by Stephen J. Johnson, Ph.D.
In 1974 I completed my Doctoral Dissertation and graduated
from the University of Southern California with a Ph.D. in Counseling
Psychology. The topic of my Dissertation
was The Effects of Yoga Therapy on Self-Concept, Conflict Resolution and
Emotional Adjustment. The research
was performed through the Kundalini Research Institute and I had significant
results from my study evidencing the value of practicing Kundalini Yoga Therapy
to support one’s personal well-being.
I taught Hatha and Kundalini Yoga for about 5 years as an
extension of my psychotherapy practice. Yoga is still very much a part of my
life today. Dr. Leo Buscaglia, Professor
of Special Education and renowned lecturer on the topic of Love, had become an
advisor, mentor and friend who sat on my doctoral committee. We had a mutual
interest in Yoga and commenced our study together, taking classes on campus.
At the time I was also utilizing certain psychoactive plants
and drugs to enhance the depth of my work selectively with some of my
patients. I was being mentored by Dr.
Gary Fisher who was studying the effects of hallucinogens such as LSD in the
treatment of severely disturbed patients.
He had written approximately 200 journal articles on the topic.
In 1975 I met Leonard Orr at a Humanistic Psychology
Conference held on the campus of UC Berkeley.
Leonard was exploring the power of conscious breathing and had coined
the term Rebirthing due to his awareness that circular breathing could unlock
the effects of traumatic events, including birth trauma, held in one’s cellular
memory. I was eager to experience the
process and found it to be as powerfully effective in inducing an altered state
of consciousness as the psychoactive elements I was working with at the
time. Rebirthing has also been referred
to as Maha Yoga or supreme Yoga.
I went on to support Leonard in his pioneering work and
along with two associates created Holistic Arts Productions and began to host
Leonard’s Rebirthing Trainings in Los Angeles.
We established the Rebirthing LA Community and then hosted Sondra Ray’s
Loving Relationship Training, becoming the LA training center for Leonard’s and
Sondra’s work. I joined the ranks of
Certified Rebirthers and began offering my own workshops and trainings as well.
Sacred Breathing Sessions became central to the therapeutic
work that I was facilitating through my psychotherapy practice, seminars,
practicums and retreats. Learning
Leonard’s concepts regarding spiritual purification through the elements of
earth, air, water and fire has served as a tremendous influence on my life
personally and professionally.
Rebirthing is essentially a conscious-connected breathing
process that integrates body, mind and spirit, helping you to maintain a
perpetual state of relaxation. As you
clean and balance your energy field, a profound sense of well-being is
produced. Effects on life are
immediate. As negative patterns held in
the mind and body start to dissolve, you begin to experience your natural
center.
The primary purpose of the process is to release
restrictions in your breathing and resistance held throughout your body since
birth. The goal is to teach you to
breathe energy as well as air. Consciously
breathing energy is the secret to deep relaxation and therefore plays a big
part in a tension free and dis-ease free lifestyle. Over the years that I have
taught people how to balance and clean their energy fields I have witnessed
significant transformation and successful results in their lives.
I have found circular breathing sessions to be quite
beneficial in treating patients who experience a lot of anxiety and are prone
to panic attacks. We have found that
having approximately 10 one- to two-hour coached Mindful Breathing lessons can
be just what the doctor ordered to transform your consciousness and put your
life on the right track.
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