AND BREATHE…
I arrived at the venue, an old coach house, deep in the dales of Yorkshire, very early in the morning after a seven hour drive from Cornwall.
Coming was my wife’s idea (she is in training to be a fully fledged facilitator). I am not an emotionally generous man. My upbringing was traditional and fairly stoic (all boys boarding school, British army, stiff upper lip, etc) – so a six day breathing retreat was not in my comfort zone, or on my bucket list…
I also had no reason to attend, as I had absolutely nothing to gain from the course – or so I thought…
I met up with people as they rose for the day and the course – the others had arrived in good time the evening before. The group were diverse. Me, a Chinese lady living in Germany, a South African lady from London, a Northern Irish gentleman, etc… All, without exception, were deeply loving and grounded people, who were there to share their time and experience and to risk opening their minds and souls, to reveal and cleanse the most entrenched and often unrealised layers of past hurt and trauma, hidden within them, and causing many of the common issues in people in our modern, busy and often competitive society.
And yes, to me and my ‘type’, that all seemed like complete hippy, woo-woo, clap-trap!
So I introduced myself, genuinely liked everyone and jumped feet first into the training. The details of the breathing techniques, teaching and learning are hugely interesting, logical and scientifically sound, but that’s not why I am writing. The effects they had on me is…
Within 45 minutes of the practical sessions, my minimal expectations were given a sound talking to. With simple instructions by the facilitators on my breathing techniques, small pressures to specific parts of the body (shoulders, lower rib, etc – nothing awkward!), my mind opened and released some of the most open and raw emotions I have ever experienced – I have experienced many things in my years, in many places and in many situations; but this was one of the deepest – and probably the most welcome. The effects of that first session – and many more over the six days had a profound effect on me – and my view on life, my priorities and most importantly my own ego. Something that has controlled me from an early age. I have more work to do – that is obvious, but this experience, this exposure to a content I didn’t know I carried, is possibly one of the most important discoveries I have ever made. Something that no matter the amount of amused looks on the faces of my peers when I try to describe it, no matter the amount of rolling eyes and ignorant dismissals without intelligent consideration, is something I will continue to practice and benefit from – quietly and effectively – that will not only make my life deeper and more whole, but more importantly, the lives of those close to me…
And I am hugely grateful.
