Ahead of his sold-out breathwork event at Projects this July, we chat to Josh about how he first came to the practise, and his top tips for getting started.
As one of the UK’s most influential mental health advocates, Josh regularly speaks on BBC, ITV & Channel 5 news. He’s also spoken in the House of Commons, contributed to mental health policy and even advised the scriptwriting team on Hollyoaks.
In our fast-paced and stressful modern world, finding effective ways to achieve inner balance and well-being is more crucial than ever. One ancient practice that has gained increasing popularity in recent years is breathwork. Rooted in ancient traditions and backed by scientific evidence, breathwork is a powerful technique that harnesses the innate power of the breath to improve physical, mental, and emotional health. In this article, we explore the concept of breathwork and its numerous benefits in promoting overall well-being.
Understanding Breathwork: Breathwork, as the name suggests, involves conscious and intentional control of breathing patterns. It encompasses a variety of techniques and exercises that influence the way we breathe, from simple deep breathing to more structured practices like pranayama in yoga or holotropic breathwork. The fundamental principle of breathwork revolves around the idea that our breath is a bridge between the mind and body, capable of affecting our physiological and psychological states.
Hi Josh! Tell us what it is that you do? I work with people to help them deepen their understanding of themselves and how they relate to the world. I do this through my online community and programmes, in person group work and with breathwork and other somatic practices. How did you first discover breathwork as a practice? I had just become sober, but after years of dependency and a lifetime of trauma, I was completely lost. Back then I believed that resilience was the ability to keep going no matter what, to avoid any struggle and show up. That ideal drove me to a place where I felt the best thing to do for my children was to take my own life. Today I have a new idea of resilience. One that is fluid, that allows me to struggle and ask for help. One that allows me to keep my head up and shoulders back in spite of my internal struggles. One that embraces vulnerability and keeps me reachable. One that helps me to understand what I feel, know what I need as a result and be able to communicate that within my activities and relationships.
I came across breathwork accidentally. I have always found it really hard to meditate and through trying to do that I had some big experiences from concentrating on my breath. This led me to explore breathwork properly and eventually train to facilitate sessions myself.
How did you first discover breathwork as a practice?
I had just become sober, but after years of dependency and a lifetime of trauma, I was completely lost. Back then I believed that resilience was the ability to keep going no matter what, to avoid any struggle and show up. That ideal drove me to a place where I felt the best thing to do for my children was to take my own life.
Today I have a new idea of resilience. One that is fluid, that allows me to struggle and ask for help. One that allows me to keep my head up and shoulders back in spite of my internal struggles. One that embraces vulnerability and keeps me reachable. One that helps me to understand what I feel, know what I need as a result and be able to communicate that within my activities and relationships.
I came across breathwork accidentally. I have always found it really hard to meditate and through trying to do that I had some big experiences from concentrating on my breath. This led me to explore breathwork properly and eventually train to facilitate sessions myself.
What are the benefits of the methods you teach and how do they work?
I work mainly with conscious connected breathing to help people come into their bodies in a way they haven’t before. I do this with a focus on emotional release.
Are there any simple breathwork techniques you’d recommend for people during their working day?
The best breathwork practice is an experimental one. Experimenting with nasal breathing and mouth breathing while changing the lengths of your inhale and exhale can lead to building a relationship with the breathwork.
What is the one thing that you wish everyone knew about breathwork?
How accessible and simple it is to try!
How can people get involved with your community and learning from you?
I am very active online, you can find me on all socials – @josh_ffw and all upcoming events are on my website – joshconnolly.co.uk
What’s your big dream for the future?
I am working on a number of projects that will help me to reach even more people to help them understand the amount of power they actually have over their own healing journeys.
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