What is Westchester Breathes?

Westchester Breathes provides an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that can reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being.  These exercises are simple, effective, and suitable for all ages and abilities.

For questions about  Westchester Breathes or any content on this site, please contact us using this link.

How can I participate in Westchester Breathes?

Online

Register once.  You’ll receive a reminder each morning. Come when you can!  If you enjoy the program, please share our flyer!

Each 45 minute session provides an opportunity to learn and use gentle BREATH-BODY-MIND™ practices to soothe, balance and strengthen the nervous system. No prior experience needed. We do ask that you come in 5min early; we will start on time!

You teachers for this series will include Elena and Keerti.

REGISTER HERE

Each 45 minute session will focus on 1 or 2 practices and/or sequences to give a good start to the day. You should have attended at least 4 prior Westchester Breathes or Breath-Body-Mind sessions before attending. We will start and end on time so you can continue with your day!

This is a new program format for Westchester Breathes; we’ll be asking for your feedback at the end of the series!

Check Back for registration, which will open in January.

In Person

Interested in Hosting Westchester Breathes at Your Organization?

In-person and online programming is currently scheduled for Westchester residents through the library system, local libraries, and community agencies.  If you are interested in a short series for your organization, please contact us using the link above.

More on Breath-Body-Mind™

Westchester Breathes is grounded in the work of Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Patricia Gerbarg – two clinical psychiatrists who identified, studied, and teach  simple, effective voluntary regulated breathing exercises shown to reduce the experience of stress and increase the ability of the body to self-soothe and heal. Learn about their research, publications and workshops at Breath-Body-Mind.com.  Learn about the impact of their work around the world at Breath Body Mind Foundation.org

The work to make this program available in Westchester County emerged from the work of the Westchester Resilience Coalition.

Thanks to a multi-year grant from TINRC (The New York State Trauma-Informed Network & Resource Center), BBM practice and learning opportunities are offered state-wide through 2027.  This is available to all New Yorkers free of charge. Follow this link get direct links to classes and plan for teacher training.

BBM Instructors are world-wide.  Listed below are several whose classes work well for the Eastern time zone and have supported Westchester Breathes programming. Ask to be part of their mailing list!

  • Ann F.    Offers several classes each week.
  • Cecilia B.  Usually Tuesdays at 5;30pm
  • Elena F. Usually Mondays at Noon.
  • Mandy B.  Usually Wednesday at 7am.
  • Nicolas E.  Usually Fridays at 7pm.
  • Find more BBM teachers by name, certififcation level and location here.

Use this link to discover other training sessions (fee-based) offered by Breath-Body-Mind teachers around the world.

Resources

  • TONES audio track (3, 4, 5 and 6 cycles per minute).Download from naturalsinger.com/5-breaths  A donation is suggested; half of the proceeds go to the Breath Body Mind Foundation!
  • BELLS audio track (25 minutes of 5 breaths/minute) Available on Amazon Prime’s Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.  To locate the “2 bells” track: Search for the album “Respire 1 Coherence.”
  • OCEAN WAVES (60minute track at same pace as the TONES)  Go to robertpeng.com | store | scroll to the bottom.  You can download – free – the “Ocean Whispers” track.
  • There are a number of apps available for iOS and Android to time breathing. Some examples are below.
    • iBreathe (Jade Lizard Software) – Audio and visual cues; can adjust timing for inhale, exhale, and hold. Stores multiple internals to support practice.
    • Breathing Zone – Can set the breath rate, different sounds (for iPhones only)
    • Breath2Relax – Has visual as well as auditory prompts, can adjust breath rate; only does 16 cycles (about 3 minutes)
    • If you have an AppleWatch,  the Breathe app can be adjusted from 4 to 10 breaths per minute.

HOW IT WORKS: June 2020 presentation at Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.  Includes an explanation of the science by Dr. Gerbarg and demonstration by Dr. Brown.  See also the interviews and videos posted to the Breath-Body-Mind web site.

BREATHING PRACTICES TAUGHT BY DR. BROWN: Below is a brief (12 min) introduction to the experience of coherent breathing.  Go here for a full (52 minute) session that includes standing and seated breathing exercises.

QIGONG

EIGHT CYCLES – If you are interested, do explore Master Robert Peng’s website and online courses (Robert Peng.com). Linked here  is a follow-along video of Master Peng doing the Eight Cycles, a practice that we have explored in some of our classes.

FALL 2024 WELLNESS WORKSHOP – Some promised follow-ups to what we practiced together.  What can we say but – YAYFORLIBRARIES – !!!!

SPRING 2024 PRACTICE SESSION – A recording of the 6/10 class.  Enjoy…and YAY!

Fo those attending our Advanced Practices class (Oct/Nov 2025), this page on Swimming Dragon will be instuctive!

Reading (print and online)

  • The Breath-Body-Mind website includes a substantial list of scientific publications as well as an expanded calendar of workshops, videos, and other resources. In 2024, they published an article on BBM for Global Mental Health, which includes a neurophysiology and polyvagal review.  The article can be read or downloaded for free.  Published in 2021, you may also want to see this article on non-western interventions for stress reduction and resilience which also offers a tidy review of why BBM practices work.
  • Richard P. Brown and Patricia Gerbarg, The Healing Power of the Breath book and CD set. Print and e-book available on Amazon.com.  Copies are available for loan from the Westchester Library System and can be purchased at Interest Group sessions.  Spanish edition released at the end of 2021!
  • For more on trauma/stress and resilience, see the resources listed on our RESILIENCE page. Note especially The Pocket Guide to Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges.
  • Referenced in the training is the work of Les Femi’s Open Focus and Master Robert Peng.

Westchester Breathes programming is offered at no charge.  If you have found our efforts to support health & wellness of value, please consider a donation to our Outreach Services to sustain our programming. Mention Westchester Breathes in the Notes!  Thank you!