Conscious Breathing: How Shamanic Breathwork Can Transform Your Life [Paperback]

Joy Manne Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 13, 2004

Conscious Breathing presents contemporary Breathwork methods in a comprehensive, structured way for modern readers. Emphasizing the practice as a way to access the most elevated states of consciousness and the deepest states of meditation, author Joy Manne shows how Breathwork can be applied to transpersonal, existential, past life, chakra, Kundalini, shamanic, and other experiences. Using detailed examples, case histories, and exercises, Conscious Breathing covers basic grounding and awareness, advanced breath and body-centered explorations, and explorations of biblical and religious teachings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In Conscious Breathing, Joy Manné offers a practical, down-to-earth account of Breathwork and shamanism, two areas of experience that are immeasurably valuable yet often inaccessible to the average reader. Joy’s style flows easily and her years of experience as a breathworker and teacher inform every page of this very comprehensive book."
- Catherine Dowling, M.A., H. Dip. Ed.; author of Rebirthing and Breathwork: A Powerful Technique for Personal Transformation

"Joy Manné’s contribution to research and scholarship in the field of Breathwork has been outstanding. This latest book is an essential reference for all students, practitioners, and trainers, and is a guide for anyone wishing to understand the scope and power of the breath."
- Ann Harrison, M.A., Dip. Ed.; Breathwork practitioner and trainer; president of the Australian Association for Professional Rebirthers; vice president of the International Breathwork Association

About the Author

Joy Manné has a degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Buddhist Psychology. She has practiced Vipassana meditation since 1965. From 1989 to 1995 she ran her School of Personal and Spiritual Development, which focused on Breathwork as the central method. Manné currently sees individual clients and leads groups in Switzerland, where she lives. She teaches internationally, concentrating on Poland in particular.

Manné is a leading researcher and author in the fields of Breathwork and Buddhist Psychology, with numerous articles to her name on both subjects as well as the relationship between them. She has also published philological and textual studies on Theravada Buddhist literature in Pali. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of the peer-review Internet journal, The Healing Breath: A Journal of Breathwork Practice, Psychology, and Spirituality, available through www.Healing-BreathJournal.org, and is a founding member of the International Breathwork Foundation (www.ibfnetwork.org), whose newsletter she edited from 1997 to 2001.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books (August 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556435320
• ISBN-13: 978-1556435324
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #742,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I came to London and culture from Johannesburg (South Africa) and good weather when I was 15. English history inspired me, especially Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Not because I want to kill my wives - I'm happily married to No. 2 husband and certainly don't want to kill anyone. They inspired me because they did everything:I won't make the list. I also want to do everything. I love doing new things. Creativity is my theme. I've written a thesis in Buddhist texts and Psychology. I've helped to found the International Breathwork Foundation. I've created the first Breathwork peer-review journal, The Healing Breath: A Journal of Breathwork Practice, Psychology and Spirituality - www.i-breathe.com. I've written the books you see on my page (I hope I can get the ones in French and Polish up). I'm translated into 11 languages and mighty proud of that. I've just finished my first children's book, a middle grade novel for which I'm am looking for an agent or a publisher. Meanwhile I'm writing picture books. And I paint.
Oh yes, and I've got children and grandchildren.
And I'm interested in people. I'm interested in you. I believe that every human being is unique and extraordinary. My books and my work is to free their energy so they can make happy relationships and fulfil their creativity.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite self-help..., October 20, 2005

By 

prof_it_e (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conscious Breathing: How Shamanic Breathwork Can Transform Your Life (Paperback)

My situation being in search of a tool that can help me with Shamanic Journeying - am a bit weak in the drumming/ visualising thing and understand breathwork might help induce the desired trance state. The blurb above suggests this book demonstrates how breathwork can be applied to among others, the shamanic experience.
By page 81 I am feeling a bit discouraged. So far it seems some background has been supplied on the subject with an emphasis on origin, terminology and protocol. It feels like I have attended a very short lecture aimed at people that are interested in running (politically correct) breathwork (workshops). There seems to be a general vagueness at this stage concerning whether one can pursue this independently, with emphasis being on a facilitator/client orientation. I have noted fleeting insignificant parallels drawn between breathwork and shamanism.
By the time I reach it, I am doubting there will be anything in the book that I can use, but because Part Three is titled Beginning Breathwork, I understand perhaps an actual breathwork "how-to" will now be divulged...
The next chapter: Grounding and Awareness provides pointers to prospective breathworkers and exercises for prospective breathers. Some case histories are thrown in to demonstrate elements/ problem areas of Grounding and Awareness, as well as some of the spin-offs. I'm keen to get to the part that says okay, Grounding and Awareness; check, next step.
Instead there are more pointers aimed at the prospective breathworker, and a whole bunch of case histories, and I am really starting to loose my patience. Then potential hazards with breathwork (and how to deal with them). Breath Mastery starts off with a whole bunch more case histories, moves on to some exercises/ experiments and wraps up with more parallels with Shamanism.
That Shamanism provided a framework within which Joy could interpret her interest in breathwork gets explained, so its not quite a "This is how Shamans use this to enter trance" thing.
I'm in two minds about this book at this point. Maybe at another stage it will grab me and progress in my journey will be impossible without it, but at this stage it just frustrates me.
I did kind of feel reassured that at least some of the things I wish to achieve can be achieved with this tool, its just this book felt more like it was ABOUT the tool and was not actually THE tool (but then maybe it was never meant to be...).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Reference for anyone interested in Breathwork, April 25, 2009

By 

Ann C. Harrison (Sydney) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conscious Breathing: How Shamanic Breathwork Can Transform Your Life (Paperback)

Manne makes the link between the transformational process of the Shaman and modern Breathwork. The book exhibits a thoroughness that can only come from personal practice as well as professional work clients. I recommend it as a standard text for Breathwork trainings as well as for any interested member of the general public. The style is readable, coherent and compelling

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Breathwork Primer., September 23, 2007

By 

Scott Knudsen (Air Ronge, Saskatchewan Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conscious Breathing: How Shamanic Breathwork Can Transform Your Life (Paperback)

I, as a few of the other reviewers, found the title to be a bit misleading. When the word Shamanic was used, I figured I would be reading a bit more 'weirder' breathwork stuff than I ended up reading.

Overall though, the book is an excellent introductory on the different types of breathwork that one can participate in. It also talks about her theories and techniques, which a practicing breathworker can also adopt as their own.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is curious about breathwork. If you are looking for more of a text-book, then there are better ones out there.