Often the story of our breath had a rocky beginning. Many babies don't get the opportunity to let their first breath come naturally and gently. There is so much fear surrounding birth that most of us have been pressured and forcefully pushed to take our first breath. For a long time it was very common to hold babies upside down and hit them, to make them breathe.

Many people never took their first breath. It has been forced upon us. So from the very first beginning, life wasn’t something we chose, but something that has been chosen for us.

In my sessions I breathe with people. During this gentle breathing they sometimes remember their first breath. Sometimes this memory comes with very distinct physical sensations. It's amazing how aware we are seconds after being born. Many people remember quite clearly how bright they lights were, how loud and stressful the people around them sounded and how the first breath was pushed inside of them.

I am not a medical doctor so I don’t know the specific reasons for some of the physical stuff that happens when we force breath. But I am intuitive and notice how people react to being forced. Many people hold tensions in their lungs. To me it looks like all the natural energy pathways are tense and almost closed down. Many of them have lungs that never really had the chance to unfold in a gentle way.

One of my clients who has had asthma all her life experienced that the gentle breath helped her to let the traumatizing experiences of her first breath wash away. Instead of forcing her to breathe, we invited her to relax and for the first time she felt: "I want to breathe. But not the breath that is harsh and hurting me. I'd like to have this new breath, that is soothing and healing and good for my body."

After some time she found that deep in her lung there was tension melting away, the tender parts of her lungs kept unfolding and there was some cleansing going on. For the first time, she felt the deep joyful feeling of breath. It felt good for the very first time. Ahh, I can breathe. Her body opened up to life instead of fearfully shrinking away from it. She has much more energy now and her asthma is almost fully gone.

I wish people would notice that forcing someone to breathe doesn’t help at all. Just like forceful breathing methods bring up only more resistance. It's this new breath that is born in the stillness within you, a breath that is filled with the love of your soul, that really allows us to live.

It's amazing that nature even provides a natural space for us, a safe time for our first breath to come naturally. Right after we are born the umbilical cord is still working and sustaining us for a few minutes. So that we have time. So that we can start the transition into breathing gently. But in most hospitals it's standard procedure to cut the umbilical cord immmediately after birth and take away the safe space. They rather cut away the safeness and rush us quickly into breathing. That means that many of these babies will have to deal with the after effects of this traumatizing first breath later.

By washing away this breath that was not acceptable for you and replace it with a new breath you change the story of your life. You can rewrite your own story. The deep intimate connection that was missing between you and your life can start developing. This baby part of you that could never truly start breathing can receive the gift of a new breath for the first time. That is true magic for me.

Are you breathing? How does your breath feel for you?

Listen to a breathing experience online.