If I’m learning anything it’s that I have a lot to learn. I’d like to experiment a bit more in all aspects of my life. This trip is as much about discovering new places as it is about learning new skills and understanding who I am as a person.
I met a man here at the hostel the other night and we meditated together. His name is Kristian and he has experience guiding meditation sessions. He created a very open space for everyone that was there. We were able to talk openly with each other and that felt refreshing.
At first, I will admit, I was a bit jealous. Usually, I’m the person that helps other people learn about meditation. It makes me feel important. And I felt a bit usurped by this guy. But I noticed I was feeling this way and I decided it was a silly way to react. I don’t want to let my pride getting in the way of me learning new things from other people.
To be honest you could feel this man’s energy and it was very calming. I could tell this guy knew what he was talking about and the meditation session went extremely well for me. It was what I needed at that moment.
He introduced us to something I have never done before called holotropic breathing. It’s a breathing technique that is used for emotional healing and wellness. You breathe very deeply into your stomach, then your chest, and finally you expunge all of the air. You build up a quick rhythm for a few minutes until you’re finally asked to hold your breath for a time.
By doing this you alter the oxygen levels in your body. You start to feel tingling in your body, especially in the limbs. It feels similar to when your foot or your hand falls asleep. Breathing in this way produces an altered state of consciousness. I would compare it to your mental state when you go for a long run. You’re better able to focus on the body and the breath.
It was difficult and after a certain period of time, I started to believe that I couldn’t continue to breathe like this any longer. But you are encouraged to continue. The breath is very powerful and it can overcome the limits that the brain puts on it.
I would like to continue doing this type of breathwork because I want to experiment more. I know how to do various types of meditations but I really haven’t challeneged myself much over the last few years to learn anything new. I’ve been doing the same types of meditations each day and it’s a bit easy to get bored and to feel stagnant.