Rebirthing Breathwork: What to Expect from a Session and the Contraindications
You have read about rebirthing. You have found big promises, and just as much suspicion. You wonder what really happens in a session. And, before that, whether it is something for you.
Rebirthing is the deepest practice in breathwork: a one-to-one session of conscious connected breathing, which brings to the surface what the body is holding and lets it go. Here I tell you what to expect, without promises. And I start with who should not do it.
First of all: who it is not for
Safety comes before the experience.
Rebirthing is intense, prolonged breathing. It is not advised in pregnancy. With epilepsy or a history of seizures. With cardiovascular conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, aneurysms. With glaucoma or retinal detachment. With psychiatric conditions under treatment, psychosis, bipolar disorder. After recent surgery. With severe asthma.
If you have one of these conditions, rebirthing is not for you. There is the gentle door, functional breathing. And if in doubt, your doctor is the person to ask. A facilitator who does not ask you this question before the session is not a serious facilitator.
What it is
Conscious connected breathing. You breathe in fully and actively, let the air out relaxed, no pause between the two. For 45-60 minutes, lying down with your eyes closed, with a voice guiding you throughout.
Breathing this way changes the state of the body for a limited time. And loosens the control you usually hold.
What really happens
- We sit down and talk. Twenty minutes: how you are, what brings you here, the health questionnaire.
- You lie down and breathe. 45-60 minutes. In the first minutes effort, perhaps boredom. Then tingling, warmth, energy. Then, for many, the moment when something gives way: an emotion, tears, laughter, images. Or simply a big sigh. The facilitator holds the rhythm, reminds you to breathe, stays beside you. He does not interpret.
- You come back slowly. The breath slows down by itself. Stillness arrives. You stay. A cup of tea, words if they come. In all, 90-120 minutes.
What you can feel
Every session is different. Some have an intense emotional release. Some a clear physical release. Some feel little during and a lot in the days after: a different kind of sleep, a new calm.
There is no right feeling to have. None of these responses is worth more than the others. What almost everyone reports is a body that feels lighter for days, and a sense of space.
How many sessions
You do not need an endless series. One session every few weeks leaves time to integrate. Many people do three or four in a year, at important passages. If you want an ongoing practice, the breathing circle is the light format.
The place
At Masseria Montanari, in Carpignano Salentino, 25 minutes from Lecce, one-to-one rebirthing sessions are by appointment with Davide, breath coach and facilitator, who works with Masseria Montanari. In the stone vaulted hall, or among the olive trees in the warm months. Indicative range: from 60 to 90 euros per session. If you are coming from far away, you can sleep at the masseria.
Frequently asked questions
What do I eat beforehand? A light meal at least two hours before, no alcohol on the day, enough water.
Can I do rebirthing if I am in psychotherapy? Talk first to the person following you. In many cases it is compatible as an accompaniment, in others the gentle door is better. The facilitator asks you about it in the conversation.
How long until I get back to normal life? Straight away, but calmly. On the same evening it is better not to make demanding plans. If you are coming from far away, stay the night at the masseria.
Book a session
You do not have to know how it is done already. Tell me how you are and what you are looking for on the Breath page: you do not need to write much. I will reply myself, usually within a day, and together we will work out whether rebirthing is the right door or whether to start from something else. If you are coming from far away, you can stay the night at the masseria.
Breathing practices are experiences of wellbeing and awareness offered under Italian Law 4/2013: they are not a remedy for anything and do not replace medical or psychological care.