The Power of our Breath.

Breathing is the fundamental unit of risk, the atom of inner courage that leads us into authentic living. With each breath, we practise opening, taking in, and releasing. Literally, the teacher is under our nose. When anxious, we simply have to remember to breathe.

 

Intro

Your breath is one of the most sacred, yet forgotten, parts of your daily existence.

As one of the few functions in the human body that is both conscious and unconscious, the breath is a conduit of life. It is the physical manifestation of your chi (qi), prana, or lifeforce energy. And you do it 23,000 times a day. Most of all, your breath is always there for you, 24/7, until the day you die. It is there not only to help animate your body, but also to help it heal, purge old energy and toxins, and invite in whatever is new and invigorating. Your breath is your most ancient friend and it is always there to call upon when you need help.

Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that comforting? Isn’t that magical? Whenever you need a burst of fresh energy, breathe. Whenever you need to process heavy emotions, breathe. Whenever you need to calm down, breathe. You have an anchor, a doorway into immediate meditation within you wherever you go and whatever you do – and that’s what’s so bewitching about breathwork. Breathwork simply takes this natural, primordial bodily function and makes a conscious practice out of it.  If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, you’ve heard an instructor remind you to control your breath. In the ancient yogic teachings, the practice of directing the breath is called Pranayama, and it teaches you to breathe consciously, with awareness, and with intent. Within the teachings, there exists many different exercises that can help you tap into your breath as a means of building self-awareness and focus during meditation or yoga.

Today, breathwork has evolved to include many new techniques that focus on the use of breathing exercises as a means of therapy and self-healing. Breathwork is more than an exercise of breathing correctly or with intent. Breathing techniques are tools for major transformation and healing. Breathwork encompasses a broad range of whole-being therapeutic practices and exercises used to relieve mental, physical, and/or emotional tension.

 

What is Breathwork?

Breathwork is the active form of consciously working your breath to bypass the mind and enter a different state of awareness. This is what most people seek when meditating, and breathwork takes you to that place very quickly. The practice gives the brain’s executive functioning something to focus on, so you can bypass the mental level of consciousness and drop into a deeper state of consciousness, where healing, spirit, and love reside. Breathwork refers to a variety of breathing techniques and exercises that can help with mental, physical, and spiritual health. It involves changing your breathing patterns for healing and self-care purposes. Using breathwork has been proven to help people reduce their stress and anxiety levels.

 

Benefits

Relaxes your nervous system , More calmness (and less anxiety/stress), More self-acceptance (and less depression), Enhances overall mental health, Improves immune function (which means you stay healthy for longer), Alkalizes your blood and decreases inflammation in the body, Enhances mental clarity and focus, More energy and vitality, Can result in a mystical experience or deep spiritual insights, Boosts feelings of joy and happiness, Aids creativity and intuition, Enhances feelings of connection with others, Increases mindfulness and appreciation of life, Reduces stress & anxiety: Calms your body and reverses stress response, Enhances physical health: Increases oxygen levels, boosts your immunity, and releases toxins, Improves digestion: Increases blood flow to the digestive tract, improving digestion, Increases happiness and self-love: Promotes awareness of the present moment, which causes a shift in perspective, Improves sleep: Calms the nervous system and quiets the mind, Helps with pain management: Allows your body to release endorphins, reducing sensitivity and increasing pleasure

 

Body

When you think of breathwork, you probably think of the physical aspect of breathing—the inhaling and exhaling of air. Breathing is a vital part of life; it helps deliver oxygen into your bloodstream and remove carbon dioxide. Completing a full breath cycle involves your whole body—your chest, belly, back, and mind. It takes effort to coordinate all elements of the breath, even though the simple process seems effortless. The physical benefits of deep breathing are often immediate. By breathing deeply, you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, and in turn, slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure—creating a feeling of calm. You also rely on your diaphragm instead of your chest, inviting your neck and chest muscles to relax and engage your abs and a larger amount of oxygen to reach your body’s cells and organs. When your body is operating under “fight-or-flight” response or stress, it releases a surge of hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) that causes your breathing to speed up, increases your pulse and blood pressure, and puts you in a state of hypervigilance. Deep breathing can help reverse this response and relax your body. Try this: Next time you practise breathwork, focus on the physical aspects of your breath: Watch your chest and belly rise and fall., Notice the temperature and moisture of your breath, Tune into the muscles and bones moving in your body, Observe how your body feels when you shift from shallow to deep breathing.

 

Mind

In addition to reversing the physical stress response in your body, deep breathing can also help calm and slow down the emotional turbulence in your mind. In fact, there are studies that show breathwork can help treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Breathwork can help you reach a deeper state of mind. While in this state, you may be able to access buried emotions, grudges, and traumas, and ultimately release yourself from their grip on your mental state. Breathwork is often used to help those who have mental health issues and is seen as a way to calm and focus your mind. Try this: Next time you practice breathwork, focus on your mind: Be aware of the thoughts in your head, but don’t attach to them, Feel what emotions come up, Notice your inner voice, Visualize the intention you set for your breathwork practices.

 

Spirit

Breathwork can also be spiritual. When you practise, you can move beyond your body and mind, and connect with your core spirit—your Self. In other words, you can remove your ego and connect to your true Self and the Universe. Many people who practise breathwork experience spiritual awakenings or attunements to their inner being. Try this: Next time you practise breathwork, focus on the spirit: Feel the universe filling you with air on your inhalation, Experience the life force (prana) flow through you, Allow yourself to make space for this energy within yourself, Feel how this energy connects you with a deeper part of yourself. As you exhale, send the energy to all the living things around you.

Who can benefit from breathwork?

There is a misconception that healing arts are for individuals who are struggling or suffering. And yes, breathwork is very supportive for stress, tension, overwhelm, anxiety, depression, fear, grief, sadness, anger, trauma, insomnia, etc. But breathwork is also nourishing for someone who is doing well and feels ready for the next opening—the next layer of love, peace, gratitude, clarity, connection, and insights.

 

Some thoughts, feelings, or sensations that might come up during a breathwork session.

Some of the side effects that someone might experience during breathwork include tingling, buzzing, warming, cooling, or tightness in certain parts of their body. They may see colors or images or have downloads and insights. No matter what, whatever is happening is supposed to be happening. Your body has an innate intelligence and wisdom and it will support you in releasing what no longer serves you.

 

How is breathwork different from meditation or yoga?

Breathing practices are on the rise, and there’s a reason why: Unlike meditation, where we are aware of our mental chatter, breathwork allows us to disconnect from the mind and reconnect with our body and energy. From this elevated state of awareness, we are able to heal, grow, and expand. While meditation is an extremely useful form of self-reflection because it allows us to see the pace, substance, and truth of our thoughts, it also keeps us stuck in our mind, while many people are seeking to get out of their own heads. Meditation is a slow and steady practice that over a period of time will shift our perspective. But many people are seeking relief now, and meditation does not bring the relief they are looking for. Breathwork, on the other hand, can be easier to drop into when you are seeking more immediate feedback. It’s a great tool to pull out when you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or off-centre.

 

How do you do it?

There are many types of breathwork techniques, and each form of breath has a unique purpose and creates a different effect. As you breathe, you will become aware of thoughts, feelings, memories, and patterns that are not aligned with love and self-love. Even though many of us have processed childhood beliefs, patterns in psychiatry, therapy, coaching, or healing, breathwork offers an opportunity to release any energy that has been unconsciously residing in the body or energetic system. Once those energies are released, there is more space for your inherent life force to flow through you. There are little-to-no rules when it comes to establishing your own breathwork routine: You can practise in person with a teacher (in a group or solo setting), tune into a digital session, or guide yourself through a breath sequence from home or in the middle of your workday.

 

Types of Breathwork

Pranayama: If you practise yoga, you will likely be familiar with this breathwork practice. Pranayama is about controlling (yama) your breath (prana) for positive effects. By controlling your breath, you can move past emotional and energetic blocks that hinder the flow of your life force. Arguably the oldest form of ‘breathwork’ there is, pranayama (a Sanskrit word that translates to “breath control”) is a series of yogic breathing techniques that are designed to liberate the flow of prana (life force energy) and increase spiritual self-realisation.

Pranayama can either be practised alongside yoga asanas (poses) or by itself. There are eight types of pranayama with dozens of individual methods described in the Vedas (or ancient Indian religious texts). Some of the more common ones are Skull Shining Breath (or Kapalabhati), Alternate Nostril Breathing (or Nadi Shodhan), and Conqueror Breath (or Ujjayi).

 

Holotropic breathwork: Holotropic breathwork is a practice often accompanied by intense music and led by an instructor guiding a group of participants. It involves inhaling and exhaling for the same amount of time at different speeds to induce an altered state of consciousness. Holotropic therapy has its roots in LSD therapy but is the drug-free alternative, where the main intent is to produce mind-altering experiences. People often experience visions, uncontrollable spurts of emotions, and muscle cramps. Holotropic breathwork is often practised alongside the rhythm of primal music, with participants breathing rapidly under instruction for up to two hours or more. Holotropic breathwork is a breathing technique that must be practised with a qualified practitioner – so please be wary of trying it by yourself (having a safe holding space is important). The ultimate goal is to access higher states of consciousness and connect with the Soul.

 

Rebirthing breathwork: The goal of this technique is to connect you with the subconscious mind, release traumatic childhood memories, and experience a kind of invigorating ‘rebirth’ (hence the name). Rebirthing breathwork utilises a circular breathing technique alongside the guidance of a trained facilitator. Some forms of rebirthing are conducted in a bathtub to mimic the process of being born (or reborn in this case). Such a practice can be a powerful inner child work practice that can enable you to heal and empower the wounded inner child we all carry. Rebirthing breathwork is grounded in the idea that you carry residual stress from your traumatic experience of birth. Through this type of breathwork, it is believed you can allow yourself to release any emotional baggage and trauma that occurred during your birth. The practice involves using circular breathing and often lying mostly underwater to create a state of relaxation that allows for pent-up stress, which has been stored in the body since birth, to be released. Through conscious breathing, instead of simply breathing air in and out, you can transform it to instead move energy.

 

Shamanic breathwork: Shamanic breathwork is a modern adaptation of old circular breathing techniques with the purpose of getting a person in touch with their inner healer (shaman). During a shamanic breathwork experience, participants begin by smudging, chanting, and setting an intention. They then breathe rhythmically to primal music (such as the sound of drums), with some practitioners incorporating chakra healing, spirit animal contact, and other practices into the breathwork session. Other than connecting with your inner shaman, shamanic breathwork’s aim is to help you experience more wholeness, healing, and inner guidance.

 

Wim Hof breathwork: A relatively new technique (although based on ancient pranayama methods), the Wim Hof method was developed by Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof – also known as “The Iceman.” Hof earned his nickname thanks to a series of intense physical feats, such as being able to withstand freezing cold temperatures and ice baths for prolonged periods of time. His method involves three central pillars: exposure to cold, breathing (controlled hyperventilation), and meditation. The breathwork part of his method involves taking thirty power breaths and then after that, taking a deep inhale and retaining your breath as long as comfortable, then exhaling. Afterward, one must inhale deeply for another 10-15 seconds, retain, and then exhale. This breathwork process is then repeated for up to three more rounds. The Wim Hof method is aimed toward increasing physical and mental wellbeing and has been scientifically linked to a number of benefits.

 

Other forms of breathwork include: Vivation, Integrative breathwork, Transformational breathwork, Biodynamic breathwork, Clarity breathwork and Zen Yoga Breathwork

 

8 breathwork techniques for beginners

If you’re ready to add breathwork to your wellness routine, there are lots of easy breathwork exercises you can squeeze into your schedule to start. Here are the best techniques you can start doing today.

 

1. Box Breathing: Box breathing, also known as square breathing or 4-4-4-4 breathing, is a technique that helps to focus on taking slow, deep breaths. It’s used by a wide variety of professionals and athletes for stress reduction and improved performance. Here’s how to do it: To prepare for this exercise, sit up straight and attempt to push the oxygen out of your lungs by breathing slowly out your mouth. Slowly breathe in through your nose for a count of 4. Focus on the air filling your lungs. Hold your breath for another count of 4. Breathe out through your mouth for a third count of 4. Pay attention to the sensation of the air leaving your body. Hold your breath again for a final count of 4. Continue to repeat these steps as much as desired. It’s regularly used by people in high-stress environments due to its ability to turn off a person’s fight-or-flight mode. Using this exercise is seen as a great method of relaxation, since it distracts your mind from the stresses around you as you focus specifically on your breathwork. Benefits: Allows you to feel calm and regulate your autonomic nervous system, Can help to regulate body temperature, Can help lower blood pressure, Reduces stress and improves mood, and can even assist in treating anxiety, panic disorder, PTSD, and depression, Can help treat insomnia when practiced before bed, Can help with pain management.

 

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing or abdominal breathing, is breathwork that utilizes the stomach, abdomen, and diaphragm. It works by using your muscles to force your diaphragm to move as you breathe, allowing your lungs to fill with more air. Here’s how to do it: Sit in a comfortable position or lie down on a flat surface. You can sit on a pillow or place them under your head and knees to keep you comfortable. Relax your shoulders. Place one hand on your upper chest. Place the other hand on your stomach between the rib cage and diaphragm. Slowly breathe in through your nose. Focus on drawing the air down towards your stomach as you push it against your hand. Try to keep your chest still. Tighten your abdominal muscles and let your stomach fall while pressing downward as you breathe out through your lips. Continue to try to keep your chest still. Continue to inhale and exhale as desired. The Science: When we breathe, the muscles around our lungs tend to contract in order to allow room for our lungs to expand with air. Diaphragmatic breathing aids in these contractions in order to help improve the amount of air that can enter your lungs at a given time. We’re all born knowing how to properly breathe, but life experiences can result in us changing the way we do so. Consciously practicing diaphragmatic breathing can help us correct these learned patterns, providing us with many improved health benefits. Benefits: Helps to correct your breathing patterns. Improves your ability to tolerate intense exercise. Lowers chances of injuring or wearing out your muscles. Creates a sense of relaxation and lowers stress levels. Improves concentration levels. Strengthens your diaphragm and improves core muscle stability. Reduces oxygen demand by lowering heart rate and blood pressure. Assists with anxiety, depression, PTSD, COPD, IBS, sleeplessness, and asthma.

 

3. Pursed Lip Breathing: Pursed lip breathing involves slowly breathing in and out through pursed lips. This is a technique used to give you more control over your breath and ultimately make your breaths more impactful. Here’s how to do it: Sit up straight or lie down with your shoulders relaxed. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 2. Try to feel the air moving into your abdomen, not just your lungs. Purse your lips and breathe out slowly for a count of 4. For this step, you should always breathe out for twice the length that you breathed in. Repeat as desired. The Science: Pursed lip breathing has shown to strengthen your lungs with regular practice. This technique focuses on slowing your breaths and emptying stale air from your lungs, which is beneficial for those struggling with chronic lung disease and other conditions. It’s also an effective aid when accomplishing difficult physical tasks, such as climbing the stairs. It should be noted that this technique works best when you’re already relaxed. Benefits: Relieves shortness of breath. Reduces the work required to breathe. Removes carbon dioxide trapped in your lungs and brings in more fresh air. Assists with conditions that make it difficult to breathe, including asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and COPD.

 

4. 4-7-8 Breathing: 4-7-8 breathing is a technique based on pranayama breathwork (we’ll discuss this more in the next section). It allows users to gain control of their breath and can even work as a sleep aid. Here’s how to do it: As you part your lips, breathe out through your mouth while making a whooshing sound. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose to the count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7. Make another whooshing sound as you breathe out your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat these steps as much as desired. The Science: The 4-7-8 breathing technique is another technique that promotes relaxation. As a result, it has been successful in regulating the fight-or-flight response and helping to combat stress and anxiety. By forcing you to focus on your breaths rather than your worries, it helps you achieve a state of calm and more easily fall asleep. Benefits: Helps control mood and improves stress and anxiety levels. Assists in falling asleep and decreases fatigue. Reduces cravings. Reduces asthma symptoms. Reduces hypertension. Improves migraine symptoms.

 

5. Alternate Nostril Breathing: Alternate nostril breathing is an exercise that allows you to practice breath control. It is often done during yoga or meditation, and it can also be practiced as part of pranayama breathwork. Here’s how to do it: Sit down with your legs crossed. Place your left hand on your left knee and lift your right hand up to your nose. Breathe out, then close your right nostril with your right thumb. Breathe in through your left nostril, then use your fingers to close it. Release your thumb from your right nostril and breathe out through this side. Breathe in through your right nostril, then close it again with your thumb. Release your fingers from your left nostril and breathe out through this side. You’ve now completed a full cycle. Repeat as much as desired, being sure to end on a completed cycle. The Science: Alternate nostril breathing works under the knowledge that the left nostril increases activity in the right side of your brain, while breathing through the right nostril increases activity in the left. While the right side of our brains is responsible for emotions and creativity, the left side is responsible for logic and language. By breathing through both sides equally, you help to stimulate both parts of your brain. Benefits: Allows for relaxation. Reduces stress and anxiety. Improves cardiovascular health, including heart rate. Improves lung function and respiratory endurance. Enhances overall physical and mental health.

 

6. Breath Focus Technique: Breath focus, also known as mindful breathing, is a technique that has practitioners focus on imagery, words, or phrases. These images or words will often be ones that contribute to feelings of happiness, relaxation, or neutrality. Here’s how to do it:

Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Pay attention to the way you’re breathing. Try not to change the way you breathe prior to this technique. Switch between normal breathing and deep breathing a few times, paying attention to how they differ from each other and how your abdomen moves. Take a few shallow breaths, noticing how they differ from your deep breaths. Continue to deep breathe for a few more minutes. Place a hand below your belly button as you relax your stomach. Pay attention to how it rises and falls as you continue to breathe. Every time you breathe out, let out a loud sigh. As you continue to breathe deeply, begin to focus on a relaxing image, word, or phrase of your choice. Imagine the air you breathe in is a wave bringing peace and calm into your body. You can mentally say “inhaling peace and calm” as you do this. As you breathe out, picture any negativity you’re feeling being washed away. You can mentally say “exhaling tension and anxiety” as you do this.

You have now completed a breath focus session. The Science: The breath focus technique is common to yoga, meditation, and various therapies for its ability to help with stress reduction. It’s believed that focusing on our breath can lead to positive physical and mental changes.The regions of our brain linked to emotions, attention, and body awareness actually light up when we engage in focused breathing. It can be used for stress reduction based on the areas of the brain that lit up during rapid breathing and focused breathing. Benefits: Reduces stress and anxiety. Increases alertness and improves concentration. Boosts your immune system. Increases vitality.

 

7. Equal Breathing: Equal breathing, also known as circular breathing or sama vritti, is an exercise that focuses on making your inhales and exhales the same length. This is done to make your breaths smooth and steady and to help you achieve a sense of balance and equanimity. Here’s how to do it: Sit down in a comfortable position.

Breathe in and out through your nose. Count your inhales and exhales to make sure that they are the same length. If this is uneasy, select a word or phrase to mentally say with every inhale and exhale. You can also take a short pause between each inhale and exhale if this is helpful. Continue this exercise for as long as desired. The Science Equal breathing engages your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you to achieve relaxation. It works well for those looking to ease their stress and anxiety quickly. It’s also recommended as an exercise prior to going to bed since it works similarly to counting sheep. This is because it helps you to focus on measuring your breaths instead of any of the racing thoughts in your head. Benefits: Calms your nerves. Improves your focus and concentration.

Helps to quiet the mind. Allows you to access your full breathing capacity.

 

8. Resonant Breathing

Resonant breathing, also known as coherent breathing, is when one breathes at a rate of 5 breaths per minute. This is one of the simplest exercises that can be done anywhere at any time. Here’s how to do it: Get into a comfortable position of your choice. Breathe in for a count of 5. Breathe out for a count of 5. Continue these steps as desired. The Science:

Resonant breathing improves heart rate and mood. Since resonant breathing is designed to help you breathe at 5 breaths per minute, this allows you to maximize your heart rate variability (HRV). Since your heart rate is linked to your nervous system, you can easily improve your HRV with breathwork and also calm your nerves. This helps relieve stress and, when combined with Iyengar yoga, can help reduce symptoms of depression. Benefits: Regulates the autonomic nervous system. Reduces stress and anxiety and can relieve depression symptoms. Helps control blood pressure. Relieves symptoms related to asthma, COPD, fibromyalgia, and IBS. Can help treat insomnia.

 

9 techniques for advanced breathwork practitioners

When you’re ready to explore an advanced breathwork practice, there are a variety of options available. These are some of the more advanced categories of breathwork available.

 

1. Holotropic Breathwork: Holotropic breathwork is a New Age practice used to assist in self-healing and achieving a sense of wholeness. It was intended to help practitioners achieve an alternate state of consciousness for therapeutic purposes. It’s primarily used as a worldwide spiritual practice that allows people to access a higher consciousness and release negative emotions. Holotropic breathwork sessions will often be held in groups and guided by a trained facilitator to help participants achieve relaxation, stress relief, personal growth, and self-awareness.

 

2. Shamanic Breathwork: Shamanic Breathwork is a spiritual technique that provides an intense method of healing. Based on the traditions of the Shamans, breathing is used to help practitioners enter a new state of consciousness while helping to calm the body and quiet the mind. Sometimes it is combined with music and movement. Those who are interested can attend workshops where they will be guided through the experience.

 

3. Rebirthing Breathwork: Rebirthing Breathwork, also known as Clarity Breathwork, is another spiritually therapeutic technique that promotes joy and peace. It’s often used to access the unconscious mind to access people’s deepest thoughts and desires, help them heal from traumatic experiences, or help uncover unconscious negative memories. The goal of a Rebirthing Breathwork session is to help you build emotional strength and move forward with your life. Many courses and private, in-person sessions are available.

 

4. Pranayama Breathwork: Pranayama breathwork, also known as yoga breathing, refers to a variety of techniques that help clear the body of physical and mental blockages. It is often combined with yoga to allow for proper breath control with each movement. It can be traced back to the ancient yogis of the Himalayas and is seen as a spiritual method of cleansing the energy in your body. Pranayama can be used to relieve stress and anxiety, increase focus, increase energy, and boost the immune system.

 

5. SOMA Breathwork: SOMA Breath refers to a holistic approach to pranayama breathwork techniques. The main goal is to help practitioners correct their breathing. As a result, they’re able to experience a variety of other benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, a balanced nervous system, better resilience, stress management, increased confidence, and released negative emotions. 

 

6. Neurodynamic Breathwork: Neurodynamic Breathwork is an extension of holotropic breathwork that allows people to connect with their higher self. It was created by Michael Stone in an attempt to help provide easier access to breathwork workshops. This type of breathwork has been said to help practitioners gain more control over their emotions and increase their creativity.

 

7. Somatic Breathwork: Somatic Breath Therapy, sometimes referred to as Somatic breathwork, is a form of therapeutic breathing focused on helping you breathe more oxygen into your body. It’s designed to help increase your awareness of your body, promote positive perceptions of life, and recover from trauma. The main benefits include reducing stress and anxiety, relaxation, better sleep, better focus, and reduced pain. 

 

8. Transformational Breathwork: : Transformational Breath, sometimes referred to as Transformational breathwork, is spiritual breathing that expands upon holotropic and rebirthing breathwork. It was created as a form of self-healing using one’s spiritual consciousness. Benefits to practicing this type of breathwork include increased energy levels, improved circulation, stress and anxiety reduction, improved self-esteem, and released negativity. It should be experienced through a private session, workshop, or training seminar before attempting it on your own.

 

9. Vivation: Vivation is a breathwork technique that allows you to feel pleasure as you work to rid yourself of negative thoughts. This technique combines yoga, tantra, and meditation to create a deep healing experience. The main benefits resulting from Vivation are the abilities to reduce stress, release negative thoughts, process grief, improve your meditation, improve your relationships, manage addictions, and increase creativity. 

 

Reasons that breathwork is so powerful.

• You’ll tap into your inner knowing: The first benefit of breathwork is that the innate wisdom of your breath and life force knows exactly where to go for the level of healing that is available for you at any given time. As the breath opens meridians and channels and aligns your body with its inherent and Universal energy, healing happens. There is no need to think, process, or figure anything out after a session. To know you can receive clarity and peace without thinking is revelatory.

• You’ll feel empowered: In a breathwork session, you do not need to imbibe an external substance, so there is an inner empowerment that comes from you. Your breath can become the source of answers to questions, insights to challenges, freedom from feeling stuck, and downloads to what’s next for you, your life, and your work in the world. 

• You’ll gain a new perspective on life’s challenges: Breathwork supports so many of the challenges everyone experiences. It reduces stress, creates feelings of openness, love, peace, gratitude, clarity, communication, and connection. Breathwork also helps release trauma or mental, physical, and emotional blocks, as well as anxiety, depression, fear, grief, and anger. Last, it can help people receive insights from ancestors and loved ones who have transitioned, as well as downloads about work, creativity, finances, relationships, or health conditions.

 

Conclusion

Breathwork can go beyond the incorporation of breathing during your physical yoga flow and can be a powerful therapeutic practice. If you decide to explore its benefits, talk to an expert in that practice, and try out different styles of breathwork to find the one that best works for you.