Breathexperience

A Brief Description by Margot Biestman and Juerg Roffler © 2005

Breathexperience™ (Middendorf Breathwork) is a somatic science and an art of living—a comprehensive practice, rather than a series of techniques. This work has been developed over the past 65 years by Professor Ilse Middendorf, of Berlin, Germany. Juerg Roffler has developed it further in the U.S. as founder and director of the Middendorf Institute for Breathexperience™, in Berkeley, California.

We can enter into Breathexpereince™ by simply receiving a moment to allow our breath to come and go on its own through our body. Through sensing and fully participating in experiencing this breath movement without disturbing, controlling, or directing it, we quickly find ease in our breath and body, with a sense of well-being that draws us away from aches, pains, and illness. The power of letting breath come and go on its own is instantly accessible for us, and consequently, available in all situations in our daily life. Breathexperience™ offers an enormous potential for connecting us with our authentic Self and to a vast intelligence within our body to heal ourselves.

As a result of effortless breath movement "activities" and "breath meditations" in sitting, standing and moving—in groups or private sessions, we become lively in whatever we're doing—whether recovering from illness, washing dishes, painting a watercolor, preparing for or healing from surgery, negotiating a business deal, dancing, driving in traffic, or listening to a friend.

We gain many benefits from Breathexperience™, for example, some participants report:

reduction of stress and anxiety
emotional balance
increased stability and flexibility in mind and body
clearing through holdings and restrictions in the spine, so that it becomes naturally realigned, with less pain
balance between hyper- and hypo-tension

Breathexperience™ also builds:

trust and self-reliance
sense of safety in the body
increased independence
less need for an outside resource to "fix" something