Initiatives Frontpage 1
IBF VIDEOS
All IBF videos are available on the IBF Youtube channel.
To see these videos please click here
IBF BREATHING ARTS GROUP
A workgroup to promote all forms of artistic expression in the breathwork community and to encourage artists to get involved in IBF events and projects.
Our Purpose
To bring peace, healing, transformation, joy and inspiration to the world through conscious breathing and creative expression.
Our Mission
- Using conscious breathing as a gateway to connect with our inner creative self to manifest our full potential and bring more passion in our art
- Exploring and experiencing the many varied pathways of different artforms using imagination, creativity, movement and emotional expressio
- Creating community bringing people together to experience the unifying power of art
- Creating a safe container for healing, rediscovering a sense of playfulness, joy and passion
- Empowering artists to be true to their authentic selves through breathwork
Upcoming Events
Creative Forums and Workshops series
The Breathing Arts group welcomes guest teacher Tanya Gorriaran for our next online workshop.
Find that inner spark that ignites the magic within as you are guided on a shamanic journey using breathwork, sound and movement.
CONSCIOUS BREATHING FOR TRAUMA RECOVERY (CBTR)
Free online conscious breathing education that is both simple and effective
The CBTR training has been created by Brigitte Martin Powell and Judee Gee, breath specialists and breathwork trainers based in the UK and in France. Judee and Brigitte are former Presidents of the IBF. At the time of developing this programme they were sitting on the IBF-UN working group committee which develops Conscious Breathing projects in alignment with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The CBTR programme was originally designed for refugees, migrants and victims of natural disasters as well as health care workers, staff and volunteers of relief organisations.
It has been now extended to include anyone suffering from trauma, anxiety, burnout and depression.
The goal of the CBTR programme is to provide free online conscious breathing education that is both simple and effective through:
- Giving practical instructions for developing an awareness of current breathing habits
- Teaching specific breathing exercises to recalibrate the autonomic nervous system
What is coherent breathing
Coherent Breathing and the Autonomic Nervous System
A major component of the stress response system is the autonomic nervous system, which manages the automatic functions of the body, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, glandular and immune systems. The autonomic nervous system has two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system – the fight or flight system – and the parasympathetic nervous system – the rest and digest or feed and breed– system.
Ideally, both systems are required to intervene for specific actions through our daily life, but in the long run a balance between the two is necessary. A body that is constantly under mental, physical or emotional stress (sympathetic system) without time to rest, integrate and replenish (parasympathetic system), will not be able to function optimally and will suffer the consequences.
There is one automatic function of the body that can be voluntarily controlled through our breath and that is the respiratory system! Conscious breathing techniques provide easy access to the autonomic communication network and by changing our breathing patterns, we send specific messages to the brain that have powerful effects on our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. For example, when we feel anxious, just a few minutes of Coherent Breathing can calm our worried mind and foster more rational – rather than impulsive – decision-making.
Coherent Breathing Practice: Breathing at the rhythm of 5 breaths per minutes is the optimal breathing rhythm for rebalancing the body and accessing an inner state of relaxation that is both peaceful and restful. Five breaths per minute corresponds to breathing in for 6 seconds and out for 6 seconds, linking the in-breath and out-breath in a relaxed way.
How to practice: Start progressively, breathing consciously and in a relaxed way for 3 seconds in and 3 seconds out, until it feels comfortable. Then move on to breathing for 4 seconds in and 4 seconds out and progress at your own rhythm up to 6 seconds in and 6 seconds out. Taller people might want to breathe more slowly.
Where to practice: Start by finding a quiet spot where you can be undisturbed for several minutes. Soft light conditions or darkness will help you to relax. Have a light blanket on hand to be sure you stay warm. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and start your practice. Once you feel comfortable with the practice you can apply it in a wide range of situations (sitting, walking…).
When to practice: Three times a day for five minutes (365) is a great beginning, and if you can apply the practice daily for a few weeks, you will reap the most benefits. Even one minute of coherent breathing will help rebalance your nervous system. Stephen Elliot suggests 20 min per day for a period of 21 days in order to recalibrate the nervous system and install the coherent breathing reflex as a default practice.
The CBTR training has been created by Brigitte Martin Powell and Judee Gee, breath specialists and breathwork trainers based in the UK and in France. Judee and Brigitte are former Presidents of the IBF. At the time of developing this programme they were sitting on the IBF-UN working group committee which develops Conscious Breathing projects in alignment with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
CBTR VIDEOS
Watch the trailer:
Watch the Presentation:
Watch the Demonstration:
Credits
Many thanks to Rossana Salso, Fred and Malou for their participation in the production of the CBTR video series, and to Hridaya France for their permission to film on-site at the Chateau de Longeval: www.hridaya-yoga.com.
Thanks to the IBF Development Fund for funding the development of the CBTR training programme in Athens, Greece.
THE CBTR MANUALS
THE IBF BREATHING APP
This free app is the perfect tool to practice the CBTR Program – and much more.
It is now available for free for iPhones on the Apple Store and for Androids on the Google Play Store. The name of the app is IBF Breathing App.
If you want to get more detailed information about the IBF Breathing app, click here:
For more information about Coherent Breathing
Keywords for Internet search
Conscious Breathing
Breathwork
Coherent Breathing
Stephen Elliott
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Disclaimer
This presentation is designed to provide helpful guidance for recovering from trauma and reinforcing natural resiliency, but should not be used to diagnose or treat any health or medical conditions requiring medical supervision.
The publisher and authors are not liable for any consequences from the application by any person using the information provided in the presentation. Even though conscious breathing is simple and safe, some may find this method challenging, and are encouraged to consult a conscious breathing specialist in order to progress in the practice.
SCIENCE AND RESEARCH ADVISORY GROUP
The Science and Research Advisory Group is a special task force workgroup of the International Breathwork Foundation formed with the specific aim of supporting the IBF community and general public with a deeper understanding of the science of breathwork based on research and a body of evidence.
This forms part of the broader aim of the IBF to be a credible source of information and support for the community of breathwork practitioners and the general public.
The group is comprised of a dynamic group of medical doctors, scientists, psychotherapists and members of the community who are passionate about understanding, researching and sharing the science of breathwork.
Aims:
1. Understanding and describing the physiology involved during Breathwork.
2. Creating a categorisation of the range of Breathwork techniques.
3. Collating existing research already published on the benefits of Breathwork.
4. Communicating this information to IBF members, the broader breathwork community and the general public.
5. Supporting novel research by IBF workgroups, project groups and members.
6. Recommending safety guidelines and adaptations for certain medical conditions and working with groups.
7. Serving as the birthplace for novel concepts, projects and ideas.
Previous Initiatives:
1. Published ‘Breathing – Aligning Mechanics with Chemistry’ by Dr Peter Litchfield (in June 2017 IBF Newsletter). 1_Breathing, aligning mechanics with chemistry 2017
2. Undertook research entitled ‘The Scope of Breathwork’ at GIC 2017.
3. Conducted a pilot ‘Breathing Physiology’ study at GIC 2017.
4. Designed research protocols to collect meaningful IMPACT data from “Conscious Breathing in the Classroom”.
Current Initiatives:
1. Developing an accessible database of Existing Breathwork Research.
2. Creating a Classification of Breathwork Techniques entitled “The ART of Breathwork”.
3. Production and/or dissemination of peer reviewed articles and educational materials aimed at the IBF community.
4. Serving the community with a dynamic communication strategy.
Contact Us
SciReg welcomes questions in relation to the science of breathwork to be sent to the following address: science@ibfbreathwork.org
Current Members:
Claire Haug, Workgroup Leader
Dr. Philippa Wheble
Dr. Ela Manga
Dr. Peter M. Litchfield
Dr. Wolfgang Fellner
Dr Nadja Benschop
Heinz Gerd Lange
Dr. Wilfried Ehrmann
Dr. Alicja Heyda
IBF UNITED NATIONS WORKGROUP
IBF has been granted the Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) since July 2016
Introduction
The IBF holds Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. This means we have the privilege of being part of a group of organizations that contribute to shaping global policies and initiatives. ECOSOC is responsible for nurturing partnerships and fostering collaborations to address the world’s most pressing challenges. The IBF utilizes this United Nations (UN) platform to advocate for the transformative power of conscious breathing on society and our planet, in alignment with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs are 17 goals defined by the UN in 2015 to eradicate poverty, strengthen universal peace and create a sustainable world by 2030. Read Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Background
In July 2016, IBF was awarded Special Consultative Status by ECOSOC. The IBF UN Workgroup was established in 2013 by three former IBF presidents: Brigitte Martin Powell, Judee Gee, and Véronique Batter. We express our gratitude to Dr. Julie Gerland, the Chief UN Representative for the Noble Institution for Environmental Peace, for mentoring us throughout the application process.
The IBF-UN team
The team co-ordinates activities relating to the IBF and its association to the ECOSOC of the UN.
- Pippa Wheble, IBF UN Workgroup Leader
- Ashira Lavine, IBF UN Workgroup Member
- Vanessa Dietzel, IBF UN Executive Team Member
Aims
Our workgroup’s primary objectives are as follows:
- Nurturing relationships with aligned organizations and UN bodies: We strive to establish and strengthen connections with like-minded organizations and United Nations entities that share our vision. By collaborating with these entities, we can collectively amplify the impact of conscious breathing in various initiatives.
- Contribution to relevant UN meetings: We actively participate in relevant United Nations meetings to promote the significance of conscious breathing and its benefits for humanity. By sharing our expertise and experiences, we can raise awareness about the transformative power of breathwork on a global scale.
- . Supporting and promoting IBF initiatives on the UN platform: We work tirelessly to support and promote IBF initiatives, ensuring they have access to the United Nations platform. This enables us to showcase the vital role breathwork plays in addressing the UN’s SDGs and creating a more sustainable and harmonious world.
- Raising awareness within our community: We are committed to raising awareness about the SDGs among our community. By advocating for initiatives that align with these goals, we contribute to the collective effort to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity” (UN, 2015). We encourage all members to actively engage with and support these initiatives.
- Presenting a report to ECOSOC every four years: As a consultative member, we have the responsibility of presenting a comprehensive report to ECOSOC every four years. This report provides concrete evidence of the IBF’s contribution to the SDGs and serves as a means to renew our consultative status, ensuring our continued participation in shaping global policies.
Initiatives
We created and launched Conscious Breathing for Trauma Recovery to provide simple and effective, free online conscious breathing education to refugees, migrants and victims of natural disasters as well as healthcare workers, staff and volunteers of relief organisations.
Following a successful launch in Athens, the programme was extended to include anyone suffering from trauma, anxiety, burnout, or depression. It offers practical instructions for developing awareness of current breathing habits and teaches specific breathing exercises to recalibrate the autonomic nervous system.
Join the Team
The United Nations Workgroup welcomes passionate and committed members who can bring diverse perspectives to the table. As part of this creative, flexible, and impactful group, you will collaborate with all IBF activities and contribute to our vibrant community.
UN Group Member Requirements:
- Excellent leadership, diplomacy, and communication skills: As representatives of the IBF within the United Nations framework, it is crucial to possess strong leadership qualities and the ability to engage in diplomatic and effective communication with diverse stakeholders.
- Certification as a breathwork practitioner: Given the focus of our work on promoting the benefits of breathwork, it is essential that members have formal certification as breathwork practitioners. This ensures a deep understanding of the practice and its transformative potential.
UN Group Member Desirable Skills:
- Experience of interacting with NGOs: Experience in collaborating with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) demonstrates an understanding of working within the context of diverse organizations and a broader perspective on global issues.
- Experience in public relations and social media: Proficiency in public relations and social media management enables members to effectively communicate the IBF’s initiatives, breathwork-related content, and the impact of our work to a wider audience.
- Experience in copywriting and infographic creation: The ability to craft compelling copy and create visually engaging infographics enhances our communication efforts, making complex concepts more accessible and engaging for various audiences.
Contact
f you share our passion for making the world a better place and recognize the profound importance of conscious breathing in achieving this vision, we warmly invite you to join the United Nations Workgroup We are also keen to hear from you if you have a conscious breathing initiative that you would like support or increased visibility for.
Together, we can harness the power of breathwork to create positive change, promote well-being, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Email address of the UN workgroup: ibf_un@ibfbreathwork.org
Other Ways to Contribute
Support IBF initiatives by donating to the IBF Breathwork Development Fund
Become an IBF member and join our team of volunteers
Follow us on our IBF Facebook page
Register to receive our newsletter
MEET TO BREATHE ONLINE
Breathing from your own home
Breathing together Online
Wherever you are, whichever your level of experience, whatever the modality of your practice, it is so simple, just Meet2Breathe Online.
Come and join us in Meet2Breathe. You are welcome as a beginner breather or an experienced one. No matter what modality you have been certified in or where you live in the world… Meet2Breathe connects us all.
Practitioners from all around the world have joined Meet2Breathe. There have even been breathing practitioners who feel isolated in their own country who have received the benefits of feeling part of the breathing community online.
Breathing from your own home is very practical, simple and comfortable. Even when the meeting ends you can keep on relaxing and expanding the awareness of the breath.
Getting ready for the M2B? You need to upload Zoom on your computer or mobile phone, connect with a headset with a microphone, please turn your video on (required to connect with you) and set a quiet and comfortable space to sit up and then lay down.
It has been a wonderful experience to work with so many different people, from different languages, different personalities and all of them receiving the benefits of breathing consciously.
CONSCIOUS BREATHING IN THE CLASSROOM
~ A simple program for teaching conscious breathing each day around the globe to school children, teens and adults students by their teachers, parents and other mentors ~
The Breathing Classroom
What if every teacher in every school on the planet was able to bring conscious breathing into the daily lives of the students in their classrooms? Can you imagine how that could change the world?! Well now it’s possible. Six years in the making, the ‘IBF Conscious Breathing in the Classroom’ work group offers online and live trainings at the annual Global Inspiration Conference (GIC) for breathwork practitioners and conscious breathers to bring a quick and easy conscious breathing program back to the school teachers in their home countries. For the children ~
The Training Workshop
This comprehensive simple training is offered to conscious breath practitioners who will train school teachers, or school teachers and any others who can take it directly. It will be offered in person as a live streamed workshop at each GIC, and through post-GIC online trainings.
Participants will receive:
- the scope of classroom situations and the challenges today’s schoolchildren face
- a Quick Reference Guide for teachers to move from challenging situations into simple effective breathing exercises
- hands on experience of numerous age-specific breathing exercises for introducing to the children
- how conscious breathing is easily introduced into the school day, every day
- related research and resources for school teachers and trainers of this program
- tips for trainers on how and where to offer this program to school teachers in your home country
Teachers, parents and mentors who take the brief 2.5-hour training will receive the ‘Conscious Breathing in the Classroom’ program manual and will be able to integrate it into their teaching day right away. Breathwork practitioners and conscious breathing trainers will be able to train school teachers in their home countries upon completion. Every registrant will be connected to ongoing mutual support of an international community of schoolteachers and conscious breath practitioners who teach this simple program around the world. Join us on our Facebook group page The Breathing Classroom.
LANGUAGES: We have a full team of 26 amazing volunteer translators who are diligently translating the 60-page manual from English into 14 more languages: Spanish, French, German, Estonian, Arabic, Mandarin, Dutch, Turkish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Romanian, Norwegian and Swedish. Stay tuned!
Benefits of Conscious Breathing
It is not difficult or complicated to teach kids of any age self-management skills. And the benefits of just a few minutes of conscious breathing each day are proven and unarguable:
- Provides stress management tools for teachers, parents and students
- Clears and focuses the mind
- Improves self-regulation and self-containment
- Reduces need for ADHD medication
- Raises self-esteem
- Helps foster class cohesion
- Reduces bullying
- Reduces stress, worry and anxiety
- Raises reading and performance scores
Widespread Innovative Uses of the Program
The ‘Conscious Breathing in the Classroom” program spread to 54 countries around the world in it’s first year! The program manual and training becomes a rich ‘jumping off’ point for breathwork practitioners, parents, teachers and mentors to help spread conscious breathing in a variety of settings.
Here are a few of the ingenious ways that the program is being adapted and expanded:
- NYPD and youth co-ordinators – use the program to help with ‘youth at risk’, some who are living on the streets
- conscious breathing exercises are adapted from the program to gently assist the dying and their loved ones
- doctors and therapists learn conscious breathing exercises to use with their patients
- cancer patients learn breathing exercises from the program to ease their pain and anxiety; family members of patients with Alzheimers learn breathing exercises for assisting their loved ones and for self care
- Electronic Music Festivals – conscious breathing workshops are facilitated for youth at risk – helping them choose conscious breathing over drugs
- Refugees adapting to new lives learn breathing exercises from the program for relaxation, and to manage Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety
- Midwives and first responders on the ground after earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis learn breathing exercises for birthing mothers, Climate Change refugees, for managing their patient’s anxiety/ PTSD, as well as for their own self care
The Breathing Classroom: Background
Our work group received a mandate from the IBF membership in India at the GIC 2013 to delve into how to bring conscious breathing to children. Our mandate was clarified and deepened in 2015 when the UN-ECOSOC bid for IBF asked for concrete ways for us to make this happen. Over these years, with help from numerous others, we have researched and experimented with many programs which effectively bring mindfulness into children’s lives and into the school classroom. We discovered the most effective delivery is daily through the school teachers to their students. Yet, even though these science-backed programs had conscious breathing as their core practice – they all somehow managed to marginalize it. We came to the conclusion that it was time for the world to have a comprehensive conscious breathing program for the classroom. And who better to deliver this simple training to the school teachers and parents around the world than us: Breathwork Practitioners, Conscious Breathers and the International Breathwork Foundation. Six years in the making …we are honored to offer this to you!!
Introducing the Breathing Classroom Team
Jo Ann Lowell (Breathwork Trainer, Workgroup Leader: The Breathing Classroom Team/ Canada), Luc Maertens (Retired Teacher/ Belgium), Anil Altas Brug (Children’s Breathwork Book Author/ Germany), Tilsim Demirdoken (Breathwork Trainer/Turkey) are all Certified Breathwork Practitioners and volunteers from the IBF “Conscious Breathing in the Classroom” work group. Between them they collectively have 105 years experience as teachers and 107 years experience as breathworkers, and they are delighted to offer this training program to participants around the world!
Registration:
Please complete the Conscious Breathing in The Classroom Registration form by clicking below. Please read the waiver and sign the declaration. Once registered, shortly afterwards you will receive an email confirmation with the manual. You will be enrolled for any upcoming livestream trainings and webinars. If you have questions please contact us at: thebreathingclassroom@ibfbreathwork.org
Your Investment:
The IBF encourages everyone who registers for this course to become a Friend or Member of our community. Join the IBF
No one will be turned away for lack of funds/ pay as you can.
If you find value in this course please pay it forward, through your donations to the Breathwork Development Fund.
BREATHING CIRCLES
Breathing Circle is a network of people who are committed to health and healing through breathing practice
Breathing Circle, est. 2007, is a worldwide initiative to connect practitioners and people interested in joining, or starting, a conscious breathing group in their community. We organise and promote meetings and workshops related to breathwork.
Breathing Circle groups meet on the last Tuesday of the month, every month. The groups are facilitated by different practitioners, in different places with a range of breathing modalities. At this time, there are over 100 groups in over 25 countries meeting for the monthly breathe. The groups are introductory and often operate on a donations basis. Please check the website on how to join or start a group in your area.
Breathing Circle is a network of people who are committed to:
- Health and healing through breathing practice
- Self-healing through transformational energy states
- Conscious community meetings and workshops
Most of all, Breathing Circle people are into breathing with awareness. Since this simple practice has affected positive change in our lives we meet once a month to celebrate the breath and introduce other people to this transformational tool.
WORLD BREATHING DAY, APRIL 11
Conscious breathing day all around the globe
The world is in a state of transformation and growth on so many levels at the same time and to meet the needs of such transformation throughout humanity, we need powerful tools that bring about ease and harmony in times of upheaval and seeming uncertainty. So many people all over the world are seeking a path to peace and we are glad to announce that the World Breathing Day offers a very specific and available one.
On April 11th, take part in a global celebration of the practice of conscious breathing and the power of breathing together. Take this moment as you receive this news to ponder that conscious breathing is a very local medicine and unifying power that is available to everyone no matter what their race, religion, social status or how many followers they have on social media.
The International Breathwork Foundation and its global community of breathworkers and beacons of light in the peace and wellness communities all over the globe would like to remind humans of all ages once per year, on World Breathing Day, of the powerful medicine that is conscious breathing and the power of us breathing together to unite
