The Transformative Power of Systema Breathwork
As a martial art, Systema has its roots in the spiritual warrior culture of traditional Russia and is based on neutralizing violence and aggression. It is now practiced all over the world by those seeking a dynamic balance of peace, calm, strength and confidence.
More than just a martial art though, Systema is about profound healing and empowerment.
Working fundamentally with body structure and the inner state, breathwork is at the essence of the practice. As a result, it is deeply and positively transformative, with practical applications for those in all walks of life.
What are some of the things one might want to transform? Where might be some areas in which to seek change? How does Systema Breathwork function as a powerful mind-body interface?
Stress: transforming tension into power
What is stress?
To put it into perspective, stress is just a word turned into a marketing label by a Hungarian endocrinologist named Hans Selye, hired by the tobacco industry so that they could effectively say that smoking was scientifically and medically proven to be “healthy.” “Smoking reduces stress!” Prior to those marketing campaigns, no one spoke of “stress.“
What many people think of as stress is simply the result of natural challenges we encounter as part of the human experience. Life is filled with challenges that we can choose to embrace, thereby strengthening our mind, body and spirit. Challenges are neither inherently good nor bad - they are what we make of them. When we reject them, we lock up and are gripped by debilitating tension - very often we then start feeling sorry for ourselves and that prevents us from moving forward. We can train and condition ourselves to avoid this.
Tension is performance enemy number one - not stress.
When we understand that what we call “stress” is simply tension and fatigue, we start to have a logical and rational approach to remedy the situation.
Negativity - this dwells in tension - it’s hard to be negative when truly relaxed.
Insecurity - this is just another word for fear - confidence is born from the natural power we discover in newfound freedom (from tension).
Stagnation, apathy, complacency, lacking inspiration - creative and emotional blocks - these come from being stuck in chronic tension.
These are just a few examples. And though it might initially seem overly simplistic - tension is always at the root of these, not stress.
Systema teaches us how to breathe through these tensions and be empowered by our innate sixth sense, intuition.
Tension is fundamentally connected to fear - of physical or emotional pain, shame, bruises to our ego. By practicing Systema Breathwork, we learn to recognize fear and anger. We can transform fear into caution, which is an invaluable life skill. Breathing into the anger we can use it to our advantage, staying sharp, clear and motivated.
Stress is not the enemy - stress makes us strong. We can learn to harmonize with stress. Therein lies the power.
Systema Breathwork teaches us to be free and natural, in any “stressful” situation.
As a martial art, Systema has its roots in the spiritual warrior culture of traditional Russia and is based on neutralizing violence and aggression. It is now practiced all over the world by those seeking a dynamic balance of peace, calm, strength and confidence.
More than just a martial art though, Systema is about profound healing and empowerment.
Working fundamentally with body structure and the inner state, breathwork is at the essence of the practice. As a result, it is deeply and positively transformative, with practical applications for those in all walks of life.
What are some of the things one might want to transform? Where might be some areas in which to seek change? How does Systema Breathwork function as a powerful mind-body interface?
Stress: transforming tension into power
What is stress?
To put it into perspective, stress is just a word turned into a marketing label by a Hungarian endocrinologist named Hans Selye, hired by the tobacco industry so that they could effectively say that smoking was scientifically and medically proven to be “healthy.” “Smoking reduces stress!” Prior to those marketing campaigns, no one spoke of “stress.“
What many people think of as stress is simply the result of natural challenges we encounter as part of the human experience. Life is filled with challenges that we can choose to embrace, thereby strengthening our mind, body and spirit. Challenges are neither inherently good nor bad - they are what we make of them. When we reject them, we lock up and are gripped by debilitating tension - very often we then start feeling sorry for ourselves and that prevents us from moving forward. We can train and condition ourselves to avoid this.
Tension is performance enemy number one - not stress.
When we understand that what we call “stress” is simply tension and fatigue, we start to have a logical and rational approach to remedy the situation.
Negativity - this dwells in tension - it’s hard to be negative when truly relaxed.
Insecurity - this is just another word for fear - confidence is born from the natural power we discover in newfound freedom (from tension).
Stagnation, apathy, complacency, lacking inspiration - creative and emotional blocks - these come from being stuck in chronic tension.
These are just a few examples. And though it might initially seem overly simplistic - tension is always at the root of these, not stress.
Systema teaches us how to breathe through these tensions and be empowered by our innate sixth sense, intuition.
Tension is fundamentally connected to fear - of physical or emotional pain, shame, bruises to our ego. By practicing Systema Breathwork, we learn to recognize fear and anger. We can transform fear into caution, which is an invaluable life skill. Breathing into the anger we can use it to our advantage, staying sharp, clear and motivated.
Stress is not the enemy - stress makes us strong. We can learn to harmonize with stress. Therein lies the power.
Systema Breathwork teaches us to be free and natural, in any “stressful” situation.