Liability Waiver

It’s about knowledge and preparedness. As we feel confident, our students will feel safe. And as our students feel safe, they lend into the process deeper, and will have deeper experiences.​

What is a contraindication?

• What is a contraindication? It is a pre-existing condition or circumstance that indicates a particular drug, or technique should not (or may not be safe to) be used.  

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Cardiovascular:

• Cardiovascular related issues. Basically, our heart health.

• Cardiac arrythmia: an irregular heartbeat. High heart rate, high blood pressure. Low heart rate, low blood pressure.

• Slow or fast heart rate. A heart rate that is considered to be high is over 100 beats per minute. And it’s considered to be low, if it’s less than 60 beats per minute.

• Low or high blood pressure. Blood pressure is high if it’s over 140/90. They may want to contact their doctor first.

• Recent heart attack. Recent within the last 5 years. What is their current heart health? What is their current blood pressure rate. (post whatever procedure they had). Are they on any blood thinning medications? If they are, again, you will want them to consult their doctor before practicing. Because as we do these sessions, the blood pressure and the heart rate increase. It is speeding up and then slowing down.

• Any kind of heart disease or condition.

 

Chronic Respiratory Conditions:

 

COPD, asthma, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, perhaps Covid lung issues. Anything related where there is air restriction to the lungs.

 

Pregnancy:

The reality of doing somatic breathwork when a woman is pregnant, can result in early labor.

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Cardiovascular: Heavy Duty Medications:

Strong pain killers, Opioids, Anti-Psychotic medications; any medication that is sensitive and that’s triggered by radical changes in oxygen or Co2 levels. But all must sign a liability release waiver. Consulting a physician, is that most physicians are not aware of what somatic breathwork is. And when you tell them it’s a controlled form of hyperventilation, most likely alarm bells will go off, because they are textbook trained. And so getting feedback from your doctor will be limited.

 

Severe Mental Illness:

We are talking about schizophrenia. Some form of extreme disorder or psychosis. Anxiety and depression are okay, but be very mindful of anything that someone might categorize as chronic. Like chronic depression; on the edge of having an altered state of mind with depression, and then on drugs to sustain their equilibrium of happiness and coping.

 

• REMEMBER: Self modulation: (1) breathe through the nose, (2) breathe at half speed, (3) assess and adjust. Breathwork journeys through the nose are still very powerful. A lot of rebirthing breathwork which is a whole modality on its own is conscious connective breathing. Done through deep and full breaths through the nose. Yet, it comes with less strain on the cardiovascular system. Because our nose is connected to our Parasympathetic Nervous System, where our mouth is connected to the Sympathetic Nervous System. We can breathe through the nose and keep it deep, but we are breathing in less oxygen and less stimulation.

 

• Breathe at half speed. Maintain body awareness. Do this breathwork journey through your nose, breathe at half speed, stay tuned to your body awareness, and as your body feels safe speed up a little bit, but maintain your breath through your nose – because we as human beings are hardwired for safety. Our body is going to tell us if we’ve gotten to a point that does not feel safe anymore. At that point, we can back ourselves out at any time. Listen to your body. Stay tuned to the signs of your body. The body is all wise, it’s very knowledgeable, it knows exactly what it’s dealing with and what it’s up against on every level; mentally, spiritually and emotionally. And psychospiritual: such as the power of the feminine, modern psychology and ancient wisdom, the revelation of the breath, and women creating change. When we listen to our body, it will never steer us wrong. Trust in that.

 

We assess and adjust of what the body says, and tells us.

 

History of Aneurisms or Seizures:

If they have epilepsy. Have epileptic or grand mal seizures (A tonic-clonic seizure, previously known as a grand mal seizure, causes a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. It's the type of seizure most people picture when they think about seizures.) Controlled Hyperventilation or Hyperventilation. With hyperventilation we don’t have any control over as it’s a natural response of the body where controlled hyperventilation is speeding up the breath to mirror on how we would be during hyperventilation. And with controlled, we can back ourselves out of it at any time. However, either can trigger a seizure, because we are slowing down the blood flow and the oxygen levels to our brain. Seizures are typically dangerous if someone has them standing up or if they are flat on their back and choking and vomiting.

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Minimize the Potential of Fainting or Seizures:

1. No long breath holds during full length journeys, keep them between 30 to 90 seconds.

2. No intense squeezing during breath holds.

Watch out for very low blood pressures, because we don’t want people fainting.

 

Cardiovascular: Adverse Risk Management:

Fainting:

1. Don’t panic

2. Coach them to come back slowly

3. I will whisper into your ear: “come back”, “you’re safe”, “breathe with me” (model their breathing in their ear)

4. Peppermint essential oil

5. Open their eyes, to show that they are safe

 

Anoxic Shock or Seizure:

SEIZURE: (not related to epilepsy) (triggered by the reduction of oxygen levels to the brain)

1. Keep yourself and everyone else calm

2. Turn them on to one side

3. Never try to hold them down

4. Comfort them and speak calmly

 

Osteoporosis:

This is a brittle bone disease. So, thrashing around, make sure that they are aware of their own body.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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WAIVER: READ. SIGN.