Breathwork has been at the core of all of the self-help methods. Think about it, during yoga, meditation, reiki, and even massage, breath has been used to connect the mind and the body. For example, you may have heard of Pranayama which means controlling the breath in Sanskrit and often use in Yoga practices. Although it has been re-popularized in the last 10 years, breathwork has been around since ancient times.

During breathwork practice, breath is controlled and changed for a specific purpose, usually for healing, self-awareness, or calmness.

Although breathwork has early roots, most of the breathwork techniques that we are currently using have been developing since the 1900s. If you heard about Holotropic breathing, Rebirthing breathing, or Transformational breathwork, you know about the newer breathwork modalities.

Breath is very important for various reasons. For one, how we breathe is directly correlated with how we feel. For example, when we are stressed, our breath is usually shallower, quicker and from the chest, or when we are relaxed -think of how you breathe before you sleep- our breaths are longer and calmer. Because the breath and how we feel are correlated, by changing your breath, you can change the way you feel and this is why experts came up with various breathing techniques to create different states. Currently, there are different breathing techniques from promoting creativity, calmness, energy, to improving sleep.

Here are a few ways breathwork can change your life significantly:

  

1-    Helps to make better decisions

I think we can all agree that decisions made when we are calmer are significantly better decisions than the ones that we make when we are anxious, worried, or stressed. This simple fact is only one of the reasons why breathwork can help with decision-making and becoming aware of different options that are available.

When we breathe consciously and with purpose, the mind focuses on the present feelings and physical experience. The mind chatter diminishes and brain waves slow down. This opens up an opportunity for emotions to flow and the mind-fog to disappear. We can tap into our intuition or listen to what our hearts tell us rather than being confused with other people’s opinions.

After all, your subconscious mind is filled with information. You already know what’s right or wrong for you but we sometimes fall apart from that knowledge due to busy minds, duties, other opinions, and expectations. Breathwork allows you to reconnect, open up and be yourself!

2-    Boosts immune system

Our bodies are designed with complex nerves and nervous systems. One of the most important ones to know is the autonomic nervous system (ANS). As you can tell from its name, the autonomic nervous system consists of automated responses such as fight-flight response, urination, or sexual arousal. There are two very important parts of the ANS; the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system.  

The sympathetic nervous system activates the body’s stress response unconsciously. During the stress response the muscles, the mind, and regulation are all activated to help the body survive during the stress. On the other hand, parasympathetic response stimulates rest and digest activities. Think of your physical state before sleep, when you are resting, or doing meditation. Organs, muscles, and circulation are all working effectively to support the body’s normal necessary activities. 

During breathwork, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, therefore the body is getting the rest and digest cues. Your body is working optimally to maintain your wellbeing, repairing and strengthening.

3-    Reduces anxiety and anger 

During our daily life, we are usually operating in a state of high stress and arousal. This helps us accomplish tasks, be motivated, and continue the day. However, during that state, we may be out of touch with our body, calmness, and our authentic self.

We cannot be calm and anxious at the same time. By simply changing your breath, you can change the way you feel. For example, during the day we usually breathe from our chest, shallow and short breaths. By simply shifting the breath to the belly and slowing the exhales, we can trigger calmness rather than anxiety.

 

4-    Increases self-awareness and self-love 

Breathwork requires following certain steps and guidance for breathing. For example, to create calmness you can breathe on a count of 4 and exhale on a count of 8. This type of counting or breathing from the mouth instead of the nose will require your conscious awareness and presence.

Being present while breathing will help you be aware of your body sensations, yourself, your emotions, and explore your own space.

 

5-    Improves sleep

Our daily lives are filled with stress, worries, tasks, plans and we have no time to rest and calm down. This busy lifestyle also affects the way we sleep. Often people find it hard to fall asleep because their mind chatter doesn’t stop or emotions start surfacing when they get ready for sleep.

Breathwork activates the parasympathetic nervous system which activates the calm response. Mind chatter disappears and relaxation spreads around the body, creating a perfect physical and mental state for deep sleep.

 

6-    Moves stuck emotions and trauma out of the body

When someone experiences powerful negative emotions such as anger, resentment, or guilt due to an event or a memory, these emotions are usually repressed in the subconscious mind. Unless they are dealt with effectively, they may get stuck in the subconscious mind. Sometimes they may even manifest themselves as chronic pain or anxiety.

Breathwork opens the door for imagination. As the emotions arise during breathwork, with each exhale, negative emotions can move through and out. It almost feels like finally processing those stuck emotions. Every exhale brings deeper mental clarity as the person lets go and opens up.

  

Give it a try!

Breathwork has been helping many people over the years. Thankfully, as we open up to different wellness practices, there are more breathwork classes or sessions available. Try it out and see it for yourself. Make sure to try it with someone who is experienced and knowledgeable. If you’d like to learn it with me and join my classes, you can find the schedule and details here.