Men's Breathwork Workshop

Men's Breathwork Workshop

• Limited to 8 spaces to keep it intimate.
• Friday 22nd March
• 6.30pm- 9.30pm
• BLACKMAT Studio, Eltham

IMPORTANT: Cushions + Yoga Mats provided. Please bring water bottle, journal and pen and wear comfortable, warm clothes. Please refrain from eating anything heavy within and hour or two prior to the session. An eye mask can also be helpful to go deeper (optional).

WHY THIS WORKSHOP?

The statistics speak for themselves. Around 1 in 8 Men will experience depression, 1 in 5 Men will experience anxiety. In 2019 suicide was the leading cause of death for men and in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 above 70% of suspected or confirmed suicide deaths was MEN. 

Why is this happening? 
The persistence of this issue is multifaceted. Despite increasing efforts to normalize discussions on mental health and emotions, a stigma remains attached to admitting when one isn't feeling completely well or is struggling with mental health. This leads to hesitancy in showing vulnerability or weakness. There's a prevailing societal belief that men should embody traits of toughness and self-reliance while suppressing their emotions, which further exacerbates the reluctance to seek help or express feelings openly.

I am on a mission to provide spaces for this to be changed, to provide a space for these emotions to be expressed and the tension in the body to be released . Why? Well- a lot of us don't have the tools and practices to help us with this stuff and because this stuff doesn't just go away. Mental health issues don't just go away, it can get worse overtime and it can cause physical issues in the body. I get it, speaking about emotions is not in your nature, getting in touch with our body is weird and unfamiliar and being vulnerable is even worse. But the fact is, this suppression of emotions and muscular tension in the body leads to an array of health problems such as pain in the body, shutting down when conflict arises, issues with sexual performance, lack of motivation and drive with life, inability to experience fun, reaching for vices, not feeling good enough or able to give your partner, daughter, son exactly what they need. This is because the energy stored from all the muscular tension and emotions is stagnant in the body and takes up space and energy.

The breath helps move oxygen around the body and gives us more energy, it connects us to our sensations in the body which helps us become aware of what we are holding. Movement, sound + touch helps stimulate the muscle tension helping the energy to be released leaving you feeling more lighter and energised... and yes, sometimes emotions can be there because of all the holding it together you've had to do. 

When we breathe deeply and consciously, we connect to ourselves more. When we are more connected to ourselves, we are able to connect with others and the world around us in a beautiful and profound way. Perspective is everything. Breathwork is an amazing tool to help you with your mental health and mindfulness without having to chat to much about it. This aspect of breathwork has personally helped me immensely in my journey with mental health. I found it very challenging to talk about my emotions, feel them in my body, let alone meditate or do other mindfulness activities, where as breathwork helped me work through things myself, gain clarity and remove tensions from my body. If you can relate breathwork is for you. 

This is for you if:

• You are curious about trying out breathwork
• You currently have a breathwork practice and want to learn more
• You feel anxious, stiff or tense in your body
• You are curious about self development and trying new things for your wellbeing and mental health
• When people ask you how you are you find yourself saying "yeah all good" or "I'm fine" (when really you know your not)
• You feel a bit of pressure around life and being successful
• You are unsure how you feel in your emotional body
• You feel like there is something more to life, but you don't know how to get there
• You feel ready for change in your life
• You feel stuck and unsure about a certain situation in your life and you keep going around in circles to find the answer
• You feel unmotivated 
• you have trouble sleeping
• You feel scared to share how you feel to certain people
• You are craving deeper connection with others around you or your partner or a new relationship
• You find yourself reaching for vices at the end of a work week to relax

What to expect for the evening:

• more doing- less talking
• education about biodynamic breathwork
• movement practice
• breathwork session 60 mins
• ground snacks at the end (how good)
• practical exercises you can take home with you

Breathwork:

Biodynamic Breathwork a conscious connected breathing modality based on working through the muscular tension in the body developed overtime through unprocessed emotions, overwhelming events and stress by using 6 main elements of breath, sound, touch, movement, emotions, and meditation. 

The tensions we store in our bodies due to the ego defences we put in place to feel safe in our infancy, they stop us from interacting with others and our environment from the place of our true authentic selves, from our hearts. This work is focused on releasing these tensions from our bodies, freeing up energy, allowing us to perceive and interact with the world authentically and honestly.

Other benefits may include:

• Lifts your mood and lowers anxiety
• Brings emotional clarity and calmness
• Boosts energy and stamina
• Strengthens immune system
• Reduces blood pressure
• Releases tension and expression in a safe environment
• Anchors joy and positive feelings in the body

It is highly recommended to keep the remainder of the evening free from too much stimulating activity or commitments.

Contraindications:

There are some contraindications to participating in this work

The breathwork is not suitable for people under the age of 16, with epilepsy, chronic heart conditions, chronic asthma and some mental health imbalances including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.

(If you require more clarification please get in contact)

With love,

El

Here's what some Men have to say about this workshop:

"Last night was amazing. It's been awhile since I've had an experience so profound and moving"

"Breathwork helped me release pent up emotions that I didn't even consciously know were there. You helped me feel safe and comfortable to do so, I think because you are down to earth. I liked that you weren't super hippie or Wu Wu, but just someone who wanted to share helpful tangible techniques that everyone can use to heal themselves."

"It was a fantastic overall session and I'm recommending it to all my buddies"

"I feel so much more myself today, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders"

"El  is a warm, strong and steady facilitator. I felt able to let go. It was particularly good to be doing it just with men. There's something special about a men's only breathwork session being held by a woman and specifically El. I feel glad and grateful for her calling."

"I could not recommend El more highly as a breathwork facilitator! The session I experienced with her was so much more than breathwork - I shifted so much and released so much through the dynamic nature of the practice. She looked after every important detail and when it came to needing support, El was there in a really warm and supportive way."

"The knowledge section at the start was done really well and was really supportive, your guidance during the session also helped"