By Sasha Gary
We take for granted our breath each and every day. We have become so used to breathing subconsciously we don’t put much value on how beautiful our breath is. When you begin a breathwork routine, you become more intentional and conscious. There are many different types of Breathwork to try. You will have to try different ones to see which one resonates with you.
There are many different health benefits to having a Breathwork practice. It can help to process your emotions, and you will develop more self-awareness; it reduces stress, you feel more positive. Overall, it helps to reduce stress and feel less anxious and calms your nervous system. Breathing influences nearly every organ in the body. As you breathe, you are connecting to your body’s parasympathetic nervous system. This is what reduces stress and gets you out of fight or flight. Oxygen is being sent through the blood to the body’s vital organs. We average 20,000 breaths per day, and we don’t even think about it.
Your breath is your life force energy, also known as Pranayama from yoga. Create your own practice by incorporating some relaxing music adding essential oils. Relax and just Breathe. That’s how powerful having a breathwork practice can be for your body. I feel grateful for my breath and my lungs, especially when I had Covid. The tightness I felt in my chest, luckily I, didn’t have any long-term effects like some people but the awareness of my breathing and being conscious of not taking it for granted.
“When you think about your breath, your breath is life! When you inhale, air enters your lungs, and oxygen from the air moves from your lungs to your blood. At the same time, carbon dioxide, a waste gas, moves from your blood to the lungs and is exhaled. This process is essential to life.” NIH
There are five types of Breathwork. Holotropic Breathwork, Shamanic Breathwork, Rebirthing Breathwork, Transformational Breathwork, and Wim Hof Method. There are other types of Breathwork that you may experience.
Dr. Andrew Weil has spoken about the 4-7-8 technique for years and how he has seen so many changes in his client’s health—breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This is a simple enough practice for you to begin your new Breathwork routine. “Conscious breath control is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed, clear state of mind.” Dr. Andrew Weil.
If you have never tried Breathwork, you can find an amazing class in person or online. Even a video on Youtube by many reputable teachers. I once took a class at Michael Stone’s home, who teaches Holotropic Breathwork. I couldn’t have found a better place to be, connected to my breath, under a rainforest, on Earth Day! The magical moment I will never forget.
You might light down or sit up, depending on your practice. I enjoyed my morning routine to experience a session because I feel energized throughout the day. You are changing your physical state. It feels very uplifting. Set an intention for your practice. What do you want to get out of it? Self-love, focus, releasing anxiety?
I also have a mantra I like to use when I think of my breath. Inhale love, exhale gratitude. It’s a wonderful mantra that helps you bring that awareness to the beauty of your breath and your body—taking a moment to be grateful for everything we have. Next time you need to decompress, get back to quiet stillness, breathe in love, and exhale gratitude. This is the simplest practice you can begin today, and explore the world of Breathwork and see how it transforms your life.
Breathwork is certainly trending right now. But it has been around for a long time. This is a free technique; it has significant health benefits that modern medicine will not recommend to its patients. This is up to you to begin practice for yourself in holistic preventative health. Just breathe!
