Working With The Breath In Myofascial Energetic Release (MER) :
Breathing is often taken for granted, as it is an involuntary unconscious process taken care of by our Autonomous Nervous System (ANS). However, it is one of the functions of the body we can also consciously activate. By becoming more aware of your breath and of how it relates to your own levels of stress and relaxation will give you a great tool in being more able to regulate your own energy and emotions.
Breathing has always been an important part of a Myofascial Energetic Release session. Conscious breathing slows down your heart rate and helps you enter the “rest and relax” parasympathetic) part of your ANS. As a practitioner I can feel when this shift takes place. Sounds coming from the belly of the client is a sure sign and often it is accompanied by a change and slowing down of the breath.
Deep work on trigger points and spasms in the body can be very therapeutic and relieve long held chronic tension and pain. It also makes you (sometimes painfully!) aware of this tension. Through breathing consciously and with a long exhale your muscles will be able to relax more quickly and the pain you feel will be experienced as “good pain”. What this means is that instead of tightening up to protect yourself you can actually enjoy the discharge of energy and the relaxation taking place in your tissues. Your long out-breath becomes a sigh of relief and pleasure.
If your therapist notices that you are holding your breath or breathing more shallow, the first thing he will do is ease up on the pressure, check in with you and your comfort level, and then remind you gently to continue taking slow deep breaths.
Other than chronic muscular tension, what also affects your breathing pattern significantly is stress and held-back emotions. Some people are stuck on the out-breath, looking pale and fearful, while others are stuck on the in-breath, looking tense and angry. Generally we all breathe too fast and shallow, a pattern which in itself will keep you in a state of fight-flight.
Myofascial Energetic Release works on the body armor; chronic muscular tension we adapt to “survive life” and store away unwanted emotions and attitudes. By recognizing and allowing suppressed feelings that can emerge during a session you can help your client heal on a physical as well as emotional level. Transformation happens on a holistic body-mind level and will lead to real change in how the client feels and functions.
In the module Inspiration - Opening The Breath, Thorax and Diaphragm of the Myofascial Energetic Release (MER) training we focus on opening the breath by working on the breathing muscles, on the muscles accessory to breathing as well as the tissues that can restrict proper breathing. The body’s respiratory system functions with the support of the many muscles in the upper part of the body. In order to experience balanced and complete breathing, it is vital that tension in these muscles, especially those around the abdomen, ribs and neck, is released.
Deep, controlled breathing has been linked to stress reduction, improved mental and emotional clarity, and increased oxygen flow to muscles and to the brain and other vital organs. Only through breathing deeply and fully can you access the energy for an embodied and spiritual life.
Author - Ketu Bo
Certified MER Practitioner