Rebirthing: What It Is and What It Is Not

Rebirthing: What It Is and What It Is Not

By Debra L. Miller

The phone kept ringing, the e-mails flew in, the radio broadcasted, the news flashed on the TV and the papers reported. Never had I been so shocked or upset to hear the media speaking about something so close to my heart. USA Today reported “Police in Denver charged three people for conducting a controversial “rebirthing” therapy on a 10-year-old girl who died after being wrapped in a blanket despite telling them she could not breathe and was going to die.” The child died of asphyxiation.

What is this? And how could this happen? This is not rebirthing! As I continued to read another article, I felt devastated. The procedure they were describing was said to be a reenactment of the birth process, by having the child struggle out of a blanket and be reborn. They stated that the purpose of this type of therapy was to help children with attention deficit disorder and depression heal from past traumas. The therapists at this counseling center were choosing to call this procedure “rebirthing”.

The techniques and procedures being described in these articles were in no shape or form even close to the true rebirthing process. The therapists involved in this tragic event were not trained, sponsored or even associated with our International Foundation of Professional Rebirthers. It saddened me deeply, to think that people were now associating this tragic event with the word rebirthing.

What it really is.....

Many people use different words to describe their technique of healing. My intention here is to clarify the true definition of rebirthing, as I know it.

There have been millions of people worldwide that have experienced rebirthing. Rebirthing, in its purity was discovered and named by Leonard Orr over 30 years ago. It is a very simple, yet powerful breathing technique. A trained professional rebirther facilitates a session. The length of a session is approximately 2 hours. There is a 1-hour consultation followed by an hour of breathing. During the breathing part of the session, the client is lying down comfortably on a futon or mat, while the rebirther is sitting beside them, monitoring the breath and supporting the client. It is a safe and gentle process of breathing in a circular manner. By concentrating your attention on your breathing, you are able to observe and release undesirable thoughts and emotions. The breathing experience stimulates and rejuvenates the mind, body and spirit. Rebirthing energizes as well as relaxes, making your creative powers more accessible and allowing you a more conscious choice of how you want to create and experience your life. The purpose of rebirthing is to enhance your aliveness, raise your consciousness and let go of struggle.