Celebration of Breath: Rebirthing, Book II; Or How to Survive Anything and Heal Your Body

I generally like nearly all the literature on Rebirthing. What makes this book very good is the two articles in the appendix: one by Jim Leonard and the other by Eve Jones. I learned how to do rebirthing from these two articles. I later had my understanding checked by having a session with someone who studied and practiced with both Leonard Orr and Jim Leonard, and who had received both their blessings about teaching others. When I sometimes got stuck in my process, I would reread these articles until I got some insight into what I needed to do to correct my practice. Jim Leonard later developed his own version of breathwork and called it "Vivation". The article he wrote in this book was the seed understanding that later developed into this method. Although I have read the books Jim Leonard wrote about Vivation, this article seems to cover everything that his later books cover, only in a more condensed and sutra like form. Eve Jones, a doctor, goes into the physiology of rebirthing, what happens in our bodies when we breathe this way (like 70 percent of our toxins being released through breathing, more than through the other eliminative organs). I have not found any other book that touches upon what she does. I have found this understanding very valuable. The rest of the book has a lot of good ideas. It is like a scapbook of a lot of good bits of information. Another writing goes into the differences between belly centered breathing and heart centered breathing (my breath teacher touched upon "full lung breathing" which is the next step after these two). Everything in this book is useful, but it is not meant to stand alone, it is meant to be a sequel to her earlier book REBIRTHING IN THE NEW AGE. Contrary to what is said in both books, I do think that you can learn how to do the method through them, especially with the articles in this one. But if you do learn the methods through the book, be prepared for the "death urge" trying to stop you or subtlely altering your breathing so that it does not work, like locking your jaw to block the emotions from surfacing or tensing your third eye or simply forgetting to breathe. Also, be prepared for some strong repressed emotions that could overwhelm you for a while. You want to commit to enough sessions in a row (ten is suggested) so that you can dissolve your emotional repression enough to break through. Having a breath coach is useful, not because the method cannot be learned alone or done alone (IMHO) but because there is some resistance that may be best worked through with some support of someone who is both skilled and who has gone through it himself or herself.

Celebration of Breath was the first book among the Rebirthing books that assisted me in the process of learning how to rebirth other people and myself. It was truly inspirational and I’m disappointed to see that Rebirthing in the New Age is out of print since these two books together are the classics for Rebirthing and books I always gave my clients. For those who have never done Rebirthing and only have just read about it…. Reading about Rebirthing cannot tell you what it is. Like every spiritual path, one must do the practice and not mearly read about it and apply the technique without fail to get the rewards. Rebirthing is simple but not easy and it takes heroic commitment to stay with the process. Rebirthing is the only technique I know that swiftly purifies at a rapid rate negative karma, birth-related trauma and all spiritual and physical bodies. For those rebirthers who have been doing it over 20-500 times can attest that this technique will indeed change your world view from the experiences you have – not from what you read about. Rebirthing is about breathing. It is not a breath of fire technique, but a very gentle circular breath that when done correctly will make all other spiritual disciplines easier. After doing this technique over 500 times, I am still amazed at its power. For all that are interested in reading more, I encourage you to buy this book since it’s one of the originals.

Sondra Ray was one of the stars of the '80's New Age circuit: a student of Leonard Orr and Louise Hay. Her field was rebirthing, a technique based on the idea that 'the birth trauma' held all our neuroses. Supposedly re-experiencing this trauma would release it, freeing the subject from all succeeding psychological problems. The technique, described in the book, involves relaxing in the presence of a sympathetic nurse and performing 'connected breathing', a continuous deep breathing similar to some yoga practices. Ideally the subject would lie in warm water during the session.The book also champions 'affirmations' a kind of self-hypnosis involving the repetition of positive phrases.Whether or not the techniques work is arguable - they are, however, enjoyable and stimulating! The book is intellectually light and perhaps somewhat fluffy but pleasant and relaxing to read - like taking a warm bath!