Shamanic Breathwork: Achieving Altered States of Consciousness and Benefit the Mind and Spirit

Learning to breathe sounds almost like a paradox, and yet it’s a skill that most of us could benefit from. Through conscious breathing, it’s possible to find inner piece, transformational experiences and interconnectedness.

There are a multitude of different ways to breathe, from gentle yogic practices, to the more intense shamanic methods.

At the most basic level of understanding, it involves voluntarily inducing a state of hyperventilation. By repeatedly breathing with vigorous intensity, altered states can be reached.

So why would anyone do this? Shamanic breath-work is an indigenous practice that dates back thousands of years - said to benefit the holy triad of mind, body and spirit - and in this article we explore some of the ways in which it does this.