Positive Health Online

Self-Breema refers to a vast repertoire of exercises that are a part of the comprehensive system of Breema. Based on a profound yet practical understanding of the unifying principle of all life, Breema includes Self-Breema exercises as well as the dynamic Breema bodywork method, an extensive collection of treatment sequences through which practitioner and recipient can actualize physical, mental, and emotional balance and harmony.

Each bodywork sequence and Self-Breema exercise is a perfect expression of a group of interrelated principles that underlie every aspect of Breema, including the form of the treatment, its atmosphere, the practitioner-recipient dynamic, the practitioner's quality of touch, and the purpose and effect of the treatment or exercise.

The philosophy and principles of Breema address the essential nature of life, the deeper meaning of health and how to actualize it, and the means of gaining practical, self-verified knowledge that can lead to an understanding of our unique potential as human beings.

Many Self-Breema exercises involve 'brushing' the arms, legs, or other parts of the body. Brushing generally has a nurturing effect, and allows the physically alive parts of an exercise to have a more penetrating effect on the body.

Practising Self-Breema helps us to move in harmony with the natural laws that govern life and health. Doing so, we increase our vital energy in any given moment and expand our receptivity to do what is most beneficial for our lives.

Self-Breema exercises are not for muscles, bones, and joints. They are to help us discover who we really are. The mind participates in Self-Breema, as do the feelings. Like Breema bodywork, Self-Breema is a unifying method. Body, mind, and feelings come into harmony in a common activity. We become present, and in that, we find a presence that has the simple knowledge that 'there is a body'. When that knowledge is present, we experience an appreciation for the fact that we have life, and a connection to all of life. We recognize the enormous value of experiencing 'body breathes, body has weight'. This nonphilosophical experience is the first step in coming from the mind's interpretation of life to the actual experience of 'I exist,' and the taste of 'I exist in harmony with the totality of life'.

The Origins of Breema and Self-Breema

Breema comes from a small village in the Near East. Malichek Mooshan grew up in that village and learned Breema from his great grandfather. Dr Jon Schreiber studied extensively with Malicheck in the late 1970s, became convinced of Breema's unique potential to benefit people living in modern society, and founded the Breema Center (in Oakland, California) in 1980.

Self-Breema is done with the principle of Body Comfortable – it is always
fine to adjust the form of the exercise for your own body's comfort.

The Goal of Self-Breema

In any given moment you could be nurtured by your relationship to yourself and your surroundings, by your relationship to your body, mind, and feelings, by your relationship to life and your Being. This is the aim of Self-Breema.

Life attracts life. To keep the body alive, we depend on our physiological processes. But to really be alive, we need Consciousness, which gives us understanding of ourselves and the essential nature of all phenomena, and enables us to see things as they are. By practising Self-Breema and its nine principles, we can raise our level of consciousness and take step after step in the direction of harmony.

In practising Self-Breema, our goal is to experience the participation of our Being in our activities.

The aim of Self-Breema is to experience oneself in the moment rather than simply
performing a physical movement. The correct attitude is that of a beginner.
Then, the experience can be totally fresh each time.

Benefits of Self-Breema

Self-Breema is a unifying, harmonizing method. Harmony between our mind, feelings, and body is the key to a healthy life. The energy that becomes available to us when the mind, feelings, and body work in harmony can cleanse, balance, and energize every cell in the body.

By working with the Breema principles as we practice Self-Breema, we simplify and purify the activity of the mind and feelings, inviting a higher level of consciousness that is less mechanical and more purposeful to participate in the body's movements.
The movements of Self-Breema are balanced and in harmony with our essential nature. Practising Self-Breema invites physical flexibility, emotional balance, and mental clarity. With this balanced state of mind, feelings, and body, we can take a step towards experiencing who we really are.

We know the body is one unit, and while this knowledge is present,
every cell of the body participates in that movement, as well as the mind and the feelings.

Self-Breema allows us to take impressions directly from life, without first filtering them through the coarse consciousness of our associative mind and reactive feelings. By practising just a few Self-Breema exercises a day, we can make balance a part of our day. Because these exercises are based on the laws governing nature, they guide us towards our natural state, and allow us to experience a vitality that rejuvenates us and purifies our relationship to life.

Worry, anxiety, and tension are the result of living in the past and future. The key to harmonious life is to be present. This is the aim of Self-Breema. Being present is our natural relationship to Existence.

The Nine Principles of Harmony

Inherent in all of the Self-Breema exercises are the holistic and practical principles of Breema. These principles distinguish the Breema system from all other methods, even those with similar-looking movements. Yet, they also are universal principles, distilled from a profound understanding of universal laws which govern life, and consequently, the body, its health, and its relationship to the energetic and physical aspects of the universe. Breema's Nine Principles of Harmony are: Body Comfortable, No Judgment, Firmness and Gentleness, No Force, Single Moment/Single Activity, No Hurry/No Pause, No Extra, Mutual Support, and Full Participation.

Body Comfortable

Moment by moment, our body's level of comfort is directly related to our changing level of consciousness.

Our body, like the Universe, is made of matter, energy, Consciousness, and Awareness in the process of constant change. The degree to which our body is comfortable depends on the relationship of these four levels of Existence to each other.

In our ordinary level of consciousness, we imagine the body to be a separately existing object, and we identify with it, believing we are this body. We regard everything else as 'other,' and create tension and fear.

When we register the weight, breathing, movement, or any of the body's other manifestations, we become more comfortable. The mind involved in registration is less crowded with thoughts and is less judgmental and critical.

Like all the other Breema principles, Body Comfortable is a directional principle. This principle, though simple, is dynamic, guiding us in the direction of becoming more present. As we become present, our energy is renewed and refreshed. We become more available and nurturing to ourselves and to others.

By working with the Breema principles as we practice Self-Breema, we simplify and purify
the activity of the mind and feelings, inviting a higher level of consciousness that is
less mechanical and more purposeful to participate in the body's movement.

No Judgment

When we come to the present, we are free from judgment. In the absence of our associative thoughts and reactive feelings (which are past- and future-based), we have acceptance of whatever we experience. The present is the domain of our Being, not of our mind. Our Being links our timeless nature to our life in time. When our Being participates, we manifest our timeless nature, moment after moment.

The Breema principles help us create an atmosphere in which our Being can participate. Whatever we encounter, our Being accepts. We become free from our unconscious identification with the body. If we find tension, it is accepted. We have no interest in subjectively interpreting and judging our visual, tactile, or other sensory perceptions while doing an exercise.

In the atmosphere of no judgment, the body, mind, and feelings let go of 'extra'. Our mind becomes less crowded with images of past and future. Our feelings become less reactive and fearful. Our body lets go of tension as it becomes home to a receptive mind and supportive feelings. In this harmony between our three aspects, we find we are doing Self-Breema without identifying with our thoughts, feelings, or body. There is a sense of presence that enables us to have a taste of acceptance of ourselves as we are in this moment.

The Role of the Mind and Feelings in Self-Breema

When we practice Self-Breema, we ask the mind to function purposefully. We wish it to register that the body has weight, breathes, has movement, posture, facial expression, or tone of voice. In fulfilling this job, the mind becomes receptive. It stops being pulled in the many directions initiated by random thoughts. As we continue to register the body's manifestations, we begin to experience ourselves differently. Our energy is not drained, and we have a sense of presence.

When the mind functions in this new manner, our feelings, which are generated by thoughts, become less reactive. They support our desire to remain present. We experience an increase in energy as the body, mind, and feelings function cooperatively. In this unification of our three aspects, we become present. We experience being present as a knowing that is independent of thoughts, feelings, and sensations. This knowing is a taste of our Inner Authority being present.

When you are present, any activity of the body is Self-Breema.

Taking Self-Breema into Daily Life

As you practice Self-Breema, and one or more of the Breema principles becomes alive for you, you start to let go of 'extra' – of tension, anxiety, fear, apprehension, and unwanted thoughts and feelings. You become more alive. Your body relaxes. You have more energy and a greater sense of presence. You experience a state of balance in your mind, feelings and body that gives you more vitality.

By practising Self-Breema exercises, you become accustomed to working with the principles, and the taste of connection to the body becomes more familiar. This familiarity enables you to take the principles of Self-Breema and begin using them in other activities.

Any activity of the body can become Self-Breema. When you sit down to tie your shoes, or to eat, you have a chance to register that your body is sitting, breathing, and has weight. When you reach to pick up the phone, to turn a doorknob, or to lift a glass of water, you can practice Single Moment/Single Activity, Firmness and Gentleness, Body Comfortable, or any of the other principles.
Bringing Self-Breema into your daily life, you become grateful for all the situations that require or allow you to use your body. Each movement becomes another opportunity to practice Self-Breema and to come more to the present.

Case Studies

Case #1

Irene S, a 45 year-old woman, came to the Breema Health and Wellness Center for right knee pain and lower back pain. She had been diagnosed with a torn meniscus and arthritis in the knee joint. The difficulty of walking with knee pain affected her gait, causing strain and imbalance in her hips and lower back. She began a course of Breema bodywork treatments and was taught several Self-Breema exercises to increase the energy flow and circulation in her feet, knees, and legs in particular, and to increase mobility in the feet, ankles, knees, and lower back. 'Circling the Knee' specifically works to increase the flow of energy to the knees, but its rhythmic circling also gently and safely stretches the hamstrings, hips and lower back, making it an ideal exercise for Irene's condition. 'Opening the Road,' a foot exercise which gently but thoroughly stretches and opens channels in the feet, was given to help her connect to her feet, supporting balance and proper alignment, as well as a more grounded energy distribution overall. After just eight session, Irene was walking without pain. She is delighted with her response to Breema and Self-Breema, and looks forward to continuing improvement as she continues practising the exercises on her own.

Case #2

Marilyn N, a 48 year-old woman, has been a long-time client of The Breema Health and Wellness Center. A recent move from her own apartment to a shared living situation, economic difficulties, and concern about an ongoing health symptom combined to increase her stress, anxiety level, and depression. When she came for her regular monthly Breema session, she was taught 'Touching the Wealth'. The simple holds of this exercise had a powerful effect on her, and she practised it whenever she felt her anxiety rising. At her next visit she reported that whenever she did the exercise, it helped to place her worries into perspective, and halted the progression of her anxiety. "It helps me get to the place in me which isn't afraid," she said.

Case #3

Jason, a 28 year-old Web designer, came to The Breema Health & Wellness Center because he was starting to develop symptoms of pain and tingling in his wrists and hands, and he wanted to prevent full-fledged Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) from developing. Treatment emphasized releasing tension from the neck and upper back to increase the flow of energy and reduce nerve impingement to his upper extremities, as well as direct work with the arms, wrists and hands. He was taught a variety of Self-Breema exercises, and advised to take one Self-Breema break every hour he worked on the computer. Among other exercises, 'Evening Posture' was given to open and release the upper back, chest, and neck, and 'Opening the Heart' to stretch the hands, wrists and arms. Jason was surprised at how different he felt at the end of the day when he remembered to include Self-Breema. "I tend to get so engrossed in my work, I completely forget I even have a body. Now I set a reminder on my computer that tells me to do Self-Breema every hour. It's easy to do a few exercises in five minutes that totally transform how I feel. Then for a little while after my break, I'm more connected to my body and remain more comfortable. I don't get drained in the same way I used to, and I don't get that pain and tingling any more."

Introduction to the Exercises

Self-Breema is play. It is not what is in your mind; it is what you yourself experience in the moment – the taste of your own aliveness.

Self-Breema is about your inner experience. Nothing about it requires a mirror. To benefit fully, remain simple and keep your desire to actualize the Breema principles alive. The perfection one seeks in Self-Breema is an ever-expanding experience of full participation, of being fully alive and present while practising. The less you bring ideas to your practice, the less 'extra' is there, the more lighthearted and joyful your experience. As long as Self-Breema remains playful, you're on the right track.

Further Reading

1. Schreiber J and Berezonsky D. Self-Breema: Exercises for Harmonious Life. California Health Publications. Oakland, California. 2001.
2. Schreiber J. Breema: Essence of Harmonious Life. California Health Publications. Oakland, California. 1998.

Further Information

The Breema Center offers classes and workshops on the Breema method, including several 10-day intensives each year. The Center offers a Breema Bodywork Practitioner Certificate after a 165-hour program. The Breema Center is approved by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education provider under Category A. For information, contact The Breema Center at 6076 Claremont Ave., Oakland, Ca 94618; call 510/428-0937; or visit its website at www.breema.com.   Breema is a service mark of The Breema Center

Local Instructors

Ingrid Hamilton and Mike Reid offer Breema workshops in the UK. During the past 20 years, Ingrid Hamilton, CMT, has studied many different forms of health improvement, including Breema bodywork. She is based in California and frequently travels to the UK. To contact her directly, call 001-510-658-9233. Mike Reid is a Certified Instructor and Practitioner in Breema bodywork. He is also based in California, and conducts workshops with Ingrid in the UK. Mike can be reached at 001-510-652-0842.

The European Breema Centers:

Pari Schneider, Panoramastre. 19, D-77815 Buhl b. Baden, Germany. Phone: 0049-7223250460; Fax: 0049-7223250181.
Aron & Claudia Saltiel, Heinrichstr. 131, A-8010 Graz, Austria. Phone & Fax: 0043-316386417.  a_saltiel@mail.styria.com

Credits

1. Photos by George Draper, photographer.
2. Illustrations by Mary Cuneo.