The Importance of Framing in Breathwork Sessions
WHAT IS THE ‘FRAME’ IN BREATHWORK AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?
When a person comes to a breathwork session for the first time, it’s important to recognise that they may have many expectations, fears, concerns or other questions. It’s normal when we enter new situations to experience a little trepidation, so the more we can do to reassure our clients, the more likely they are to have a ‘positive’ experience of their session even if it’s a challenging one for them.
Apart from the fact there are some serious contra-indications for breathwork which need very clearly spelling out, there are also many mental and emotional potential experiences that need framing too. When clients know that what they are experiencing is ‘normal’ they can relax and come out of any hyper-alert states - knowing that you framed this and that it’s something common to other breathers offers comfort and reassurance on both conscious and sub- conscious levels.
We have seen many untrained facilitators leading people into cathartic states of trauma release without framing the many important aspects of a breathwork session, thus leaving clients high and dry and extremely vulnerable - let’s not be one of those people!
The Most Crucial Aspects of the Frame:
Are there any new breathers?
Contra-Indications (physical/mental health) in breathwork, and the waiver
Common physical symptoms and why they may arise
Emotional release, trauma release, and the re-living of previous memories and experiences.
Use of touch & consent - boundaries and what to expect.
The Practice - how it looks, what to do/not to do. Demo.
Letting go of expectations and why that’s important
How the session will be structured (length of session, commitment to staying in the room,
music, shares at the end)
Closing the session and aftercare/integration
We need to go through the contra-indications in every session; no exceptions!
You can never say this too many times, and believe me, it’s important! We’ve seen some very serious abreactions in breathwork and if you have not mentioned them, got signed waivers and demonstrated due diligence, you could risk being sued. Ask your breathers to let you or your assistants know if they have any reason to not be breathing this way, but please be sensitive. Don’t put your breathers in a situation where they have to share personal information publicly, as they may feel so uncomfortable about doing so that they don’t declare a risk. It’s YOUR job to put them at ease, not theirs to keep getting your attention.
Explain in as grounded a way as possible what kind of physical, mental or emotional symptoms they may experience and also let them know how to regulate their symptoms if it feels too much for them (we will cover this). It’s also a really good idea to bring in the possibility/likelihood of emotional and/or trauma release so they don’t feel alarmed or alone if things arise and they feel self conscious about it. Pre-empting in your frame offers enormous reassurance!
In summary, the frame is what creates a sense of safety for your breathers - it sets the tone for the session, and when done well, will invite people back to the incredible healing power of the breath over and over again! Why not consider joining our training to discover more…
Watch a full and comprehensive explanation HERE.
