Q&A with The Breath Geek – Richard Blake on breathwork therapy
The Breath Geek, Richard Blake
Breathwork therapist Richard Blake – aka The Breath Geek – is among 1000 therapists to support Duty to Care’s work in providing NHS staff with mental health and wellbeing support. Combining science with emerging spiritual technologies such as breathwork and bio-hacking to promote self-healing. He is also certified in Psychotherapy and Human Nutrition.
How have you been coping with lockdown?
R: I have a good structured daily routine which includes 10 minutes of meditation, some grounding and the use of an infra-red light as a bio-hack. This really helped to simulate the sunrise and natural light when I couldn’t go outside. I’ve also been doing a lot of online breathwork sessions with mentors and students which has really helped. When we can’t access our usual support networks it is important to create new ones.
Can you explain how breathwork actually works?
R: Breathwork is a meditation on steroids. A technique that puts your body into autopilot mode and gets into the body where trauma is stored to work on unresolved emotions. When we naturally have a ‘fight or flight’ reaction, our body files away emotion to be dealt with later. Breathwork allows you to go back to this emotion and to process the emotion when you are ready.
And what is bio-hacking?
R: Bio-hacking is a technique that uses technology and science to mimic nature. For example, using infra-red lights to replace a lack of sunlight. It’s preventative healthcare that includes really holistic techniques like getting outside in nature. Instead of waiting to get sick and treating it with a pill, this is a bottom-up approach that recognises that one treatment doesn’t fit all.
How has breathwork impacted your life?
R: I had really bad depression as a teenager and got over it with psychotherapy, but I used addiction as a crutch, and it was only when I discovered breathwork that I could finally get rid of addiction.
Why is trauma such a big concern for NHS staff?
R: A lot of people will appear to survive Coronavirus unscathed, but trauma is all about what happened on the inside. Every little piece of trauma is like opening a tab on a browser – eventually we end up with a lot of tabs open. Without processing, they build up, but breathwork can help close some of those tabs down.
An NHS staff survey revealed that nearly 28% of NHS staff have suffered back pain in the last year as a direct result of their work.
Why do so many NHS staff suffer from these physical symptoms?
R: A lot of people get back pain because of unresolved trauma. Breathwork allows us to let out that emotion without revisiting the trauma. The psychotherapy approach of saying you have depression or anxiety, doesn’t actually change the problem. Breathwork is less painful because you are able to put the mind into a relaxed and almost hypnotic state while releasing the emotion.
Also holding a PG Certificate in Psychotherapy and a certificate in Human Nutrition. Richard’s work focuses on three levels; the physical body, emotion and spirituality to heal trauma located within the nervous system.
Why are anxiety and depression such a concern for NHS staff?
R: Depression and anxiety can be caused by chemical imbalances, but they can also be caused by the situation. A number of factors can cause depression and I happen to believe it is a chronic illness, just like IBS or any number of illnesses. There is a theory that our bodies can cope with seven different stresses – these can be childhood trauma or even chemicals we are exposed to. But once we reach our limit, we can develop depression or anxiety, which, if not dealt with can lead to PTSD.
What symptoms can be a sign it’s time to reach out for help?
R: Sleep is so important and a lack of sleep, or wakefulness, is a sign of trauma and getting that level of relaxation can be achieved through breathwork. You may also feel a sense of general anxiety and unease, or over reactiveness. You may find yourself very angry or sensitive to things that wouldn’t normally affect you. Depression is very similar but it has a different outcome and you may feel low energy and mood, or a lack of enthusiasm.
What can I expect from breathwork therapy?
R: Even a single breathwork session can reduce anxiety and see significantly lower anxiety for a week after treatment. But ideally I would work with clients for 6-8 weeks to get the best results.
We would have a little introduction and talk through the patient’s symptoms and the techniques we will use. They will lie down in the comfort of their own home for around 40 minutes and I will talk them through the breathing technique.
This can cause some physical reactions – they might feel energy or ‘champagne bubbles’ in their hands. It can bring up some emotional releases of love, joy or gratitude. Others might find themselves crying, yawning or even having a transpersonal experience.
Find more information about Richard Blake and his breathwork techniques – go to thebreathgeek.com or contact him by email to book an appointment: richard@richardlblake.com