Perhaps it doesn’t sound very obvious, but certain types of Breathwork can be used for sexual healing, notably for sexual trauma release, but also for some other issues in the genital and/or sexual sphere. Depending on the kind of Breathwork it’s advised to perform them under supervision of a Breathwork facilitator or therapist, others can be done alone (or alone after first having trained them with a facilitator).
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In any case, the types of Breathwork that can deal with sexual issues are usually those that incorporate Conscious Connected Breathing techniques. Conscious Connected Breathing can induce a kind of controlled hyperventilation (which can cause an altered or non-ordinary state of consciousness), used to access and release (purge) repressed or bottled-up emotions and trauma.
This process is typically called Emotional Dearmoring and aims at achieving Catharsis (powerful release of emotions) by breaking through our so-called Body Armor, which is a physical defense mechanism that keeps unresolved emotions in check i.e. repressed.
As a rule, the moment of actual Catharsis during a Breathwork session is accompanied by deep cognitive insight in one’s (sub-conscious) situation and drives, often also experienced as a moment of “closure.” Mind also that sexual trauma release can have different effects in both the sexual and non-sexual sphere, depending on the person’s issues.
For instance, it may alleviate or heal low self-esteem, sleep disorders, low back pains, headaches, depression, anxiety, but also Erectile Dysfunction (ED), low libido, painful sexual intercourse, or Premature Ejaculation (PE).
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Well-known Breathwork modalities that deal with this type of sexual trauma healing are Reichian Breathwork, Holotropic Breathwork, and Rebirthing Breathwork, but in general one could say that all Breathwork modalities that fall in the categories of Transformational Breathwork and Somatic Breathwork can come of help.
Another way of using certain types of Breathwork for sexual health conditions is to use it as an actual, direct control mechanism or technique. Think, for instance, of tackling low sex drive by arousing and circulating sexual energy through the body, solving prostate health conditions, or preventing PE through Semen Retention breathing techniques.
Most of these latter Breathwork techniques are either Pranayamas, combinations of Pranayama, Mudras and Bandhas, or Taoist breathing techniques. Some examples are Taoist Ovarian Breathing, Taoist Testicle Breathing, Maha Mudra, and Tantric Kapalabhati Breathing.
