What is Breathwork?

Your breath brings oxygen into your body so that you can thrive. When you are physically or emotionally stressed, it affects how you breathe. Breathwork helps to calm your stress and bring balance to your body. So, how does it work and what are breathwork techniques?

Breathwork is trendy right now, but it is not new. People have been practicing breathwork for thousands of years, and it has roots in yoga practice. The basic idea of breathwork is to release toxins and stress when you breathe out and nourish your mind and body when you breathe in.

Benefits of breathwork. Research on breathwork is promising. Potential health benefits of breath work include:

• Alkalizing your blood PH

• Anti-inflammatory effect

• Elevating your mood

‌Breathwork may also have a positive impact on your central nervous system. When you feel stressed, your breath tends to become fast and shallow. This limits the oxygen entering your bloodstream. Your brain tells your body that there is a threat, and your body responds in fight or flight.

When you take time to slow down and purposefully breathe deeply and slowly, you tell your brain that everything is OK. Your brain communicates to your body that it’s safe to relax. The fight or flight response decreases, and your body can begin to function normally again.

Source: Breathwork: What Is it and How Does it Work? (webmd.com)

What are the benefits of Breathwork?

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by stress and feel out of control. When you focus on breathing, you allow your body the chance to reset and recover from the negative side effects of stress. 

Physical health benefits of breathwork may include:

• Balanced blood pressure

• More time in deep sleep

• Reduction of PTSD and feelings of trauma

• Stronger respiratory function

• Better immune system

• Release of stress hormones from your body

• Fewer feelings of depression and anxiety

• Better mental focus

• Decrease in addictive behaviors

• Allowing emotional scars to heal

• Better outlook on life

• Contentment and joy

Source: Breathwork: What Is it and How Does it Work? (webmd.com)