Maitri Breathwork
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Maitri is Sanskrit for unconditional loving-kindness towards oneself and others.
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INDIVIDUAL
Sessions are held in my office and you should manage 2.5 hours for each session.
ALL-DAY GROUP
Sessions are usually held from 9am to 7 or 8pm. Time and locations will vary.
If you would like to host a Maitri Breathwork, please reach out to me.
For thousands of years, indigenous peoples have practiced ways of accessing non-ordinary states of consciousness, or NSCs (Stan Grof's holotropic realm), for the purpose of obtaining guidance and information not readily available in ordinary states. Methods used to enter NSCs have included, but are not limited to: trance, meditation, drumming, various forms of breath alteration, induction, and the practice of austerities (i.e., fasting, sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, and the like).
Maitri Breathwork was created by Jyoti and Russell Park, Ph.D. in 1980 ,and has been greatly influenced by Drs. Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks and Drs. Stanislav and Christina Grof. Their models (Radiance and Holotropic, respectively) are based on the philosophy that individuals have both the capacity and the responsibility for their own healing and personal evolution, and that each of us can connect with an Inner Healer that will guide us in this process. As we participate in our personal healing, we also access and contribute to the healing of the Collective, as well as the emotional body of our sacred Mother Earth.
The Ego, in collusion with consensus reality, regulates how much we will let ourselves feel and express. Breathwork assists us in bypassing the intellect, thereby allowing the Psyche to breathe into the creative realms of unconscious material. As we journey toward wholeness, we discover and then expand past the boundaries of our self-limiting beliefs, retrieving the lost parts of ourselves; we begin to repattern our lives.
Through this work, one is able to complete energy cycles, and heal "stuck" or unresolved experiences, thereby liberating oneself from the constricting effects of such issues.
In breathwork, an authentic, honest response, complete with sound, words, feelings, movement, and/or insight is fully encouraged. In allowing these responses, we are liberated from unconscious constraints by "moving through" the experience in a safe environment, rather than avoiding it. The benefits of breathwork are directly related to your commitment to experience and work with whatever material arises.
Moira uses non-forceful ways of supporting your journey, and clients regulate the depth and pace of their work/session through their breath. Moira has worked with hundreds of breathers, and she is prepared to safely accommodate any experience that might arise within your healing process. She tells her clients, "I am committed to your journey; it is the work I love and cherish. I am in service to you, so please take advantage of this opportunity by not shying away from your truth or experience."
Moira and her fellow certified Maitri facilitators (group work requires more than one facilitator) will provide the structure for the session, and practice agreements will be made that will support effective communication and safety. The facilitators hold deep respect for both participants' defense mechanisms and their life-affirming, healing processes. The primary role of the facilitator is to support and nurture the breather as they do their inner work, and to serve as compassionate witness for both contractions and expansions. Gay and Kathryn Hendricks often use the analogy of turning on an old faucet to describe a breather's experience (to paraphrase): At first the water is rusty and even though it will clear soon, when we see that initial dirty water we often want to quickly turn off the faucet! When we choose to let the water flow, though, its continuously emerging clarity promises the sweetness of self-love and a deepening compassion for others.
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