Rebirthing is a poorly defined term that may be used to apply to any of several alternative healing modalities focused on re-creating the birth experience, often as a means of providing a "fresh start" to help individuals move on from some traumatic experience. Most of the rebirthing information in wide distribution is available from rebirthing practitioners and education centers. There is a scarcity of third party and scientific information.
Leonard Orr
Leonard Orr is considered to be the founder of the rebirthing breathwork movement, often referred to simply as rebirthing. On his website, he relates the story of how he began having birth memories while bathing in 1962. When he shared about this in 1973, interest was piqued and others began creating similar environments for themselves and found that they had similar "powerful emotional releases and spiritual revelations."
Methods
While the first rebirthing method revolved around meditating through an "urgency barrier"--the need to get out--in a bath of warm water, Mr. Orr developed other methods including the use of a snorkel and note clips in a hot tub, then later, guided breathwork to recreate the moment of the first breath after birth. The next discovery in this progression was "Dry Rebirthing", using just the breath to guide a rebirthing experience done fully clothed on dry land.
Benefits
Purported benefits of rebirthing, according to its founder's website, include breathing freer and easier (and experiencing fewer colds because of this), reduction of negative emotions, and better management of symptoms from strong headaches, asthma or epilepsy. Rebirthing is also widely believed to help individuals recover from traumatic experiences.
Guidance
"Rebirthers" facilitate rebirthing sessions. They offer intuitive guidance, sympathetic support and reassurance. They can also facilitate support groups for those undergoing a series of rebirthing sessions. As with many alternative medicine modalities, official regulation in this field is non-existent and practitioners should always be carefully vetted by prospective clients. "Rebirthers" may be associated with any of several training organizations or completely independent of these groups.
Varieties
Other methods of rebirthing therapy that don't focus on the breath include compression therapy and holding-nurturing therapy. Rebirthing may also be used as a Core process psychotherapy therapeutic technique, or to supplement other treatment modalities.
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