Breathwork
Inhale slowly and fully, and feel your lungs fill and your belly expand. Hold your breath for a few seconds. Exhale fully.
Breathwork
Breathing is involuntary, we all breathe 24 hours a day without thinking about it. As a result, we can get into patterns of breathing that are inefficient as a result of our circumstances or environment. Being in high-pressure or stressful situations generally results in shallow breathing that tends to make us tired and can trigger feelings of anxiousness.
Breathwork, the act of intentionally changing your breathing pattern with either breathing exercises or techniques, is one way you can bring consciousness into your breathing. The intention of breathwork is to influence your mental, emotional or physical state to have a therapeutic effect. That is, you consciously change your breathing pattern to make yourself feel better.
“The breathe properly is to live properly”
Benefits of breathwork
The physical benefits of breathwork may include:
Stronger respiratory function through reduced blood pressure and improved circulation
Improved lung capacity
Increased oxygen in the blood leading to increased stamina
Balanced blood pressure
Improved sleep and reduced incidence of insomnia
A higher-functioning immune system
Release of stress hormones from the body
Pain management or reduction
Release of toxins and alkalization of blood pH
Improved digestion
Increased muscle tone
The emotional benefits of breathwork may include:
Stabilised mood
Relaxation and feelings of calmness
Grounded
Energised
Increased self-awareness
Increased self-love
The mental benefits of breathwork may include:
Improved creativity
Increased attention span and focus
A deeper state of mind, moving from beta waves through alpha and accessing theta and potentially delta waves
“Deep breathing brings deep thinking and shallow breathing brings shallow thinking”
In practice
Apart from mindful breathing, there are some structured approaches that are generally considered beneficial.
Diaphragmatic breathing - breathe deep into the stomach and engage the diaphragm (also called abdominal or belly breathing)
Box breathing - inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds
4-7-8 breathing - inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds
Alternate nostril breathing - cover one nostril, inhale and exhale. Over the other nostril, inhale and exhale.
Equal breathing - inhale for seconds, exhale for 4 seconds
Other options that require a trained practitioner to guide you include Holotropic breathing which combines breathwork and music to change the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body. Vivation uses breathing rhythms on a continuum through slow and full, fast and full and fast and shallow. Buteyko breathing encourages nasal breathing with the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth and engages the use of the thumb and index finger to hold the nose between breaths. Pranayama techniques focus on patterns of breathing with specific intentions including relieving congestion and calming the mind. Shamanic breathwork involves guided circular breathing and breath retention. Transformational breath incorporates rapid breathwork in a session that can last up to 45 minutes.
“Your body’s main source of energy is oxygen. Period”
How to incorporate breathwork into your daily routine
Start small
Schedule time(s)
Set a reminder
Do what you can
