The ABA Committee recently met in Hobart to get together face to face and breathe, inspire, and plan around the ABA and it's members.
We were inspired by the beautiful bushland, connection with nature and connection with each other that occurred over the weekend.
The key outcomes and areas of focus for the committee over the next few years are all around consolidating resources for membership and growing the membership base :

1. To raise the credibility of Breathwork and conscious connected breathing to reach more people with this incredible tool.

• Connections with International Breathwork Community (IBF) and work with them for Breathwork as a whole
• Investigate ways to collect data about the effectiveness of Breathwork (IBF are also initiating a project to do this with Dr Philippa (Pippa) Wheble MBChB, BSc (Hons) Pharmacology, DRCOG, MRCGP (UK) who is on the IBF UN Team which co-ordinates activities relating to the IBF and its association to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations).
• Create a library of current research on the ABA website for access by ABA members and the public
• Seek case studies from ABA members

2. Community and Collaboration

• Promote Professional Members
  • Member Spotlight - Online interviews with members to post on ABA youtube and website
  • Seek existing member podcasts and YouTube videos to share in FB and load to ABA you tube channel
  • Encourage Breathing Circles in each state by providing themes and formats for members to use
  • Promote member authored books relevant to Breathwork
  • Share member blogs and articles on FB
• Breathe Australia Conference to bring the Breathwork community together annually in November

3. Education

• Education/Support for members
  • Online Member Mentoring sessions
  • Breathe Australia Conference
• Educating the public
  • developing a resource library on the website
  • maintaining and increasing available information

4. ABA processes

• continue to refine the smooth running of the ABA back end in support of providing a solid association for the members.
• updating and simplify the joining and renewing processes online
• creating a members only login area
• documenting and maintaining background processes

5. ABA Peak Body for Breathwork in Australia

• Continue to endorse trainers trainings against the ABA Training Standards to increase the potential for membership.

The Committee are looking forward to another productive year on behalf of the ABA and it's members.
We are also currently looking for volunteers to assist on one or more of the subcommittees. If you have any skills or passion for Marketing and Communications or for organising conferences we would love to hear from you. You would be part of a team that shared tasks and met periodically online throughout the year. Please email: Jennylee the Secretary

Many of you will know Robyn Fernance -  she was originally a member of Australian Institute of Rebirthing in 1986; joined Australian Association for Professional Rebirthers in 1999 and became its first membership officer, as well as taking on the Treasury of AAPR in 2001.

In 2000 the ABA was born and Robyn holds membership number 008-2000. For many of those years since has been in very loving and committed service to the Association on the committee. She spent many many years as Treasurer and Membership officer.Robyn has recently 'retired' from being on the ABA committee for a very welcome look at what life looks like beyond the ABA!!

She is still a beloved member, and is generously available to support the current committee whilst we continue to learn the ropes.
Robyn was not present at the Breathe Australia Conference for us to acknowledge her and give her a gift of our appreciation. So a week before Christmas, we presented the gift of a card "signed" by many of the members and a beautiful gift of a dwarf mandarin fruit tree that has been grafted onto flying dragon rootstock.

Robyn is a Breathwork Trainer and metaphysician so she got a get a kick out of that metaphysically.
“The Dragon is the symbol of primordial power. It is master of all elements: fire, water, air and earth.  As a spirit guide, it makes a powerful ally in our daily life with its amazing restorative and potent qualities.”
As her gift was presented to her the sky opened up and the tree was nurtured from the summer rain.  Robyn is a keen gardener and her suburban garden is full of food bearing trees and vegetables. 
The ABA loves Robyn and are looking forward to an non committee member relationship with her in coming years.