of birth, and its accompanying thought pattern are undoubtedly particularly powerful, and are undoubtedly the main focus of the therapy sessions, but the breathing experience will each time raise a set of other thoughts and emotions that require attention, as they are a part of our emotional defense mechanism, and constitute an energetic blockage in both the emotional and physical body. The breathing process, in this case, is "smarter" than the breather - each Rebirthing session is unique and different, and in each encounter the breathwork will offer the materials which it is supposed to heal and release. And just as every Rebirthing session is different and unique, so does every person experience the breathing process in a different and personal way. While Rebirthing increases the life force in the physical and emotional body – this force will take each person to where they are meant to go.

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There are several ways in which one might experience Rebirthing. As mentioned, the breathwork is smart and in the same way it might lead the breather to the right emotional materials, it will also lead them to experience the process in the most appropriate way for them in each encounter. Sometimes the breathwork will provoke emotions, and will constitute a powerful emotional release. Sometimes the encounter with the breathing will be more physical, so the breather will experience the blockages in the body. There are times when the breathwork will lead the breather to a quiet and gentle meditation, and there are times when the process will be more active and even vocal. And there will be times when the breather will experience all of these things combined.

 

In order to receive a "license to breathe" (i.e. to breathe independently without guidance), and to turn the process into a lifelong tool, it is necessary to breathe at least ten times with the support of a Rebirther, since although the breathing itself is not harmful, it is important to learn how to process our mind’s materials, and it is recommended to go through this in a continuous process with a Rebirther. Rebirthing is a worldwide method and there is a large selection of Rebirthers out there for you to choose from. If you choose to start the Rebirthing process, you must also be responsible in choosing the right therapist for you. As a Rebirther, I know that a person intending to support another must act as a clear mirror to reflect the breather as best as possible.

 

In 1988, I found myself “by chance” attending a Loving Relationships Training (LRT) workshop where I experienced guided Rebirthing. Since then, and for all these years, I have been serving the planet as a Rebirthing practitioner in individual and group sessions. It is a great privilege for me to see how people create change in their lives, how they improve relationships, how they heal their bodies, and how they choose to bring new babies into the world in a more “positive” way, through the process of breathing.

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The Rebirthing process is definitely a process in which we are born into a new and better place in our lives. It is a gentle, safe, and healing process, the results of which are permanent. Leonard Orr often jokes: “Rebirthing is good for anyone who is breathing or who has a body.”

 

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Written for you with love by Idit Alon – you’re welcome to share, please credit the original post