Ilaria Toscano Deep Breathing.
This is potentially a life-changing bit of information. It has been for me. I could point out some really cool texts to motivate you (and if I were to do that, then James Nestor’s Breath would be at the top of the list). But let’s get to the real thing. The boring part first:
In the last few weeks I’ve discovered that if I breathe in such a way as to expand my chest every time, it relieves some kind of compression in my spine, which I think has been causing all manner of painful symptoms for a really long time. So, I remembered breathing. Which is an important part of life. I know this, but I don’t pay attention. I even read Nestor’s book! And still I pay no attention. And since breathing is a big deal in many (most?) (all?) spiritual traditions, and since I’ve been thinking a lot about those traditions lately, I then remembered Stan Grof and his holotropic breath work. Somebody once told me it “works.” He developed it as an LSD substitute when acid was criminalized. (I think that’s true.) So I thought I’d finally look it up, and did. Oh gee, so much to read! I don’t have the time. So: YouTube! Oh dear, even the new, improved, and short version is like 3 hours or something… and the real thing was days long and immersive & I do not have the time… And why should I trust these people anyway? But then thanks to the Algorithm, YouTube showed me a ONE HOUR transformative!! breathing meditation!! … WITH MUSIC!! So I clicked. Hey! I like this guy! Seems no nonsense, just the facts. Quick, immediate, fail-safe (unless you have heart or lung issues, which I do not). Anyway whatever the reason, I thought “Let’s do this!” So I watched the intro. Short, easy. Lie down, get comfortable, put in earbuds, relax and breathe. Just listen to some music and breathe. Actually, hyperventilate for an hour… pretty much that’s it. Well, he does say you should let your body guide you, so you can move, scream, sing, or whatever seems right. Here’s the link:
DMT Breathing Exercise (Easy Natural High) - Full Guided Session.
I’m not quite sure what got into me, because I’m usually allergic to this kind of thing. But he wasn’t selling anything and I liked his accent. And his attitude.
So, I guess I should say I was astonished and thunderstruck. Maybe it was more than that. I had no idea this could happen. It was far more interesting and powerful than any psilocybin experience I ever had. Plus I felt GOOD afterward, rather than BAD. Plus you’re back to more or less normal 30 minutes later. I didn’t know until a couple days later that he tells you to do this once a week at most, but I like extremes anyway. I’ve done the one-hour session on six of the last eight days. And it feels wonderful. I will not go into the visionary stuff here, but it is a big deal, at least for me. Very. Kind of punches a hole in reality everyday. Some of us need that.
It occurs to me now that this connects with the shamanic-guys-drumming-in-a-circle stuff that I’ve always scorned. So much for my stupid scorn… There is no necessary cultural structure to this, shamanic, yogic, or otherwise. It’s strictly BYO. As it happens, I find the bodywork aspect connecting to musical improvisation very powerfully. I find myself dancing vigorously (while lying down, which is excellent at my age), in improvisational flights of fancy that are really, honestly wonderful. And then I do get visitors… not always clear who they are, but they come every time. I think they want something.
So I thought I should post this to you all. Go check out Joseph Oliver’s breathing exercise and see what it does to you. Really.
Hey Tom
Thanks for this tip. I have tried the breathwork with Joseph now given your strong recommendation- and wow. I found it amazing on so many levels. Thanks for sharing and stepping into that unknown edge you seem to love and thrive on 😊🫶
Learning to breathe is the essential part of voice lessons. After many years...my singing voice developed. Singing is now my greatest joy-- the consolation of my old age.