Preparing to Journey with Breath
What is Breath Medicine?
Breath Medicine weaves together ideas from breathwork, mindfulness, somatic therapy, earth connection practices and psychedelic therapy.
You will learn to journey with the breath to access expanded states of consciousness, and integrate those experiences into meaningful action and lasting change in your life.
The core principles of Breath Medicine are:
Relationship
At its core, Breath Medicine is about building and deepening relationships. This begins with the co-creation of safety - a shared commitment between facilitators and practitioners, cultivated through preparation, presence, and clear intention. From this foundation, we explore and deepen our relationship with the breath, which opens the door to exploring and deepening the multitude of other relationships in our lives - with our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits; our families and communities; and everything that makes up the web of life we belong to - from the plants and animals around us, to the rivers and rocks beneath us, to the cosmos above.
This philosophy is built on the understanding that it is through relationship that we heal, and through relationship that we find joy and happiness.
Led by You
Once the container is set, you’re empowered to take the lead as you journey with the breath. Facilitators will always honor and respect the wisdom of your body and psyche, offering support and guidance from their own experience, always respecting your autonomy and agency.
Cultivating Mindful Awareness
You’ll be supported to connect and be with the sensations, emotions, thoughts and imagery of each moment. Cultivating mindful awareness and acceptance supports you to deepen into the experience and builds resilience, presence, and well-being.
Creative Expression
Every one of us is unique. We have our own ways of being and our own gifts to share with the world. Breath Medicine isn’t about fixing, it’s about connecting you with the fullest expression of yourself, so you can share your gifts fully and joyfully.
Integration
The journey is only the beginning. Breath Medicine supports practitioners to explore a variety of techniques to integrate the material that surfaces during Breath Medicine journeys - translating insight into meaningful change in everyday life.
Who is Breath Medicine for?
Breath Medicine is for anyone seeking a deeper connection with themselves, their body, and the world around them.
It’s for those who sense there’s more to life than the day-to-day rush - who are ready to slow down, feel, and listen.
It’s for people longing to heal, grow, and live with more presence, joy, and authenticity.
You might be drawn to Breath Medicine if you:
Are navigating a period of change, challenge, or transition and want tools for grounding and clarity.
Feel disconnected from your body, emotions, or sense of purpose and want to reconnect.
Are curious about altered-state or expanded-state practices and want a safe and grounded way to explore them.
Have engaged in psychedelic-assisted therapy and want to integrate insights and experiences into your daily life.
Work in a helping or creative profession and are seeking embodied ways to replenish and stay connected to your own vitality.
Simply want to deepen your relationship with your breath, your body, and your innate wisdom.
For those who hold spaces for transformation and healing, Breath Medicine supports you to become a deeply attuned practitioner - able to hold space for growth with skill, sensitivity, and presence. Whether you’re drawn to personal transformation, professional development, or both, Breath Medicine meets you exactly where you are and supports you to grow from there.
Why Breath Medicine?
Breathwork and plant medicine (aka psychedelics) are getting a lot of attention, and are making a move from the fringes of our culture into the mainstream.
Breath Medicine aims to integrate ideas from a number of breathwork approaches, with trauma-informed somatic facilitation and a deep sense of humility. It focuses on relational safety and empowering participants as the backbone of the work. It is informed by the emerging research, yet is openly accepting of the mysterious and sacred nature of exploring expanded states.
It was created by breathworkers who were somatic facilitators and trainers in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy before entering the field of breathwork - and it aims to integrate the best of these worlds, with a focus on creating safety, minimising power dynamics and empowering participants to connect with their unique essence, in order to live joyful, vibrant lives.
Breath practices come in all shapes and sizes - there are many ways to dance with the spirit of the breath - from structured and intentional to continuous and embodied, through to exploratory and integrative. Each approach offers unique doorways into awareness, regulation, and transformation.
Breath Medicine is a philosophy and a methodology of practice that integrates a variety of breath and somatic practices to support people to come into deep relationship with their breath. As we develop and deepen our relationship with our breath, we peel away our layers and parts to connect us with our innate wisdom, delivering the pieces that we need for the next steps in our life. Through this process, the breath becomes medicine, connecting us to our true essence, purpose, vitality and creativity.
Breath Medicine integrates ideas and techniques from a variety of schools of thought. We choose not to use the term breathwork when describing Breath Medicine. Not only are the ideas and practices broader than those found in breathwork, we believe that the term breathwork starts us off on the wrong foot. Coming into relationship with our breath is about work sometimes, but often it’s not. With Breath Medicine we work, rest, play and be with breath.
A central practice in Breath Medicine is learning to journey with the breath. Journeying is a practice found in many cultures and spiritual traditions. In a journey, an expanded state of consciousness is entered, with the intention of gaining insight or clarity for a specific challenge that one is experiencing in their life. Many techniques are used to activate the expanded state: the breath, psychedelic/plant medicines, meditation, drums, rattles and singing, guided visualisation and dance are all examples of techniques that can activate an expanded state and support people to journey.
As one develops a meaningful journeying practice, their life inevitably changes. Journeying becomes a resource, a safe-haven. When we’re confused, overwhelmed or distressed with the unfolding events in our lives we have a reliable way to turn inwards and gain clarity.
It isn’t a silver bullet. Sometimes the insights we gain are uncomfortable to receive and require action that is even more uncomfortable, but we are no longer rudderless, unsure of why life has taken the turns it has taken and unclear on what steps need to be taken to return to well-being.
With Breath Medicine, we start by learning to journey with the breath, following the guidance provided below. The approach:
Holds flexibility to meet the unique needs of each individual, allowing the full spectrum of journeying - from quiet and gentle to loud and expressive.
Is trauma-informed, accessible, and non-dogmatic.
Honours the wisdom of both mind and body, empowering individuals to connect with intuition and creative expression.
Treats journeying as an ongoing practice - a resource we can deepen into and draw upon throughout our lives.
Invites autonomy, encouraging each person to determine what feels right for them in the moment.
Explores, with curiosity, connection practices that open us to the spirit of the breath.
Welcomes the mystery of life, supporting participants and practitioners alike to cultivate a worldview and spirituality that feels true to them.
Then we learn how to integrate the insights of our journeys - using a broad range of techniques and practices that are relational and somatic in nature - until we are ready to journey again for another round of insight. As our practice deepens, we become resourced and resilient, safe in the knowledge that when times get tough, we have everything we need right under our noses.
Shared Agreements
Whenever journeying with the breath, we ask all participants (including facilitator(s)) to commit to the following shared agreements.
Presence - arriving as we are, with ourselves, each other, and the land.
Confidentiality - what is shared here remains here, unless revisited with consent. We share our own experiences, not others.
Consent - choice is always welcome and respected.
Responsibility & Accountability - tending to our needs with agency, our actions, our impact, and our shared role in co-creating this container.
Respect - listening deeply, speaking truthfully, and welcoming difference.
Connection - remembering our interconnectedness, and reaching out when we need support or contact.
Feedback - offered with care, received with openness.
Curiosity - meeting whatever arises with wonder and willingness, acknowledging and exploring our edges.
The Space - caring for the land, the environment we share, and the way we hold one another within it.
These shared agreements support safety and create the conditions for deep and meaningful journeying.
The Arc of the Experience
A Breath Medicine journey begins with an intake process, and then has 3 phases.
Preparation
The Journey
Integration
Intake
Before registering, you’ll be asked to complete an intake form. This gives your facilitator(s) relevant information about you, that will support safe practice. You will notice a series of medical and psychological contraindications. It’s important to note that the majority of these do not exclude participants from journeying with the breath, but they may require some alteration of the approach. In these cases, your facilitator will touch base with you before the journey begins.
Preparation
The preparation phase runs from the moment you decide to participate in a journey, up until the experience begins.
The aim is to create a sense of safety and preparedness.
The main aspects are:
Education - learning about the experience, what to expect and how to navigate it (the contents of this document)
Building relationship - getting to know your facilitator(s), building trust and co-creating safety
Setting intentions - developing clear intentions for what you wish to get out of the journey (while also holding these lightly and even letting them go).
Before the Day
In the lead up to the journey, there are often some online materials you’ll be asked to read or watch if you haven’t done a Breath Medicine journey before (including this document) and the intake form to complete, as mentioned above.
If you have any questions or concerns in the lead up to a journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your facilitator(s) so they can assist.
In some circumstances, there may be additional prep before the day, such as a group call or 1:1 session with your facilitator(s). This can support the forming of the container and deepening of the experience, but is in no way necessary for safe and meaningful journeying.
Preparing the Space
For in-person events, the space will be prepared before the beginning of the session.
Generally, there will be a mat for each breather, arranged in a circle. In the centre of the circle there will often be a small shared connection space or altar - a simple arrangement of objects such as flowers, stones, or candles, chosen by the facilitator. It serves as a visual anchor and reminder that our time together is intentional and set apart from daily life. For some, it is simply an aesthetically calming focal point; for others, it may carry symbolic meaning, representing a connection to something greater than ourselves. Its purpose is to support a shared sense of presence and respect for the process.
You are invited to bring any objects that carry meaning for you into the space. You may wish to have them close to you as you journey, or you may wish to add them to the shared connection space.
When journeying online, please organise a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted for the duration of the session. If you wish to set up by your own personal connection space or set up a temporary connection space for the journey, you are invited to do so.
In-Person Preparation
When the group comes together on the day (either in-person or online), the facilitator will lead the group through a short grounding and acknowledgement to mark the beginning of the session.
From here, there are 3 elements that form the in-person preparation before journeying. Two are present in every session and the third is optional. The order of these is variable from session to session:
Prep discussion: the exact contents will change from session to session, but will often recap parts of this document for new breathers, and reminding everyone about the shared agreements of the space, including consent and confidentiality. There will be an opportunity to ask questions during this discussion.
Intention setting: an opportunity for everyone to consider and clarify their intention for the journey. This will include an opportunity to share intentions with the group.
Somatic and relational exercises: while these may be left out in some sessions, often the facilitator will lead one or more somatic or relational exercises as a way to support everyone in the group to land in the space and connect with themselves and each other.
The Journey
The Arc
The journey follows an arc - with a beginning, middle and end - which is supported by the music. It begins quietly, builds to a crescendo in the middle, and then settles in the second half to support everyone’s landing, which begins the integration process of the journey.
To begin the journey, everyone will follow the breathing instructions below to drop into the experience. We often refer to this as inviting in the spirit of the breath. At some point, a threshold is crossed as your awareness expands and you are able to go within. From there you will allow the experience to unfold until you feel yourself landing again in the space and in a more ordinary state.
When you land, you have two choices. If the music suggests that the journey is still in the beginning or middle phase, you are invited to continue with activating breathing, to catalyse another wave and continue journeying. If the music is beginning to settle, or you feel you are ready, simply allow the breath to return to normal and spend some time in stillness, allowing your mind and body to process the experience.
If you are still in an activated state, or continuing with activating breathing in the latter stages of a journey, your facilitator(s) may come and assist you to settle into stillness. This ensures all participants land safely by the end of the session.
Activation: Inviting in the Spirit of Breath
The mechanism that allows us to drop into the experience during a Breath Medicine journey is to breathe more air in and out than we usually do, while staying calm and trusting the unfolding process. This energises and activates our system, and when done for a sustained period, our awareness begins to expand, and eventually we often forget about the breath altogether as our awareness goes within.
To begin, you will be encouraged to breathe more fully than you generally do, and to reduce any pauses at the top and bottom of your breath. This may only be slightly fuller breathing than you do in every day life, and this is fine.
This gives you a baseline for the journey. For some, this level is enough, and they can journey deeply with just this minor alteration to their breathing pattern, when held in a supportive container. In fact, as one’s practice deepens, they may be able to journey deeply without making any conscious alteration to their breath at all - simply setting the container and being present with the breath is enough.
However, for many, it will be necessary to generate more energy. This is done by (1) breathing with fuller, more expansive breaths and/or (2) breathing faster. You can explore these two variables to find the right breathing pattern for you in any given moment.
As you increase the depth and rate of breathing, you may be comfortable breathing through your nose, or you may feel an urge to open your mouth, either breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, or breathing in and out through the mouth. These all work. Please follow your intuition to find a breathing pattern that works best for you.
A Note on Types of Breathing
Breath exploration can happen using any of the following or combinations of:
Nose/ nose breathing - in and out through the nose
Nose/ mouth breathing - in through the nose and out through the mouth or in through the mouth and out through the nose.
Mouth/ mouth breathing - in and out through the mouth
Breath holds on the exhalation
Breath holds on the inhalation
As noted previously, some contraindications will impact what is appropriate. In particular, for some people (a) breath holds and (b) sustained, highly activating breathing, such as fast, mouth-mouth breathing are contraindicated. If this is the case based on your intake form, it will be discussed with you by your facilitator(s) prior to the journey.
The following supports connection with the breath to be activating or deactivating
What to Expect
Each journey is unique. As you enter into the experience you may encounter:
Physical responses: tingling, changes in body temperature, spontaneous movements, tears, laughter, yawning, aching, pain or muscle tightness. Sometimes people experience tetany (see note below)— a temporary cramping or stiffness in the hands, feet, or around the mouth. This is a common and safe response to changes in breathing chemistry; it will ease as you soften the breath, and can sometimes resolve on its own, even if you continue breathing with intensity.
Emotional experiences: joy, sadness, fear, release, or unexpected catharsis.
Mental imagery and insight: memories, symbolic visions, a sense of spacious awareness or vibrant, creative thought.
States of being: deep calm, heightened energy, or a feeling of connection.
Expression: you may feel a natural desire to express what is moving through you — through sound (such as sighing, crying, or vocalising) or through physical movement (such as shaking, stretching, or gestures).
All of these responses are natural. The process is not about achieving any particular state, but about allowing what arises to unfold.
*A note on Tetany - If tetany appears this can be supported through movement and sound, downshifting through slowing your breath down, disconnecting the breath and adding pauses at the top and bottom of the breath, pausing and reorienting, anchoring in the body, rolling onto your side. It is also an option to continue breathing fully into tetany. While this may be safe, we only recommend this for experienced journeyers
Navigating the Experience
As sensations, emotions, or images arise, the guidance is to be with whatever is arising. Once you are pulled into your inner world, allow the experience to unfold. If you feel a natural urge to express through movement or sound, you are encouraged to follow it - giving your body and voice permission to release and communicate in whatever way feels right.
If you feel challenged, try to lean into the breath as a source of support. If you feel overwhelmed, you can always slow down, return to a gentler rhythm, or reach out to a facilitator. Trust that your body and psyche know how to guide the process.
When you find yourself landing and coming back into a more ordinary state of awareness, you have two choices. If the music suggests it is still the beginning or middle of the experience, you are invited to re-enter into an activating breath, and begin another wave. If the music suggests the session is nearing the end, you are encouraged to allow your breathing to return to a natural rhythm and spend some time in stillness to process the experience.
Typically the music follows the Arc of the experience and will begin to downshift about ½ way - sometimes a little before. The invitation here is to follow this downshift as it will begin the deactivation and relaxation process that supports integration of the experience. The more integration, the more your system is recalibrating and adjusting to the experience. There needs to be a supported balance between activation and relaxation.The work you do in this space sets the foundation for your future Breath Medicine journeys.
Facilitation Support
Your facilitator(s) are present throughout the journey to ensure safety and to offer support when it may be helpful. Their role is to hold the space, witness your process, and provide support if invited or indicated. All the methods of facilitation mentioned below are invitations, never instructions. If your intuition is saying something and a facilitator is saying something else, ask the facilitator to give you some space and follow your intuition.
Touch: Facilitators may offer simple supportive touch, such as a hand on the shoulder or providing resistance for you to push against if your body seeks it. Some facilitators work with technical touch, with the intention of supporting the deepening of your process. Touch will always be consensual and discussed on the day before the journey, and you are free to decline or adjust at any time.
Sound: At times, facilitators may use their voice or sound — such as tones, words of encouragement, or rhythmic cues — to support your process and help energy move.
Breathing: Facilitators may breathe audibly with the group or an individual, modelling a steady rhythm or gently amplifying their breath at times. This can provide an anchor, help re-establish connection with the practice, and support the collective energy of the circle.
Requesting support: If you need help during the session, you can raise your hand or make eye contact with a facilitator. They will come to you and offer assistance, which may include presence and verbal or physical support if you wish. In online spaces a facilitator will always be watching the chat, and available via phone if needed.
As mentioned above, all facilitation is an invitation, never an instruction. Always follow your intuition if it is contradicting something being offered by a facilitator. The one exception to this, is when it’s nearing the end of a journey. If you are still moving into activation during the deactivation phase, your facilitator(s) may encourage you to begin to settle. In this case, please respect that all good things come to an end and follow the guidance provided, so that everyone can land by the end of the journey.
Landing
As the journey reaches completion, the facilitator(s) will give some gentle instruction to bring everyone back into the room and to return to a seated position.
Integration
After the journey, everyone will have an opportunity to share their experience. Often this is with all members of the group. In some formats (especially in a larger group) it may be with a smaller group of participants. The invitation is to share in essence what is happening for you in the moment. Knowing that any words or shape you give to an experience becomes it and holds power.
The facilitator(s) will then close the session to finish up. Please note that sometimes, especially if it was a big journey, you may need some additional time to ground before being ready to leave the space and re-enter the world. This is absolutely fine, and please let your facilitator(s) know so they can stay with you.
After the Session
It’s common to feel sensitive, open, or tired after journeying with the breath - sometimes you may even feel energised or a little “high”. Drinking plenty of water is a good idea for the rest of the day. The effects may continue to unfold in the hours or days that follow. Be gentle with yourself and, if needed, seek extra support from facilitators or your own support network.
There are many practices that can be supportive to help you integrate the experience and make the most out of it. Some suggestions include:
Rest and sleep - give your body time to recover and absorb the experience.
Journaling or creative expression - writing, drawing, or creating art can help give shape to insights or emotions.
Movement - gentle stretching, yoga, walking in nature, or dance to support integration through the body.
Meditation or breath awareness - spending quiet time in stillness can help settle the nervous system and deepen reflection.
Talking with trusted others - sharing with a close friend, therapist, or integration group can provide perspective and support. You can also reach out to your facilitator for a follow up call or session.
Grounding practices - eating nourishing food, taking a warm shower, connecting with the earth (bare feet on grass, gardening, etc.).
Limiting stimulation - allowing time away from screens, work, or busy environments can help preserve the openness of the experience.
Ritual or intention setting - revisiting any themes or insights from your journey and considering how they may be woven into daily life.
Taking Time - simple time and space can often provide the grounding we need after our journeys. Be guided by your intuition of what you may need in the moment - resting, lying in the sun, being in water and attending to your somatic needs can be the foundation for allowing meaning to form.
A gentle reminder: it can be tempting to act on powerful insights right away, but it’s best to give yourself some time before making big life decisions. Allow the experience to settle and return to it with perspective in the days and weeks that follow. Be aware that the story of your journey emerges when you name it and share it - maybe give yourself some time to process before defining it and sharing only what feels right.
If anything arises that you are uncertain about, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your facilitator(s) for support.