Dedicated to everyone interested in their spiritual development. Finding yourself Always and at all times, throughout the entire history of mankind, there have been people who sought to discover a new world, another reality, to comprehend the meaning of life and their own existence. Thanks to these people, humanity has a huge number of methods of self-understanding, allowing them to find harmony with the world around them, realize their place in it, and ultimately, reveal their true potential and live consciously using all the resources of their body and spirit. Each ancient culture is characterized by its own, unique methods of finding yourself. In India these are all kinds of forms of yoga, in China - Taoist practices of psycho-physical improvement, in Tibet - various versions of the Buddhist path, in shamanic cultures - their own corresponding methods. This list goes on. What unites all these paths, which seem so different at first glance? Firstly, these methods approach a person as a holistic being, combining physical and spiritual components. Moreover, the interdependence and mutual influence of the body from the spirit and the spirit from the body is postulated. Secondly, an important part of the process of spiritual self-discovery (no matter how differently it was understood) was working with breathing. It was the breath that was seen as the connecting link between spirit and body, between individual consciousness and the divine dimension. Examples include sophisticated forms of pranayama in yoga, Taoist qigong practices, Sufi breathing practices and focusing on breathing in Tibetan Buddhism and many others. In the modern world, time passed. Cultures changed, civilizations perished and arose, but the human need to know oneself, to change oneself for the better remained unchanged. Only there is no longer time to sit at the lotus feet of your Guru, but you have to rush to work, to comprehend social, not spiritual peaks. Even the traditionally spiritual areas of human practice begin to sound more mundane: and now yoga, qigong, meditation become ways to support and strengthen physical and mental health. The nature of the problems that concern a person has changed somewhat - instead of the question of the highest meaning of being, modern civilization asks a person the task of effective functioning, and this means the ability to manage your emotions, good resistance to stress, the ability to think creatively and look at problems in a non-trivial way. And here again a forgotten friend comes to the aid of a person - conscious work with breathing or modern breathing psychotechniques. Their names sound somewhat strange to the Russian ear, but, nevertheless, they are useful to know: holotropic breathing, Free Breathing, rebirthing and vibration. Sometimes they are combined into one large group - intensive integrative psychotechnologies, IIPT. They represent one of the most dynamically developing areas of modern psychotherapy. The Importance of Breathing Why has breathing been and is given so much attention? What is the “salt” here? And how can this help a modern person? Let’s try to talk in a modern language, in the language of psychophysiology, and not in a secret esoteric dialect. The fact is that by changing the frequency and depth of breathing, we trigger a whole cascade of complex biochemical reactions aimed at changing the functioning of the nervous system. systems. The general nature of these changes is aimed at activating those brain structures that are responsible for long-term memory, the course of emotional processes and the unconscious part of the psyche. Modern breathing psychotechniques are designed in such a way as to actualize our unconscious traumatic experience. It is this experience that prevents us from living the way we want, i.e. happy and active. The psychotherapeutic effect of breathing methods is to discard the negative past and become the master of the hidden reserves of yourbody and psyche. This is the only way to gain the freedom of a conscious and meaningful life. Ancient yogis (Buddhists, Taoists, shamans...) knew this very well and understood the importance of breathing. That is why they spent so much time mastering the flow of prana (qi, lung, energy...), using the most complex methods of breathing control (different methods of inhalation and exhalation, various breath holds, accompanying breathing with a certain visualization, posture or body movement). Mastering these methods sometimes took a lifetime. Modern psychotherapy closely studies the effects of such breathing exercises, rightly believing that if this knowledge has helped people for centuries, then it can be relevant in modern conditions. Scientists are adapting ancient art to the conditions and needs of the 21st century. This adaptation makes it possible to make the effects of conscious breathing work more accessible. What is the difference between modern breathing psychotechniques and ancient forms of breath work? Firstly, the time that needs to be spent to get results. As mentioned above, sometimes pranayama techniques are so complex that they require many years of practice to master. Modern breathing psychotechniques allow you to feel a significant positive effect after the first three-day seminar. Secondly, simplicity. As a rule, work with breathing in ancient systems begins after serious preparation of the body. Not every modern person has the necessary physical talents (or the time to develop them). Modern breathing psychotechniques can be mastered by anyone, regardless of their level of physical fitness. Thirdly, unlike ancient types of breathing work, focused exclusively on the life of the Spirit, modern psychotechnics allow us to solve specific human problems that are relevant to our century. These methods have shown their high effectiveness when working with stress, psychosomatic diseases (“diseases from nerves”), problems in interpersonal relationships, age-related and spiritual crises. Why psychotherapy on the Path For those whose goal is a deep understanding of yoga (or other forms of psycho-physical development), modern breathing psychotechniques can be very useful for several reasons. Firstly, many yoga practitioners sooner or later face the fact that some Bodily tensions are quite difficult to relax. One of the reasons for such difficulties may be the psychological nature of these tensions. Body-oriented psychotherapists are well aware that, for example, postural disorders are often based on psychological characteristics such as uncertainty and hyper-responsibility. And it is extremely difficult for people with such traits to straighten their spine, despite a strong desire, long training and a good instructor. It is precisely in such cases that the help of a psychologist and breathing psychotechnics can significantly advance and enrich the practice of yoga. Another reason for a possible beginner to practice yoga (qigong, etc.) to seek help from a psychologist is their own emotions. It often happens that after the start of intensive training, many personal problems worsen. This happens because exercise increases the flow of energy in the body, and it begins to “seethe” around personal tensions. This is similar to how leaks occur in a rusty water pipe when the pressure in the pipes increases. Where previously there was a little dripping (of tears), now there is a fountain (of emotions, thoughts and rash actions). Modern breathing psychotechniques make it possible to reduce the intensity of experiences and significantly shorten the duration of this initial unfavorable period. In addition, working through personal tensions - the consequences of upbringing within the framework of European culture - facilitates the perception of spiritual experience and allows you to avoid many mistakes on the Path. Here we mean, first of all, the mistakes of the Ego, which resists spiritual experience with all its might. After all, Ego and Spirit are the original opponents; for the Ego, the victory of the Spirit means death. And the ego of Europeans.