Breath Is the Ritual
Have you ever watched a newborn take its first breath?
It’s not quiet. It’s not graceful.
It’s a gasp. A cry. A declaration.
The breath is our first act of courage.
In the first week of life, you’ll see a baby’s tiny belly rise and fall—synced with the rhythm of their mother’s breath.
They’ve just left the womb, where their nervous system co-regulated with another. Now, they’re learning to inhale the world—and to exhale themselves into it.
Then we grow.
New inputs: dads, grandmas, school, phones, work, grief, deadlines.
Eventually, we’re left to regulate alone.
But the truth is, we never stop needing to be held. To sync. To reset.
We just forget that breath can be the one holding us.
“Breath is the original ritual. No tools. No apps. Just presence. Just life, arriving and leaving in each moment.”
— Laura McCann
We’re All Just Learning to Breathe Again
So many of us are walking around in survival mode—shallow, clenched, over-functioning.
Holding our breath between emails.
Breathing fast while scrolling.
Barely breathing at all when we’re anxious, overwhelmed, or sad.
We don’t need another escape—we need a new cadence. A new ritual.
We need to breathe on purpose.
Breath & The Chakras: A System for Return
Breath moves energy. It wakes up what’s stuck. It releases what’s heavy. It grounds what’s scattered.
Each chakra receives and responds to breath in a unique way:
-
Root (1): Belly breathing brings safety and grounding
-
Sacral (2): Circular breath releases emotional tension
-
Solar Plexus (3): Fire breath reactivates confidence and drive
-
Heart (4): Heart-centered breath softens grief and opens connection
-
Throat (5): Audible breath clears stagnant expression
-
Third Eye (6): Still breath brings focus and intuition
-
Crown (7): Extended exhale creates surrender and spiritual attunement
When you breathe with intention, your chakras begin to balance—naturally.
“We spend so much time managing our mind. But breath is what resets the system. It realigns us from the inside out.”
— Laura McCann
Your Perfume Oils: A Ritual Toolkit
At Auratherapy, our chakra perfume oils are designed as tools for sacred breath rituals. These aren’t just scents—they’re plant-based energetic keys.
Try this:
-
Choose your oil based on your need:
-
Vitality (1): Ground
-
Creativity (2): Feel
-
Motivation (3): Act
-
Joy (4): Open
-
Communication (5): Speak
-
Clarity (6): See
-
Tranquility (7): Surrender
-
Roll onto your pulse points or heart center
-
Close your eyes and breathe in slowly, repeating your intention
-
Let breath become a bridge between your energy and your body
This is breath with purpose. Scent with intention. Healing with rhythm.
Modern Breathwork Practices to Explore
Breathwork is having a moment—and for good reason. It’s free, transformative, and ancient. Here are some current approaches worth learning:
1. Rebirthing Breathwork
A gentle, circular breathing practice that can unlock deep emotional releases.
Created by Leonard Orr in the 1970s, it’s about reconnecting to the breath you were born with.
Read more via Rebirthing Breathwork International
2. Soma Breath
A rhythmic breath practice that combines music, movement, and breath holds to activate altered states and deep healing.
Accessible for beginners and powerful for seasoned seekers.
Explore SOMA Breath
3. HeartMath Coherence Breathing
Scientifically backed method that syncs breath with heart rate to regulate the nervous system.
Simple: inhale for 5, exhale for 5, while focusing on the heart.
Used in hospitals, schools, and trauma healing centers.
Visit HeartMath Institute
4. Cold Exposure + Breath (Wim Hof Method)
Combines controlled breath with cold plunges to build emotional and physical resilience.
Breath acts as a stabilizer for shock and fear response.
Learn more at Wim Hof Method
5. Yogic Pranayama
Ancient Indian system of breath control. Includes breath of fire, alternate nostril, and retention techniques.
These practices are structured, precise, and deeply spiritual.
Read more at Yoga Journal
“Every culture has a breath tradition. Every body can return to breath as a way home.”
— Laura McCann
When to Use Breath as Ritual
-
Before making a hard decision
-
After a draining interaction
-
When you wake up in stress
-
When you can’t sleep
-
Before entering your store, session, or service
-
When you forget who you are
-
When you want to remember
This is the kind of ritual that gives back instantly. You don’t have to master it. You just have to show up to it.
What If Breath Was Enough?
What if your next ritual didn’t start with more effort, but less?
Less pushing.
Less performing.
More pausing.
What if, before you “cleared your energy,” you simply breathed into it?
What if the healing starts with:
Inhale—I am here.
Exhale—I am whole.
“You don’t need to fix yourself. You just need to feel yourself. Breath is how we begin.”
— Laura McCann
This blog is part of the Auratherapy “Energy Resilience” Series:
-
When Everything Feels Like Too Much, Stay
Find the full series at auratherapy.com/blog
