IBFNewsletterSeptember2019

Respiration&Inspiration

MyGratitudetoLeonardOrrJimMorningstarDirector,TransformationsIncorporated

Leonard is my older brother. Assuch he was for me a pioneer inopening the doors ofconsciousness, an innovator whoquestioned controlling orrepressivestandardsandateacherwho attracted thousands ofstudents in search of innerempowerment. He was also anindividualist who eschewedmanysocialstandards,aniconoclastwhowould shake up expectations ofspiritual leadership with

statementssuchas“Imademyfirstmilliondollarssellingair,”andarebelwhodelighted inchallenging timeencrustedbeliefswithconceptssuchas “physicalimmortality.”MyintroductiontoLeonardcamethroughmyTaiChiteacher,FredLehrman,in1976wholaterbecameoneofthefirstcertifiedrebirthers.JoanandIhadbeenonour spiritualpath for several years, living inanurban spiritual community,doing monthly Enlightenment Intensives and learning from many qualityteachers, someofwhomweregreatproponentsofhealthybreathing. SowhenFred,whowascommutingfromNewYorktoteachTaiChi inMilwaukeewherewe lived, said he had learned rebirthing from Leonard and recommendedwebringrebirthingtoourcommunity, itwasperfectlyordainedtiming. JoanandIhadjustpurchasedourfirsthouse,ahundredyearoldthreestoryDutchColonialwhichhadmoreroomsthanweknewwhattodowith.Sowejustifiedit inourminds by inviting other to live there and dedicating space for traveling guruswhomight come to town.The thirdfloorbecame thefirst rebirthing centre inourcity.DianneHintermanandMarciaHarperwerethefirstrebirtherstocome

anddosessionsthere.Theyblewtheroofoffwithsessionsthatdefiedanylogicalexplanations.Forexample,Icamehomeonedaytoapungentoderinthehouseand was told that during a rebirthing session with a woman earlier that day,almosteveryoneattendinghernearlypassedoutwhileshewasbreathingandreleasing a peculiar smell. She later informed the rebirthers that during heractualbirthabottleofchloroformwasdroppedandbrokeinthedeliveryroomandalmost all themedical staffwasovercomewith the fumes.A cellularbirthtraumarelease.Itwasmy own breathing, however, that convincedme Iwanted to be trainedasap in thiswork.Thathappenedbefore Iknew it.DuringmyregularMondaynight Bio-energetic class an attendee fell to the floor and startedhyperventilating.Ihadtoeitherstopherorbecomeaninstantrebirtherandleadherthroughasession.Afterthatweputourtwochildrenonaplaneandwentoffto do our first rebirthing training in New Orleans during Mardi Gras withLeonardOrr.Hewaswelcomingtoourchildrenbeingthereasthechildinhimwasalwaysopentochildren.Itwasamagicaltimeandsetmeonamissiontogetas much training as I could and become a certified rebirther. That happenedwithin two years at the Rebirthing Jubilee in Sun Valley, ID, a convention ofbreathersfromaroundtheworld.Atthattimethecertificationprocessinvolvedstandingupinfrontofeverypersonintheroomandstatingyouwereacertifiedrebirther.Ifonepersonobjectedyouweredonefortheyear.Italsorequiredaninterviewwithallthecurrentcertifiedrebirtherseachofwhomhadtogivetheirsignaturetoyou.TherewereninecertifiedatthetimeandSondraRaywasthelasttogiveherapprovaltomeattheinductionceremonyconcludingthejubilee.Aperfecttestforme,becauseasLeonardtaught,inspiteofthisprocesswecanonlytrulycertifyourselves.IhadtocertifythatIwasarebirtherinmyownheartregardless of public approval before I got outside validation. I was the 12thcertifiedrebirther.Thiscertificationprocessendedthenextyearasanumberofus rebelled, as good students should, because it was at a point where it wasslowingdowntheworldwidespreadofthebreathingmovement.Ithenbecamethe co-director of Leonard’s Theta International and organised the seminarcircuit forOneYear Seminar teachers in cities across theUS andCanada. ThiswasLeonard’scommunitybuildingorganisationwhichfosteredlocalorganisersfortwiceamonthseminarsandrebirthings.Communitybuildingisstillamajorfocusformeandhasgottenrenewedvigourinthenextchapterofmylife.Meanwhile,backinourthirdfloorrebirthingroomwhileDianeandFredwereintowndoing seminars and sessions, Fred suddenlywent to sleep and a strangemanappearedtoDianeandtoldhertocometoIndia.Thismusthavebeenoneofthoseinvitationsthatwereverycompelling,becauseshedid.Upondisembarkingin India shewasmetby someonewhobadeher to comewithhimup into thefoothills of the Himalayas. After some travel they arrived at Babaji’s ashram.Diane recognised him instantly as the man who had appeared to her.Subsequentlya seriesof continuouslymindblowingoccurrenceshappened forDiane who then persuaded Leonard to come to Haidakhan where Babaji’sashramis.NowthemostfrequentcircumstanceforthosecomingtotheashramwasthatBabajiwouldallowvisitorstostayafewdaysandthensendthemhometolivetheirlife,hopefullywithsometransformationofspirit.Asitturnedouthe

allowedDianetostaysevenmonths.Manystoriescamebackfromhertomethatwere transformative in my life. The presence of Babaji grew stronger for mefrom then on. He is still a major teacher and influence in my life. He wasrecognised by Leonard and Sondra, who camewith him, asmajor teachers intheir lives and a central inspiration in the breathwork movement. Leonard’sdevotiontotheteachingsandinspirationofBabajicontinuedthroughouthislife.Babajiteacheswith“leela,”divineplay.Diane recounted thatwhatever shewas thinking, Babaji seemed to know.OnedayshewasquestioningthevalidityofrebirthinginhermindwhenshelookedupandsawBabajilayingonthegrounddoingrebirthingbreathing.Shethenhadthethoughtthatrebirthingwasobviouslytheanswertoeverything,uponwhichBabajiimmediatelyproceededtostopbreathingcompletelyforalongtimeandthenwinkandsmileather.There,nowyouhavegottentheteachingandwillinterpretitasyouwill.Leonard continued his tireless work in spreading the healing agency andspiritual transformations of the Spirit of Breath throughout theworld. He hasinspired countless others to take up their calling be pioneers in their owncommunities. Seehiswritingsonwhatmakesdemocracywork.Hehaspassedthetorchofleadershipontosomanywhohaveinturnpasseditontoothers.Iknow because that is how it has and continues to work for me. A grassrootsrevolutionofempowermentratherthananempirebuildingmodeloftopdownleadership.ThisisLeonard’s legacyforusall.AlegacyforwhichIameternallygratefultocarrywitheveryconsciousbreathIbreathe.OmNamahShivaya.PS. A note on the concept of Physical Immortality which, I believe, is oftenmisunderstood.Leonardhadapassion for this conceptandspentgooddealoftimefindingpeoplewhowere300+yearsold. It isnotaboutwhocan live thelongest. It is about living consciously such that thebeliefs aboutdeath arenotrunningyourlife. It isexperiencingtheimmortalnatureofwhoyouessentiallyare such that your body is an extension of that consciousness and its destinyfollows from that, not outside sources like illness, family belief systems,“accidents”norplannedobsolescence.Babajihimselflefthisbodyconsciouslyaspart of his leela. Fully integrating physical immortality can lead to your lifebecomingmoreleela.

MessagefromElviOrrDearfriends,My wonderful husband and our beloved teacher Leonard Orr left his earthlybodythismorning,September5th,2019at9.35aminAsheville,NorthCarolina.Ihavebeendeeplytouchedbytheoutpouringofloveandsupportfromallovertheworld.Thankyou,itmeansalot!

ItismyinvitationtoourglobalfamilywhoweretouchedbyLeonard'spowerfuland inspiring presence, his profound teachings and explorations of the humanpotential,tocelebratehisbeingandhisrichcontributionstohumanity.Iwillalwaysrememberhisaliveness,enthusiasm,courage,originalthinkinganddeepcaringforpeople.Leonard'slifewasfullandadventurousindeed.Mayhismemorycontinuetoenrichourlives.So many of us will be carrying forward what we learned from him and thepracticesthatwevalue.Inordertohelpcontextualizethisevent,leavingthisplanewasadecisionfromLeonard'ssoullevel,evenifpartsofhispersonalityweren'tfullyonboardwithit.Iwouldliketoencourageyoutotalktohim,silentlyoroutloud,toconnectwithhisconsciousness.Hecanbeourvibrationalfriendforever!Ourteamisintheprocessofplanningacelebrationoflifegatheringinthemonthof November - Leonard's birthday month - in the Asheville, NC area. Detailsaboutitwillbereleasedshortly.InTruth,SimplicityandLove,ElviOrr

A First-Timers Experience of the GlobalInspirationConference(GIC2019)JoshuaAlexanderAugust9,2019

Los Angeles Airport ispossibly the worst placeon earth. It is chaotic,bustling and egocentric. Aplace where the elderlyare harassed for beingslow, anxiety is rife, andimpatienceisavirtue.LAXis a tarnished mirrorreflecting humanity’sshadow. But it was here,amongst the chaos, that Ihad my first encounterwith the internationalbreathwork community.

Walking through thecrowd,wonderingwhere toboard thebus to JoshuaTreeNationalPark,apersonemerged.Hislong,curledhairandwhiteclothingwitha

colourfulvestcaughtmyeye,butwhatcapturedmyattentionwashisenergy.Ifelt in thatmoment complete relaxation and peace. This person, in one of thebusiest airports on the planet, appeared to float through the space as ifuntouched by its madness. I knew straight away I was looking at a“breathworker”.Welockedeyes,smiledateachotherandkeptonwalking.Lisa(abreathworkfriend)andIeventuallyfoundthegroupofpeopletravellingtoJoshuaTree.ThegentlemanIhadthatearlierinteractionwithturnedouttobetheinternationallyrenownedbreathworkpractitioner,AnthonyAbbagnano.Wewereallgatheredamongstthetraffic,carfumes,honking,andyellingcompletelyunperturbed by our surrounds. We had already dropped into the protectivebubbleoftheglobalbreathworkcommunity,andifanything,foundourcurrentsituationcomical.Excitementwasinabundance,oldfriendsembraced,newbieslike myself were in a speechless awe. This was the beginning of a weeklong,immersive breathwork experience called the Global Inspiration Conference(GIC). For 24 years, theworld’s breathwork community hasmet at a differentcountryeachyear tobreathe together, toshareexperiences,knowledgeand toconnect.Countries likeSweden,Ecuador,France,SouthAfrica,andRussiahaveallhostedthisevent.GICisafestival,aplayground,aschool,apartyandatempleall merged into one. It takes you high, it takes you low, and it takes you intorealmsthatyouwouldneverthinkpossible.It’squiteliterally,maGIC.The GIC was held near the famous Joshua Tree National Park. It is a desertlandscape, known for the Joshua Trees and its unique rock formations.Spiritually,it’sfamousforitsenergyvortexes;culturally,it’sassociatedwithU2andCoachella.Surroundingthevalleyweremountains,somecoveredwithsnow.The heat at times was oppressive, with early morning providing the onlyopportunity forpeople to explore the land surroundingus.The eveningswerewonderful,withwarmththat felt likeanicehug,andaskyfullofstars.Chanceencounterswithroadrunnersandhummingbirdsprovokedchildlikejoy.Whilsthere,Ifoundmyselfrealisinghowforeignthedesertistomyexperience.AsanAustralian,thereisanassumptionthatweareconnectedtodesertlands,butintruth,non-IndigenousAustraliansarelargelydisconnectedandfearfulofour Country's interior. We cling to its edges, looking outward to its oceansurroundsratherthaninwardstoitsredandrawinterior.Ontheotherhand,theUS has occupied every corner of its land,with development in the harshest ofclimates. These relationships with land provide insight into the Anglo-Australian/Americanpsyche.The conference had a distinct Indigenous American energy – the openingceremony was led by Rick, a Hopi Elder, and Andrew, an Apache man whointroduced thepowerofApache ceremonialpractices, inparticular,drummingcircles.Throughouttheconference,thesedrummingcirclesgrewlouder,biggerandstronger.Afterasacredcocoaceremony,wherewedancedourselvesintoablissful state-of-consciousness,weweregreetedbya largegatheringofmostlywomendrummersinacircle.Thehypnoticbeat,likethatofourmother’sheartin thewomb, called to us. One by onewe picked up any instrumentwe couldfind,andbytheend,everyonewasplayingordancingfromaplaceofecstasy.

A typical day at the conference starts at 7am,with a smorgasbord ofmorningactivities for you to choose from: meditation, dance, yoga, breathwork,Indigenoussunriseceremony,sleepinginandsolo-naturetime.Thisisfollowedbybreakfast,thenamorninggatheringtotalkabouteventsforthatday.Atmid-morning, therearenon-breathworkactivitiesoffered,whichoccurat the sametime as the International Breathwork Foundation’s (IBF) AGMmeetings. Thenlunch, an afternoon keynote presentation, followed by various breathworkactivities. Conference attendees heard from internationally renownedpractitioners, such as Judith Kravitz, Jim Morningstar, Dan Brule and JessicaDibb.Downtimewasoccasionallyonoffer,whichtypicallyinvolvedswimminginthepooltofindsomerelieffromthe40plusdegree-days.Finally,eacheveningthereisdinnerandaneventsuchasacocoaceremony,ecstaticdance,drummingcirclesora talentshow. I rarely foundmyself inbedbeforemidnight,withmyonlyalone timeoccurringat thatmomentbeforebed,where Iwouldwalkoutinto the desert, look up at the Universe and feel into the immense gratitude Ihaveforlife.Theconferenceisfull,dynamic,andenergetic,butentirelyuptotheindividualtodeterminetheirengagement.Thereisafluidityandopennessthatcomeswithaconferenceofthistype.Surprisingly,Ithrewmyselfintospacesandsituationsthatwouldtypicallybringout my reserved, introverted identity. Instead of the expected fatigue, I feltenergisedandopen.Iallowedtheflowoftheexperiencestomanifestorganically–whetheritwaswithwhomIsatwithduringfoodbreaks,whichworkshopI’dfindmyselfat,andwhoIwasdrawntosociallyandonthedancefloor.InoticedaspectsofselfthatItypicallystrugglewithwereabsent;instead,replacedbyanauthenticexperienceofself.TheGIC isbotheducationalandexperiential.Forme, the first threedayswereprimarilyfocusedupondevelopingmybreathworkpractice,orbeingintroducedtonewmind/bodymeditativetechniques.OnedayIattendedaworkshopabouta program in Greece that offers breathwork to refugees to support traumarelease. I attended an early-childhood traumaworkshop, aswell as a programdesignedtoteachteachershowtousebreathingtechniquesintheirclassroom.Whilst these first three days were incredibly beneficial; they did not feedmyhungertobreathe,andtogodeepintomyprocess.Thischanged.By day four,my emotional state shifted drastically. It was during a ‘Sacred 7’workshop, run by Andrew Ecker about the Native American practice ofhonouringyourancestorsthatIfoundmyselfweeping,non-stopforthedurationofhistalk.Acombinationofhishistory,hismedicine,thespiritualdynamicsatplay, my material and reflections about disconnection with Australia’sIndigenouspeopleledtothisburstingofemotionalmaterial.Another massive shift occurred during a breathwork session with Dan Brule.Dan, one of the most recognised and active contemporary breathworkpractitionersintheworld,providedanexperiencethatcannotbefullyexplained.Entirelytranspersonal,theboundariesbetweenselfandotherevaporated.Itwasperhapsoneofthemostspiritualexperiencesofmylife,andonparwiththosestates induced by a plantmedicine ceremony.Whilst itwas perhaps themost

profoundexperience,italsoinducedimmensefear–thiswasunknownterritory,andIhadgonewellbeyondmybiographicalmaterial.Whattranspiredafterthesessionwasbeautiful.Unabletoreleasetheemotionalmaterial arising from theexperience, I felt completely triggered.A silentpaniccreptin,andwhilsteveryonesharedtheirexperienceswithDan,IfeltlikeIwasdrowning.Then, inmypanic, I locked eyeswithGeert,whowas sittingbesideme. Without words, he reached for my hand. In that moment, Tom who wasseatedbehindme,heldmybodyforadditionalsupport.Theholdingofferedbythesetwomen,themasculine,enabledmetoreleasetheenergythathadbuiltupfrom my session. I cried, which quickly transformed into immense love foreveryoneinthatroomandbeyond,myteacher,friends,family,partnerandlife.Itwasareminderthatdiscomfort,pain,fearoranyintenseexperiencesismerelyarebirthingprocess,anopportunityforgrowthandourtransformation.TheGICwasanincrediblyuniqueandlife-changingexperience.Atatimewherecollective cynicism and despair about the world is high, it was exceptionallypotenttobesurroundedby280peopleallcommittedtofacingtheirtraumasandhelpingothersdothesame.Itprovidesahealthyexampleof‘peoplepower’,anditactsasareminderthatperhaps,nomatterwhat,we’regoingtobeokay.Breathwork is a broad church, with often-competing ideas and philosophies;however,throughconsciousleadershipandconsciousconversations,meantthatallvoicescouldbeheard.ThiswasdonethroughthedailyIBFAGMs,whichactedasvesselfortheconferenceandthebreathworkcommunityasawhole.It’salsoanexampleofconsciouscommunitycomingtogethertodevelopanagreedsetofprinciples and a framework for breathwork to operate within. Leaving theconferenceprovidedmewithasensethatbreathworkisatanedgeofsomethingmonumental. Breathwork is a relatively unknown practice. However, the GICgivesanappreciationofthevastnumberofpeoplesharingknowledgeaboutthepower and potential of breathwork, as both a meditative practice and atherapeutic tool. People are bringing conscious breathing to therapy practices,hospitals, schools, prisons, parliaments, workplaces, refugee camps and theircommunities. Every day, more andmore people are learning about consciousbreathinganditspower.ThisisSUPERinspiring.Backhome,Ihavehadtimetoreflectonnewunderstandings,namely:Breathisenough.Previously,Iheldanideathatmorestudyoranaddition ‘qualification’wasneeded;perhaps,panderingtothemainstreamnotionofwhatconstitutesalegitimatetherapeuticpractice.Thishaschanged.Breathisenough.Thebreathholdsinfinitepossibilities.Itisagatewaytoadeeperunderstandingof who we are, and what has shaped us. It is a mechanism to exploreconsciousness.Weallpossessthepossibilityofforminganintimaterelationshipwith our breath, tomeet our inner healer and access the wisdomwe alreadypossess.IntellectuallyIunderstoodthis,butsincetheGIC,Inowembodyit.

Breathe–aFestivalofLife

On the last weekend in August around 120breathers gathered at Gaunts House in the idyllicDorset Countryside to explore and celebrateBreathwork.After the success of its opening in 2018, teamBreathewantedtofollowwithaneventthatwouldexceedeveryone’sexpectations.Anewyearmeantnew challenges so the team gathered to startplanningearlyin2019.

Knowingthatitwasimportanttokeeptheeventfreshandnewchangeswouldbe necessary. A new program structure was created that would allow us toexpandtheeventandmakeitaccessibletomoreparticipants.Thiswasachievedmainly by offering more workshops simultaneously which at the same timeallowedforgreaterdiversityinthestylesofBreathworkandpracticesonoffer.WealsowantedtomakeitpossibleforpeopleattendingtheFestivaltobeabletosharetheirworkiftheyfeltinspiredtodoso.Theadditionof“OpenSpaces”tothe programwas another new addition,which proved popular. This also gavepeopletheopportunitytoexperienceaworkshopthey’dmissedearlierthatwasverywellreceived.Takingon-boardfeedbackfrom2018anextradaywasaddedto the program. The intention was to offer participants time and space forintegrationwhilenotdilutingtherichnessofprogramonoffer.Wewould like toexpressourheartfelt gratitude toeveryonewhocontributed.Whetherfacilitatingaworkshop,workinginthebackgroundorsimplyattendingasaparticipant,yourcontribution isgreatlyappreciatedandhelpedmake thisyear’seventahugesuccess.Abigthankyoutoeveryone!Thepositive feedbackwe’vereceived is touchingand it seems fromthosewhoattended last year, their experience had been topped. To know this is deeplysatisfyingandtomemakesallthevoluntaryeffortinvolvedincreatingsuchaneventworthwhile.Sowhatnext?We’vealreadydecidedtherewillbeaBreatheFestival2020.Thedates and venue are still to be agreed so we will keep you posted ondevelopments.PleasewatchthewebsiteandFacebookpage for furtherdetails.So if you’re interested in attending or even offering a workshop please let usknow.Wewould love tohear fromyouandalways look forwardtowelcomingeveryoneatBreathe.Withloveandbestwishes,JamesCraigIBFNRUK