Breathwork: Why is it useful?
“Breathwork” is a new-age term to describe various practices which involve the use of conscious breathing in various patterns in order to influence a persons mental, emotional, and even physical state. In other words, you’re using techniques to intentionally change your breathing pattern. There has been evidence to show the link between stress and skin issues directly relating to our lungs, as well as cases of patients with autoimmune diseases that saw better results in their bodies inflammatory response.
Try out this quick breathing technique to witness the sensation yourself!
This style is often referred to as the 4x4 breath technique, or “Box Breathing”.
Step 1: Exhale all of the air out of your lungs to the count of four
Step 2: Hold for a count of four
Step 3: Inhale for a count of four
Step 4: Hold for a count of four
Notice your thoughts and any sensations you might have felt resurface. Can you bring clarity to any situations or stress you’re dealing with in this moment?
Repeat as often as necessary.
Breathwork is often incorporated into yoga and meditation, but this can be done almost anywhere. You just need your body and a few minutes dedicated to yourself. Often referred to as “active meditation”, breathwork is a great alternative to traditional forms of meditation, as some might find it easier if stillness, closed eyes, or a serene space are not required. It’s up to you to decide which specific technique would be best for your situation!
These exercises can help individuals deal with stress, anger, anxiety, pain, depression, grief, trauma, panic attacks, and even digestive issues. It’s also believed that by changing the patterns of our breathing, it is then possible to restore balance to our nervous system. This is what controls whether or not we feel safe (i.e: If we execute fight or flight mode) or what decisions we might make in a difficult situation, so if we can work to relax ourselves and put our minds at ease, we can then pay better attention to the external factors that might be triggering us, and why. Unresolved emotions, traumatic or difficult events, thoughts on our self-worth, and even our decision making skills are all things that we can help ourselves improve during breathwork. Remember that trauma, stress, and sadness can all manifest as pain in our bodies. Releasing these emotions can bring about immense relief both mentally and physically.
As mentioned, there are various different ways to perform this wellness technique. If you don’t feel as if you have any major trauma or heavy emotions you need to heal from— perhaps just a stressful job or worries about everyday life— a simple technique such as the one used above can be just what you need! If you’re looking to heal something deeper within yourself, here are a few popular techniques:
Clarity: This addresses any and all issues that hinder the healthy flow of energy and breath. Based on the idea that people don’t breathe to their full capacity. May help to release emotional energy that keeps us stagnant. This begins with an in-depth interview about present concerns and past experiences. It utilizes intuitive counseling, somatic exploration, as well as circular connected breathing.
Holotropic: Often practiced as a group and lead by one individual. Usually ends with a discussion and everyone sharing their experiences and thoughts/emotions that might’ve come up.
Rebirthing: Leonard Orr founded this technique by allegedly re-experiencing his birth in his bathtub (keep reading, trust me). No bathtub is actually required for this— you will be asked to lie down, relax, and breathe normally through the use of “conscious connected circular breathing”. It is believed that doing this will bring inhibitions to the surface and can help you heal from the trauma we all experience from being birthed. (Google this, it’s fascinating!)
Effects vary by person and what sort of emotions or trauma you might be trying to heal from, so if you have had a severely traumatic experience, we recommend consulting with an experienced professional before trying this alone.
We’ve discussed the physical and mental benefits breathwork can offer, but did you know that it can also directly effect our health?
Bye-bye caffeine, hello deep breathing:
Breathwork can help to increase energy levels by increasing the amount of oxygen moving through our blood. It can also give us a boost in stamina— try it out the next time you’re in a difficult yoga position or intense exercise and see how much further you can go!
Detox your body:
Deep breathing can also help your body release excess toxins. When we exhale, we are ridding the body of carbon dioxide. Taking deeper, longer inhales and exhales allows us to release more of this chemical, thus cleansing our lungs while also boosting heart health and blood circulation at the same time.
Change your wavelength:
A study showed that certain breathing patterns have the ability to alter our brain waves— Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta.
Beta brain waves occur when we’re tense, afraid, or irritated
Alpha waves are emitted when we’re physically or mentally relaxed, but conscious
Theta brain waves occur during sleep or a deep meditative state
Delta waves are achieved with deep sleep, very deep meditation, or while we’re unconscious
Our default state is in Beta, so being able to trick out minds into altering which state we’re in— and choosing one more relaxing— can benefit us immensely.
As human beings, we deal with a multitude of difficult situations and hard-to-process emotions over our lifetime. Making a mindful intention to care more for yourself and your well-being can allow you to dig deep into your inner-self, grow mentally, and help you enjoy the journey a little more.
Warmly,
Team Toccare