Join us as we delve into Christopher Clare‘s personal journey into the realm of holistic wellbeing, where he found solace and empowerment through breathwork and cold water therapy. Discover how his experiences led him to establish My Monkey Mind, a sanctuary for individuals seeking balance, resilience, and inner peace. MysticMag has the pleasure.
How did you get into holistic wellbeing and what sparked your interest in it?
I got into holistic wellbeing for my own personal use initially. Following the sudden loss of my father, I put myself on the back burner to take care of both my mum and sister. Two years later the things I buried came back to wipe me out. I was put onto medication by my doctor, which didn’t sit right with me as I am somebody who doesn’t like taking paracetamol for a headache!
I looked into anything to take back control. I came across breath-work and tried it out. It proved fruitful for me personally and made sense when I looked into the science behind it too. I also decided to give cold water therapy a try too with a friend, which also gave me a positive outcome even though the first dip was in an outdoor lake in February!!! It was a rude awakening!
I then began to give friends and family little tips from my experience. It was then I realised how much this was needed by so many people who have normalised what they are dealing with on a daily basis. I could really help people like myself and make a difference. It was from here I began my studies with the likes of Oxygen Advantage, where I could gain a deeper understanding of how to take this further.
How does Cold Water Therapy work and what are its benefits?
Cold water therapy is a stressor at its core. It puts a person into a controlled stressful situation where the body is activated into its ‘fight or flight’ sympathetic response. When you combine cold water immersion with breathwork, you can build personal strong resilience to the cold water by controlling your breathing as you enter the water. When done regularly, you can build muscle memory with the breath which you can then take into everyday life and any stressful situations you find yourself in.
When you combine this with the biochemistry that occurs, such as increased dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin levels when immersed into cold water, the positive effects can last for hours as well as the longer-term effects of overall wellbeing.
What BReathwork techniques and modalities do you use?
As an Oxygen Advantage Instructor, I offer functional breathing coaching where I look at a person’s overall breathing technique to see if there are any improvements that can be instilled to improve their daily wellbeing. I really enjoy the first initial session with a new client where we dig deep together and you can see the light switch on in their eyes as we build a picture of how they are currently breathing.
I also offer some mindfulness breathwork, almost meditative if the client requires some anxiety relief. This style of breathing is also used in conjunction with cold water immersion to help prime the mind and body before entering the water. Then there is the deeper work I offer as a qualified Trauma Informed Conscious Connected Breathwork Facilitator. This style of breathwork can peel back the layers and reveal any past emotions that are buried deep, or any emotional blockages that the circular breathing session can release both emotionally and/ or physically. It’s amazing work seeing some of the results from sessions. One of the important aspects of CCB (Conscious Connected Breathwork) is that it has contraindications. It’s vital to know a client’s history and current health situation before commencing. I also tend not to dive straight into CCB with a new 121 client before looking at their functional breathing first. Functional breathing is the foundation block that will guide them onto a better experience with CCB in my view. They are a great marriage together.
What other services do you offer?
We also offer soundbaths, movement/ play, and retreats. The soundbaths are relatively new for us so have only used them on our day retreats as a closing section to the day. It’s lovely and relaxing especially when outdoors in nature.
The movement and play are a gentle reminder that we can still get back in touch with our inner child. We are so busy being ‘adults’ that we forget how to just play and move. The movement also helps us get back into our bodies and how to feel. A lot of us sit at a desk for hours on end, then sit in a car or on a train, get home then sit on the sofa. We have lost touch with ourselves. It’s also just a lot of fun. There is so much laughter when we do this on our retreats. It’s beautiful to see and hear.
What motivates you to keep doing the work you’re doing?
My biggest motivation is seeing the transformation from the gorgeous humans that come to us. Some arrive wracked with nerves and anxiety and leave looking like they’ve taken the weight of the world from their shoulders at that moment. Also, the feedback we get is humbling, to say the least.
You only have to read the statistics that are coming out for mental health and the lack of care available for the ever-rising number of people suffering to know how much work there is to do out there right now, let alone in the future.
To learn more about Christopher’s work and My Monkey Mind, you can visit www.mymonkeymind.uk
