As we enter into a new year, for many that means setting new goals and, hopefully, reaching them. We often give a lot of power to what it means to enter a new year, a new month, a new week, and even a new day. We seem to feel a renewed spirit when things start again. We welcome the new seasons, and we celebrate our birthdays often with wishes to “make this our best year yet!” It motivates us and gives us a sense of a clean slate.
In thinking about the work I do with my clients, I am reminded every day that as much as we all try to see each new day as a new start, many are stuck in the yesterdays of their lives. Past trauma, disappointments, unmet goals, or “failed” relationships can keep us locked in the past which can prevent us from embracing the future or even the “now.” However, we have something that is always in the now, always present – our breath. We can’t breathe for the future or breathe for the past; the breath is always in the now. And, the innate gift of the breath is what connects us to the vessel through which we travel this human life – our body. Our bodies are beyond incredible and if we truly understood everything the body does for us automatically, we would be overwhelmed. If we had to choose to do those things each moment of each day, we would not be able to keep up, balance everything, and prioritize what needs to happen first. Thankfully, we don’t have to do any of that – our wonderful bodies do it for us!
With my clients, I am always trying to foster and support a connection with the body. As a therapist, I need to be in my own body and notice what is happening for me in regards to my work with each client. I have to guide them on their inner journey so they can begin to notice what is happening in their body as well. It is the body that holds the answers we seek, not the mind, and it is the breath that connects us to the body.
Breathwork is an ancient modality that is connected to spiritual awakening, meditative relaxation, and more. Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to our brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a sense of calm. With mindful breathing, we can promote balance and peace within our bodies. Through active breathing, we are able to access and release energy that is stuck in the body. This stuck energy can create tension, pain, and even illness. It is through intentional, active breathing that we can notice, acknowledge, and release what may be stuck. This process is an amazing part of our healing and releasing what no longer serves our highest good. Breathwork, or even just mindful breathing, consciously connects us with our bodies.
Unfortunately, we are a society that is incredibly disconnected from our bodies. We are shallow breathers. We experience lapses in our breathing due to poor posture or even experience what is now called “email apnea,” which refers to our unconscious holding of our breath during mindless email reading or internet surfing. Often, we are not even aware this is happening, and we certainly are not aware of the powerful healing of proper breathing and intentional breathwork.
Western medicine can be an incredible source when we are in need of emergency care following an accident or medical emergency, such as a heart attack, aneurysm, etc. And yet, in regards to our general health and well-being, western medicine does not always lead us to healing. Simply treating symptoms and prescribing medication without knowing the whole story of someone’s situation can lead to emotional numbing, worsening of an existing imbalance in our bodily systems – and in some cases – addiction. Dr. Chris Palmer, author of the book, Brain Energy, has noted many instances where a person is misdiagnosed with a brain “disorder” and treated with medication (often long-term or for life), instead of receiving the therapeutic support they may need to process trauma, make changes in their nutrition and lifestyle, or move their bodies more. Of course, there are many times medication may be necessary in certain cases, and that treatment protocol should be monitored closely to ensure the patient is supported during these changes that could potentially mean they can reduce or eventually stop the use of medication. This can allow them to engage in life more and support their body by giving it what it needs so they can live a life of not just surviving – but thriving.
In my personal journey and in those of my clients, I have seen a desperate need to be more connected to our bodies, which can foster healing and ongoing health. Using the breath as a means of connecting with our bodies is a wonderful place to start. Breathwork and movement can bring us to the answers we seek for healing. The body holds our history and with the help and support of a therapist, a trauma-informed yoga instructor, or another healing modality that works through body and breath, our bodies can find, embrace, and release what we may be holding onto. Join me in 2024 in reconnecting with your body and healing the wounds of the past through the breath and compassion of the present.
Charleen K. Miele, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor who started her journey as a teacher, a church music director, and a fitness instructor. Charleen works with clients both in-person and via telehealth and has recently added trauma-informed breathwork to her work. She offers her clients the opportunity to experience IFS and/or breathwork through her practice, and is currently offering group breathwork sessions online. Life coaching, spiritual life coaching, breathwork and IFS work are also available as individual sessions and as packages of multiple sessions. Charleen will begin hosting workshops and group sessions in-person in 2024. She will soon be offering self-paced online courses as well as interactive groups that will meet for a series of weeks and will include lectures, discussions, journaling, and experiential somatic work through breathing and movement.
Visit: https://www.thesacredselfllc.com
Contact Charleen at: [email protected] or call 860-614-8382.
Located at 171 Market Square #2, Newington, CT.