BreathingSA

17/06/2023

my brain and
heart divorced

a decade ago

over who was
to blame about
how big of a mess
I have become

eventually,
they couldn't be
in the same room
with each other

now my head and heart
share custody of me

I stay with my brain
during the week

and my heart
gets me on weekends

they never speak to one another

- instead, they give me
the same note to pass
to each other every week

and their notes they
send to one another always
says the same thing:

"This is all your fault"

on Sundays
my heart complains
about how my
head has let me down
in the past

and on Wednesday
my head lists all
of the times my
heart has screwed
things up for me
in the future

they blame each
other for the
state of my life

there's been a lot
of yelling - and crying

so,

lately, I've been
spending a lot of
time with my gut

who serves as my
unofficial therapist

most nights, I sneak out of the
window in my ribcage

and slide down my spine
and collapse on my
gut's plush leather chair
that's always open for me

~ and I just sit sit sit sit
until the sun comes up

last evening,
my gut asked me
if I was having a hard
time being caught
between my heart
and my head

I nodded

I said I didn't know
if I could live with
either of them anymore

"my heart is always sad about
something that happened yesterday
while my head is always worried
about something that may happen tomorrow,"
I lamented

my gut squeezed my hand

"I just can't live with
my mistakes of the past
or my anxiety about the future,"
I sighed

my gut smiled and said:

"in that case,
you should
go stay with your
lungs for a while,"

I was confused
- the look on my face gave it away

"if you are exhausted about
your heart's obsession with
the fixed past and your mind's focus
on the uncertain future

your lungs are the perfect place for you

there is no yesterday in your lungs
there is no tomorrow there either

there is only now
there is only inhale
there is only exhale
there is only this moment

there is only breath

and in that breath
you can rest while your
heart and head work
their relationship out."

this morning,
while my brain
was busy reading
tea leaves

and while my
heart was staring
at old photographs

I packed a little
bag and walked
to the door of
my lungs

before I could even knock
she opened the door
with a smile and as
a gust of air embraced me
she said

"what took you so long?"

~ John Roedel (johnroedel.com)

John Roedel is a comic who unexpectedly gained notability as a writer and poet through his heartfelt Facebook conversations that went viral and became an Amazon best-selling book titled, "Hey God. Hey John." The author of five books, John offers a sincere and relatable look at his faith crisis, ment...

27/12/2022

OPEN LETTER BY DAN BRULÉ

As 2022 comes to an end, I would like to share with you what has been happening for the past 9 months.

In April I announced that I was taking a sabbatical and stepping back from teaching to do some inner work. But I did not mention the real reason behind my decision.

I am sorry I was not up front about this in April. And I apologize for not addressing the rumors before now. All I can say is, I was bound by a promise of confidentiality.

The truth is I received a report that several women were upset by the way I conducted my private one-on-one sessions. They said they felt traumatized, and that their personal and sexual boundaries had been violated.

I was shocked and sickened by the thought that I may have hurt someone when my sincere intention was to help them, that I might be harming instead of healing. I clearly had blind spots. I was bringing too much of 'me' and my own ‘stuff’ into a sacred process.

I deeply regret my ignorance and unconsciousness, and my insensitivity to personal boundaries, and to the power differentials that arise in the normal student/teacher or client/practitioner relationships.

I failed to communicate about the use of touch before the session, and I neglected to ask permission or get informed consent beforehand. I was not respectful or sensitive enough to personal boundaries. I did not maintain a space of neutrality. I communicated in ways that resulted in confusion and introduced trauma into a sacred space.

And so, I stepped back from teaching, and chose to follow the recommendations of the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance (GPBA) leaders, and to take part in a healing and restorative justice process.

I have spent nine months in self-reflection, self-correction, and meditation. I have taken courses on professional ethics, personal and sexual boundaries, workplace safety, and abuse in spiritual communities.

I have been receiving wise counsel from a group of conscious women leaders, breathwork elders, psychotherapists, psychologists, and gender and sexuality specialists. They helped me to identify ways to improve and uplevel my work, to update my methods and practices.

I am just beginning to understand the full impact of some of my words and actions, and I am just beginning to make amends. I have a lot of learning and healing and shadow and trauma work to do.

I realize that this experience is related to larger issues in my life, in society and the world—that of traditional male dominance and patriarchy. I am now committed to being part of the solution instead of part of the problem, and to being the change I want to see in the world.

I wish to publicly apologize to the women I have hurt, and to anyone who has suffered in any way because of my words, actions, or attitudes. I apologize to my family and friends, to my students and followers, to my partners, and organizers, to my fellow Breathworkers, and to the breathwork community.

I want to express respect and gratitude for the women who came forward to help bring my shortcomings to light. You have served as a long overdue wake-up call for me to grow and to change my ways, and to show up at a higher level, as a far better version of myself, and as a more positive role model.

Everyone in the restorative justice group worked so hard and for so long, with so much thought and heart, to agree on a public statement. It was almost ready to go out, but the process was disrupted when my former business partner posted his own shocking and divisive statement under the name of the International Center For Breathwork (ICFB)—an organization that I founded, and own.

After nine months of intense spiritual, psychological, and emotional work I am committed to demonstrating impeccable behavior in relation to professional ethics and personal boundaries. I am committed to continuing my own education, to peer mentoring, and to keeping others from making the same mistakes.

I will not be doing private sessions in 2023. I will be putting Professional Ethics, Personal Boundaries and Sacred Relationships up front and center at all my breathwork events and programs. I will be deepening my understanding and raising public awareness of these important issues.

In January of 2023, I will begin a series of blogs, online gatherings, and monthly calls on this topic. I will be meeting twice a month with leaders and elders in the Breathwork Community, and other trainers. And I’ll be submitting monthly reports to the GPBA Board and their Ethics Committee.

I pray that going forward, my work will bring only healing and renewal. And now I wish everyone a very blessed and peaceful holiday season.

I love you. I’m sorry. Forgive me. Thank you.

Dan

05/07/2022

03/06/2022

“No matter what we eat, how much we exercise, how resilient our genes are, how skinny or young or wise we are — none of it will matter unless we’re breathing correctly.” - James Nestor

19/05/2022

Breath is Life. Let's live.

29/04/2022

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” - Brené Brown

11/04/2022

Happy World Breathing Day. Let's celebrate the healing within. The breath as companion, energizer, life-giver, source of inspiration and wholesome healer. Breath is Life.

06/04/2022

"I have been working with Jenny (Churr) and her breathwork treatment in France successfully now for three years. She brings expertise, years of experience, a depth of knowledge, patience and kindness to her work and each breathwork session. I have also benefitted from the support she offers via her telephone energy technique and counselling with stunning results for me, supporting my emotional healing process. In addition she has instigated informal inspirational gatherings that are a joy to be part of.’ - HC

05/04/2022

"I felt euphoric. Peace of mind and I also had profound insights into myself. My kids also shall learn the benefits of breathwork just by my experience! A profound and mind-altering experience. Thank you Jenny and Kobus. Blessings from my heart to yours." - Anonymous (attended a recent breathwork workshop with Jenny Churr and Kobus Burger)

19/03/2022

The miracles we do not notice fly back to the Creator on disappointed wings. But the ones we behold settle their wings into the commonplace.

Creator did not say, "Let there be light," one moment long ago. Creator says, "Let there be light," each instant. The act of creation remains unfinished without the light of our awareness.

Yet we seldom hear the most important commandment, because it is such a silent whisper: "Thou shalt notice the mushroom and the web of dew, the pebble and the bud."

We are here on earth to pay attention, to perceive the miraculous wings of the ordinary. Our wonder completes the design. - Fred LaMotte

18/03/2022

I have a few slots available to do Breathwork sessions, to get you from instability of our environment, to a much calmer place, so that you navigate 2022 with confidence, courage and calm.
I return to France mid May.
Wishing you Love and Peace,
Jenny

15/03/2022

Breath is Life.

13/03/2022

sit or stand
and begin exploring The Line
the dance of upright balancing
tall
relaxed
alive

direct your feeling awareness
to the muscles surrounding your eyes
and on either side of your cranium

feel into these muscles
and soften them
relax them
let go of all the tension
in your face and head

as tension goes
so also thought stops

inhale strongly
down through your lower torso
deep into the earth underneath you
stay centered in your lower body
as your lower torso expands
as your lumbar spine lengthens
and creates lift through your upper torso

stay completely grounded
in the felt presence of your lower torso
throughout the entire cycle of breath
making sure
that you don’t bring
a single iota of tension
back into your relaxed face and head

tether yourself to the felt presence in your lower torso
rather than the speaker of thoughts in your head

what happens to you
when you stay centered
in the felt presence of your belly
and the tensions so responsible
for thought and self-image
keep dissolving

Written by Will Johnson

08/03/2022

"Never underestimate the potency of working with the breath; nor indeed the power it has when it is paired with such an experienced and incredibly intuitive and perceptive breathwork therapist, like Jenny.

"This is not easy work, but what it can help to reveal if you’re willing to engage fully in the journey can be both stunning and empowering. To hear my voice, express a life of repressed and suppressed emotions under the guidance of someone who knows how to hold the space so that you feel safe, supported, and heard has been liberating and a blessing.

"Thank you, Jenny." - Karen Fielding

* Jenny Churr Walker is a Breathwork Facilitator living between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Corsavy, France. She is currently offering private and group breathwork sessions in Johannesburg.

Jenny has worked with the breath for 35 years, trained in Rebirthing Breathwork in South Africa, and has completed several modules of Holotropic Breathwork with Stanislov Grof in the USA, Ireland and Spain. Jenny is passionate about Breathwork, which is a simple, yet powerful technique, working on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of the individual. It gives access to and releases and integrates memories, emotions and patterns stored in the body, mind and soul that hinder you from living your full potential. She has completed the Family Constellation training, Hands on Healing, Reiki.

She also offers one hour energetic counselling sessions on WhatsApp for those who are not in Johannesburg or who don't want in person consultations.

For bookings call Jenny on 082 344 6387 or email jchurr@gmail.com.

05/03/2022

“Jenny Churr has facilitated my breathwork for a few years. At first, I found it quite difficult as a lot of repressed emotion comes up for processing. Jenny holds sacred space gently, calmly and with no judgement. This is liberating in that, feeling safe and understood on an authentic soul level, each session allows me to go deeper into the patterns and behaviours that I need to change to improve my quality of emotional life. With Jenny’s guidance through the breathwork sessions, I’ve had some real breakthroughs with my spiritual development, and these have helped calm the stress and anxiety of modern life.” ~ Judy Croome, Intuitive Tarot Reader

* Jenny Churr Walker is a Breathwork Facilitator living between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Corsavy, France. She is currently offering private and group breathwork sessions in Johannesburg.

Jenny has worked with the breath for 35 years, trained in Rebirthing Breathwork in South Africa, and has completed several modules of Holotropic Breathwork with Stanislov Grof in the USA, Ireland and Spain. Jenny is passionate about Breathwork, which is a simple, yet powerful technique, working on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of the individual. It gives access to and releases and integrates memories, emotions and patterns stored in the body, mind and soul that hinder you from living your full potential. She has completed the Family Constellation training, Hands on Healing, Reiki.

She also offers one hour energetic counselling sessions on WhatsApp for those who are not in Johannesburg or who don't want in person consultations.

For bookings call Jenny on 082 344 6387 or email jchurr@gmail.com.

24/01/2022

"Letting go is also the practice of letting in, letting your teacher be alive in you," says a senior disciple of the celebrity Buddhist monk and author.