PROFESSIONAL TRAINING > PROGRAM SYLLABUS

The format and curriculum of the Professional Training has been updated. The 3+ year training is now divided into three blocks. According to their needs and commitment, students can now customize their training in the Middendorf Breath Work, The Experience of Breath:

Block I: Personal Growth (4 segments)
Block II: Teaching Authorization (4 segments)
Block III: Full Certification (6 segments)

Block I is a prerequisite for Block II, and both Blocks I and II are a prerequisite for Block III.  Block I can either be used as the first step in the training or simply for personal growth. See the below DIVISION OF INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS FOR FULL CERTIFICATION for the number and division of hours to be completed in the training for the Full Certification format.

All three blocks of the Training Program offer students a constant opportunity to grow by consciously sensing and experiencing the movement of breath in the body. They learn about the importance of experiencing breath, presence and sensation as an all encompassing principle for the development of Self.

Training in the “Breath Dialogue” (hands-on treatment) and Vowel Space Work is an integral part of the training, which develops out of the same practical and theoretical framework as the group breath and movement work.

Specific program elements include:

  • Experiencing the connection between breath and movement, and learning to let the breath come and go on its own.
  • The dialogue between the forces of allowing and doing
  • Sensing and experiencing the five breathing spaces and the direction of the central breath forces.
  • Training in sensory awareness as a base from which to sense breath movement.
  • Experiencing the meaning of the "autonomous breath", and how it influences, stimulates, and creates inner and outer posture.
  • Connecting to, and using, the power of breath.
  • Experiencing and understanding the breath cycle and rhythms as a tool to help direct and lead through a process of integration.
  • Vocalizing breath movement. Exploring vowels and consonants in their relationship to breath.
  • Connecting the autonomic breath and the body centers to orient oneself between inside and outside.
  • Exploring and understanding the relation of pressure points to breathing.
  • Exploring and understanding the natural laws of breathing.
  • Experiencing the masculine and feminine principles within the breath.
  • Experiencing breath as an indicator of direction for transformation and personal growth.
  • Exploring the connection between breath and the creative potential of Self.
  • Sensing breath as a medium to experience the substantial nature of the core Self.
  • Understanding and sensing the importance of the presence of Self in all breath movement processes.
  • Using breath as a way to connect with the essence of our being.
  • Understanding breath as a process-oriented experience, allowing conflict resolution and the balanced integration of the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of our being.
  • Receiving and integrating conflicts and emotional issues through The Experience of Breath.
  • Building and restoring relationship through breathexperience.
  • Learning to understand and connect with the non-physical, like Psyche and Soul through the Experience of Breath.
  • Learning to allow and listen to breath movement rather than to a resistance structure that does not move.
  • Experiencing breath as a source for taking responsibility for ones own process.
  • Learning how to create an environment that encourages students and clients to trust their experience of breath.
  • Integrating the training experience into a professional practice and into daily life.



DIVISION OF INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS FOR FULL CERTIFICATION

Total number of hours: 646

Breath and Movement: 175
Process Definition: 28
Practice Teaching and Pedagogy: 35
Breath Dialogue Skills: 20
Supervised Teaching: 30
Breath Dialogue Integration Hands-on Demonstration: 85
Supervised Breath Dialogue Practicing: 105
Vowel Space Work: 63
Individual Sessions: 28
Breathexperience in Relationship: 49
Organizational and Evaluation: 28