In short
- Rapé is one half. Your breath is the other half.
- A few minutes of calm breathing beforehand helps you to arrive.
- After blowing, you breathe through your mouth and stay with your breath.
- Don't combine rapé with powerful breathing techniques on your own.
- Breath and cold together? That is what we do at Dip & Breathe, with guidance.
Just imagine. You sit still with your bottle of rapé in front of you. But your head is still busy. This afternoon's email. Tomorrow's shopping. Only after a while do you notice: your breath is high in your chest. Short and quick.
Then you do something small. You breathe out slowly. Once more. And once more. Your shoulders drop. You feel your sitting bones on the cushion. Now you are here.
I am Kevin Lorenzini, ceremony leader and founder of Purity Healing. For about eight years I have had a bond with a Huni Kuin village in Acre, in the Brazilian Amazon. I work a lot with breath, in ceremonies and at Dip & Breathe. In this blog I explain how rapé and breathing go together.
Your breath is half of it
Rapé has traditionally been used to find calm, to ground yourself and to deepen your focus. But the plant does not do that on its own. How you breathe helps shape how you experience the moment.
Your breath is part of it from the very start. You blow the rapé with your breath. That is no coincidence. In the tradition, the breath also carries your intention. You can read more about the blowing itself in The art of blowing.
Rapé and breathing: before, during and after
Before: first settle into your breath
Take a few minutes. Sit up straight. Breathe in calmly through your nose. Breathe out slowly through your mouth. Make the out-breath longer than the in-breath. For example: in for a count of four, out for a count of six. You don't need to force anything. Just let your breath slow down a little.
During: one calm out-breath
Breathe out fully before you blow. Then blow through your kuripe with one short, even out-breath. Not too hard. Afterwards, breathe in through your mouth, not through your nose.
After: stay with your breath
This is the moment when many people get up again too quickly. Stay seated. Follow your breath. Where do you feel it? In your belly, in your chest, in your throat? You don't need to change anything. Just notice.
Many people notice that their head becomes quieter then. Their attention sinks into their body. That is their experience. It feels different for everyone.
A short exercise for attention and focus
You can do this exercise around your rapé moment. Or simply on a busy day. It takes about five minutes.
- Minute 1: sit down and close your eyes. Feel your feet on the floor.
- Minute 2: breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of six.
- Minute 3: count ten breaths. Lost count? Calmly start again at one.
- Minute 4: let go of the counting. Just feel where your breath lands.
- Minute 5: open your eyes. Look around. What do you see, what do you hear, what do you smell?
Using rapé? Then do the first three minutes before blowing, and the last two afterwards. You can find a full ritual in A calm rapé ritual at home in 7 steps.
What you'd better not combine
Calm breathing goes well with rapé. Powerful breathing techniques are something else. Think of breathing fast and deep in rounds, or holding your breath for a long time. They are intense for your body. Don't combine them with rapé on your own.
Would you like to work with powerful breathwork? Then do it with guidance. And never in or near water.
Breath and cold: Dip & Breathe
Breath is also at the heart of Dip & Breathe. That is breathwork and ice baths, with guidance and in a group. I set it up together with Erik van Tilburg of Studio Purana: Purity Healing × Studio Purana.
We do it in the Netherlands, and we travel with groups to Sweden. There we breathe together, go into the ice water and warm up in the sauna. No competition. No forcing. But a conscious challenge, with guidance.
After an ice bath, many people say they feel clear and calm. That is their experience. I promise nothing. Want to know how it works? Read Breathwork and ice bath and Ice baths for beginners. Or have a look at the events.
Breath & Kambo
Now and then, Erik and I also organise Breath & Kambo, in a small group. There, breathwork and a Kambo ceremony come together. You only take part after an intake and screening. Read more on the Kambo ceremony page.
Safe and with respect
Rapé is a traditional plant preparation for ceremonial and spiritual use. It is not a medicine. All our products are for adults only (18+). Are you pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication? Then talk to your doctor first. That also applies to breathwork and cold. Purity Healing is not therapy and not a medical treatment.
Frequently asked questions about rapé and breath
Can I use rapé for meditation?
Many people use rapé as the start of a quiet moment or a meditation. Rapé has traditionally been used to find calm and deepen your focus. Everyone experiences it differently.
Do I need to know a special breathing technique?
No. Calm breathing, with an out-breath a little longer than the in-breath, is enough. After blowing, you breathe through your mouth.
Can I combine rapé with breathwork?
Calm breathing goes well with rapé. Don't combine powerful breathing techniques with rapé on your own. Only do those with guidance.
What is Dip & Breathe?
Breathwork and ice baths in a group, with guidance. A co-creation of Purity Healing and Studio Purana, by Kevin Lorenzini and Erik van Tilburg.
Start with your breath. And choose a rapé that suits your moment.
