Choose to breath. Breath to choose.

Trying out the Breathwork technique to aid in decision-making

I am very easily persuaded to try just about any technique, framework or method in order to see if it helps in decision-making.

Today I've had my first-ever experience with Breathwork. Given the focus of this blog, I won't go into emotional details, although it was a surprisingly emotional experience, given all you do is, well, breath. No yoga-style complex poses, no real sweat: in fact you pretty much lay down, relax and breath to a rhythm, music, and voice. Well, sometimes you are asked to stop breathing, but that tends not be so hard. While it did not turn out to be exactly a leisurely experience, it still amazed me just how much I was touched by simply breathing.

So what is there in Breathwork for your intrepid decision-maker? Well, a couple of things stood out for me:

1) I practiced staying committed to my decision. I've made the decision to test Breathwork by joining the group practice, but up until almost the very end I was very tempted to quit. I felt it was hard, it was pointless, thoughts kept getting in the way, and so on... But I decided to test the technique, so I forced myself to stay until the end. Do you want to see each decision you make in life through to the glorious (or bitter) end? Probably not, but, when making any hard decision, it's best to be realistic: that initial decision is just the first one of many that you will have to make along the way to the outcome you want.

2) By the end of the practice I felt really connected to my feelings and more able to focus on what is truly meaningful to me. So, are you looking at a number of possible decision outcomes, and you are unsure how you feel about them? This seems like a good and relatively simple practice that will help select where you really want to end up.

3) Another positive effect I personally noticed was a significant reduction in decision fatigue. You know how sometimes you just don't have the energy to make that decision, even when you know perfectly well what option you prefer? Well, seems like this practice gives a jolt that almost forces you to decide, presumably by reinforcing the emotional connection with the outcome you desired in the first place.

It's worth noting right here that there are some physical conditions that preclude you from being able to do Breathwork, but the rules seem to be more relaxed, as compared to more physically demanding exercise. Nevertheless, "read the instructions before usage".

All in all, I found this to be a great experience that, of course, needs to be tried a few more times and researched in-depth. Stay tuned!