WHAT IS BREATHWORK?

Breathwork can be used to help users complete their stress cycle, helping to cancel out their fight-or-flight response following stressful situations. Being a method of mindfulness, it also helps those feeling anxious ground themselves in the present moment while informing their nervous system that they’re safe.

Your immune system contributes greatly to your overall health (including your energy), and the way you breathe has more of an effect on it than we may realize. Practicing breathwork exercises allows our bodies to bring in more oxygen, which fuels the cells that keep us healthy and energized.

Healthcare professionals often recommend breathwork for those wanting to improve their lung health. Everyone from athletes to the elderly can integrate these exercises into their daily routines and see improvements in their breathing capabilities. Larger lung capacity has been linked to greater longevity and vitality.

Breathwork has also been proven to greatly improve your blood pressure. It also can help improve your blood circulation throughout your body, and even help in the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure). This suggests that practicing breathing exercises regularly is a great natural method for helping to prevent heart disease.

Regularly practicing breathing exercises can help regulate your energy levels so you can properly fall asleep. Many exercises can also help you settle down for the night, or quickly fall asleep, on nights when you’re having difficulty doing so. Breathwork is one of the top recommended natural sleep aids, and can also be helpful for those struggling with insomnia.‍

Breathwork supports your ability to release toxins in your body. As we breathe throughout the day, we tend to breathe in everything bad that’s in the air: dust, bacteria, and various pollutants. Learning how to breathe properly allows us to help new toxins leave, while also alkalizing our blood’s pH level and helping us avoid a variety of health problems.

Breathwork’s ability to help us relax makes it great for dealing with trauma triggers or highly stressful emotions as they arise. Many advanced breathwork methods can also be used as guided healing experiences. This makes them useful for those who want a mindful way to move forward with their lives.

Many use breathwork as a way to improve their mood and/or build their confidence, self-esteem, self-image, and self-love. Those struggling with negative thoughts and feelings, especially self-directed ones, can use breathing techniques to help ground them in the present moment. Breathwork has also proven to be effective, when paired with other treatments, at helping people manage their depression. 

If you’re dealing with digestive problems – including constipation, diarrhea, and IBS – breathing exercises can help. They relax you and get your blood circulating enough to help improve all of your bodily functions. They’re also effective whether your digestive issues are random or occur regularly.

Breathwork has also become more common as a therapeutic tool for treating addiction, especially when paired with 12-step programs or other varieties of therapy. Breathing exercises and techniques are great at helping users achieve a sense of calm and focus that can help them fight cravings. Many say they achieve a great sense of control and self-awareness when practicing breathwork regularly.‍

Many athletes have turned to breathwork due to its ability to help increase muscle tone throughout the body. It’s also a great way to focus on strengthening your diaphragm as a method of improving your breathing. Practicing breathing exercises regularly can help increase your strength all around, making physical activities – and breathing during them – easier to do.

Those who struggle with their level of focus have also turned to breathwork. Practicing breathing techniques when you’re struggling to pay attention can help increase your attention span. It can also calm any emotions that are distracting you the most.In this episode, we discuss the importance of social support for overall wellness, and offer tips for building and maintaining strong social connections.