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square bulletLeading Breathwork in TIC Trainings

The words Inhale and Exhale are in word bubbles in chalk art on the sidewalk

From Alexandra Cordle, Eugene, Oregon

As part of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), we encourage folks to Regulate—and breathwork is an easy, accessible and quick-acting practice you can use as a facilitator. In this article, I aim to give you an idea of what tools are available and how to teach them in a trauma-informed way to best serve your students, both inside and outside of the training atmosphere.

We humans know, at least instinctually, that the breath is a window to our nervous system. Breath patterns can tell us how a person is feeling, and interacting with breath intentionally can help the mind-body change that feeling (AKA self-regulation). Paying attention to your breath more often can help reveal clues about your more ambiguous feelings or nervous system states; help you feel empowered in your ability to influence your mental state; and act as an anchor for attention when you have trouble concentrating or being present. The goal is to be able to use different types of breath techniques to influence your body and nervous system in a way that’s more aligned with how you want to feel (AKA upregulation for hypoarousal and downregulation for hyperarousal)

Teaching these tools can be intimidating, especially if you’re new to group facilitation or the actual breathwork techniques themselves.  I’ve heard from other facilitators about the multiple barriers to delivering these tools to our TIC participants. Normally it sounds something like:

“I feel weird telling people what to do.”

“I don’t know which one to pick.”

“I never know how to say it.”

The good news is, with a little guidance, you don’t need to be a trained yoga teacher to help people practice these simple techniques!  With trauma-informed language, you can offer options that help everyone feel included and like they’re walking away with something they can use immediately to help regulate themselves.

The language we use matters, and as a TIC facilitator you’ll want to keep the following best practices and considerations in mind when delivering any guided tools—especially breathwork.

  1. Start and End with Grounding and Centering: This simple formula will help create a safe, stable foundation from which one practices self-awareness tools like breathwork. Instead of diving right into a practice from another activity, allow a moment for the bodies to settle and create mental separateness between “default mode” and an intentional awareness mode. This could be as simple as instructing folks to find a seat or comfortable position to start, to notice their feet or their seat and to notice their body. Think of an individual’s personal “bubble”: The closer you guide awareness to a person’s connection to the support beneath them, the more you help “ground” them. This enhances the feeling of being supported, physically and literally by what’s holding their weight. The more awareness you bring to someone’s internal world and their physical center, the more you help them feel “centered.” This enhances the sensations of support from within, both physically and spiritually.
  2. Non-Judgmental Language: Using an awareness-based stance that is not judging the experience as “good or bad/right or wrong” creates an environment that normalizes awareness of bodily sensation in folks who may be new to embodiment, who habitually dissociate or disengage with their body, who have hyper-developed interoceptive abilities, or who have chronic pain issues. Use words like “notice” and “sense” without assuming how they’ll feel. Nothing is good or bad; it’s just something to notice.
  3. Empowering Language: Encourage folks to make choices, not just follow instructions. This enhances a sense of agency and self-control in the individual. Use phrases like “I invite you…” instead of just demanding they follow along. Remember that as the leader in the room, there is a power dynamic between you and the participants. Remind folks that everything is optional; they have a Voice and Choice in the matter; they can change their mind at any time. Let them decide for themselves if they want to open or close their eyes, or which practices sound most beneficial to try for themselves.
  4. Embodiment Language: While many yoga and meditation techniques promote the detachment from one’s body to transcend physical states, within the context of TIC it’s important to promote embodiment, or attachment to one’s own body, to combat dissociation, escapism, etc. The simplest way to do this is to use ownership language like “your arm” instead of “the arm.” So instead of “watch the breath moving in and out” you might opt for “sense your breath and notice what is present.”

Below, you’ll find brief descriptions and scripts for a couple of simple breathwork techniques. Feel free to use alternate wording that best suits your teaching style or population, keeping the above considerations for language in mind.

Breath Awareness: This technique is great because it’s incredibly beginner-friendly! Breath awareness requires no change to the breath; it simply creates an embodied presence through an awareness of one’s breathing body. Many use this meditation tool morning and night, or throughout the day as a quick self-check-in tool.

SCRIPT: “Take a moment to find a long spine. Once you’re settled, scan your awareness through your body. Start at the bottoms of your feet and move freely through your entire body, all the way through your fingertips and to the top of your head. Notice what’s there or not there without labelling anything as “right or wrong.” Make adjustments where you can to help yourself become more comfortable. When you’re ready, I invite you to bring awareness to the parts of your body that are moving from your breathing. Don’t force the breath to be different; don’t label it ‘good’ or ‘bad’; just notice it. Where do you feel your breath the most? Notice the qualities… is it smooth or more choppy? Quick or slow? Is there a color or texture to your breath? Can you notice the temperature of your inhale and your exhale? For some people, just bringing attention to the breath can create a shift in how it feels, and that’s OK. After a few rounds of breath, let yourself ‘come back’ to the room; maybe journal about your experience.”

Box Breathing: This technique is simple, but requires more effort as one actually lengthens a chosen portion of their breath. Imagine a square with 4 sides. Each side represents a portion of the breath (the inhale, the pause, the exhale, the other pause). To upregulate, choose to extend the inhales and pauses after the inhales. To downregulate, choose to extend the exhales and pauses after the exhales. Nothing should be forced or dramatic; these are subtle changes that happen with time.

SCRIPT: “Take a moment to find a long spine. Once you’re settled, make adjustments where you can to help yourself become more comfortable (maybe lowering the shoulders or smoothing our the eyebrows). When you’re ready, I invite you to bring awareness to the parts of your body that are moving from your breathing. Don’t force the breath to be different; don’t label it ‘good’ or ‘bad’; just notice it. Where do you feel your breath the most? I invite you to notice the length of your inhales and the length of your exhales. Notice which is longer—or if they are the same— remembering there’s no wrong answer. If it helps you, you might imagine tracing the sides of a square for each portion of your breath. PAUSE FOR ABOUT 30 SEC. Good. Now, if you wish, you can start to engage with your breathing to allow the exhale, the inhale, or the pauses to become slightly longer. For some bodies, it’s half a beat or one beat longer. For some bodies, one part can become twice as long as the other. Find a rhythm that seems easy for you and is not forced. PAUSE FOR ABOUT 30 SEC. Good. Finish the round that you’re on and then return to natural breathing. Notice anything leftover. Let yourself ‘come back’ to the room; maybe journal about your experience.”

Expert tip: Film yourself reading these scripts and then listen to yourself deliver the instructions. This will give you a better idea of how others might perceive your words, tone and speed.

About the Author: Alexandra Cordle works in public service with a trauma-soaked government agency and is also an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher and Continuing Education Provider (E-RYT200, RYT500, YACEP) through Yoga Alliance. She’s the spouse and caregiver to a US Army Combat Veteran. Alexandra has trained with and worked for local and nationwide organizations like City of Eugene, Lane County, Veterans Affairs, Eugene Vet Center, Veterans Yoga Project, University of Oregon Student Veteran Center, Trauma Healing Project, Warriors at Ease, Yoga Behind Bars, Institute for Integrative Nutrition and more. She’s delivered over 1500 hours of no-cost, trauma-informed, mindful-movement meditation and breathwork tools to veterans living with PTS(D), TBI and MST since 2019 and continues to serve her community with seva work. Email alexandracanhelpyou@gmail.com with questions.