What is Westchester Breathes?

Westchester Breathes is an ongoing program offered by the Westchester Library System offering an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being.  These exercises are simple and evidence-based – which is to say …they work!

Westchester Breathes programming – offered online and in-person – gives you the opportunity to learn BREATH-BODY-MIND™ practices.  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 Classes

Weekly Open Session – Mondays at Noon, January 6 through March 3

Each 50minute 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.

There is no fee.  Registration is required.

Teacher Practice – Mondays, 3:30PM (for Level 2 candidates) and  4:30PM (for Level 1 candidates) | Starts January 6, 2025

Teacher Practice is intended for Level 2 and Level 1 students currently in a training class and/or completing requirements needed to finish. (Already certified?  You are welcome to come and keep practicing; just know that priority is given to those working on their certification.)

Each class includes 30 minutes for practices and 15 minutes for planning and feedback.

The L2 class starts at 3:30pm and runs until 4:15.  The L1 class starts at 4:30 and ends at 5:15pm.

To attend register using the link below.  Then every Monday morning you’ll get an email with the Zoom link to the class AND a link to a Practice Signup Sheet that allows you to pick the practice you want to work on. (Heads up: If you haven’t registered before a Monday…you won’t get the email in time to make selections.)

In-Person Classes

BBM Fundamentals Course

Westchester Breathes is delighted to offer a 12hour in-person Breath-Body-Mind Fundamentals Course on March 8 & 9. (Yes, that’s 6hrs of BBM practice each day!). The class will be led by two Certified Level 4 BBM instructors – Elena Falcone (also a member of the WLS Outreach Team) and Ann Fleuchaus.

Full details in the registration form linked below.

Wednesdays, 1PM at the JCC-Mid Westchester (Scarsdale) | Januaru 6 through January 22

Westchester Breathes is happy to be hosted by the JCC Mid-Westchester.  This 3-session series will be free and open to members of the JCC as well as Westchester residents. Lovely space and ample parking.

Westchester Breathes Outreach Continues!

Programming is also scheduled for clients and staff of several community agencies, including the ARC Westchester and the White Plains Youth Bureau.  If you are interested in a short series for your organization, please email outreach@wlsmail.org.

What is 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 in disaster relief 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.

How can I get involved in BREATH-BODY-MIND™?

Psst….A Breath-Body-Mind Fundamentals Course is being offered ONLINE January 25 & 26 with three fabulous senior teachers.  Course runs from 7am-1:30pm.  Cost is $350.  If that fits your schedule and budget, register here.  Want an in-person class, see the March program of Westchester Breathes described above!

Free Classes in New York State

Thanks to a multi-year grant from the NYS Trauma Information Network & Resource center, BBM practice and learning opportunities are offered state-wide through 2027.  This is available to all New Yorkers and are free of charge. 

Open Sessions

Open Sessions (also called Practice Sessions) offer basic gentle BBM practices to soothe, balance, and strengthen the nervous system.  These programs are open to everyone; free of charge through the New York State Trauma-Informed Network. You just need to register (see link below).

In English – on Tuesday:

    • 6am for 30 minutes,
    • 12pm for 30 minutes, and
    • 8pm for 45 minutes.

In Spanish – on Wednesday;

    • 8pm for 30 minutes.

Teacher Training

BBM Fundamentals (12-hour program) and Level 1 and Level 2 Teacher Trainings are (36 hour programs) are live online program spread scross several weeks.  Training is offered for free through the New York State Trauma-Informed Network. Attendees must have attended a 12-hour BBM Foundations workshop before enrolling in Level 1 Training.  The 2025 training schedule will be announced via the link below.

Other BBM Teacher Training

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

More learning and practice opportunities

BBM Instructors are world-wide.  Listed below are several whose classes work well for the Eastern time zone and who have worked with Westchester Breathes or OMH.

Click the instructor name for more information about the instructor currently posted to the Brath-Body-Mind website.  Ask to be part of their mailing list!

Ann F.    Offers several classes each week.

Cecilia B.  Usually Tuesdays at 5;30pm

Elena F. Monday at noon (see link at the top of the page)

Mandy B.  Usually Wednesday mornings at 7am.

Nicolas E.  Currently offers an open class on Fridays at 7pm.

Find more BBM teachers by name, certififcation level and location here.