Breathwork
Our bodies cannot last without breath. It is essential for the function of every one of our cells and is necessary to break down food into useful energy. Permanent damage to the brain can result from only four minutes of holding our breath. And yet, our breath does not bow down to the function of circulating air. Our breathing pauses, deepens, shallows, skips, elongates, seems to disappear, all without directive from oxygen levels to do so. Why? What could possibly be more important than maintaining this life-giving element so critical to our health? What other signals have such a pull on our breathing?
It is our feelings that tug with such fervor and strength. Breathing is a primary way that we experience emotions. Our assessment of social dangers, financial hardship, mounting expectations, safe spaces, genuine encouragement, or new opportunities each trigger an emotional response which then plays outward with the breath in its own way, for a short moment or as a chronic condition. A quiet moment to catch your breath. A huff of indignance. A sigh of relief. Holding your beath in anticipation. Nervous hiccups. A gasp of delight. Our breath is irrevocably tied to our emotional state, working in tandem to express that which lies within.
But still, that’s not all that links to the breath. As a gift given to us by the universe and a testament to our free will, the breath further takes orders from our conscious mind. A baby’s first exercise in consciousness is to learn how to breathe on their own. If I tell you to hold your breath for 10 seconds, without a doubt you can do it. Throughout life we exercise control over our breath, observing its natural rhythm or bending it to our will. We even have the choice to consciously hold our breath at the expense of our emotions and body.
Breathwork then is a practice in exercising your personal power and expression of yourself, and is a phenomenal way to harmonize mind, body, and spirit. Recognize how your breath can consciously be used to fuel the fire of your desires and help you achieve your goals. It can act as a tool to release trapped emotions as well as conjure joy, excitement, and peace. Or perhaps you prefer to use it to reach new mental states of consciousness, improve concentration and motivation, or open yourself up to creative inspiration. Then you may intend to use your breath to rebalance your physical status, alleviate pain, or build strength. The breath is a gift, always within your control and forever available to you, through which you can directly access, direct, and purify your own energy.
Did you know?
When we’re breathing well, we expel 70% of the body’s waste by breathing.
A tiny cluster of neurons in the brain observes breathing in real time and sends its findings to a part of the brainstem, called the locus coeruleus, which drives arousal levels, causing us to feel the full range of alert, relaxed, or excited.
The little movements our body makes while we breathe stimulates the flow of spinal fluid, promoting brain and body communication, promotes blood circulation, and allows for more efficient body movements.
Pranayama is a foundational limb of yoga and refers to breathwork. “Prana” in Sanskrit refers to life energy, “yama” means to control. The practice of pranayama can be traced back to ancient Indian texts like the Bhagavad Gita.
My Favorite Breathing Exercises:
There’s much more to know about each of these techniques, as well as many others I don’t mention. Check out the link here and below for more information. Each of these also has a name in Sanskrit, used in yoga (see parenthesis). The Sanskrit term used for breathwork is pranayama.
Lion’s breath (Simhasana)
In through the nose and a full, powerful exhale through the mouth. Stick out your tongue as you breathe out and let out a breathy growl, roar, or pant.
To me, lion’s breath is all about expression and holding space for what we’re feeling. Think about the times you’ve been angry, victimized, grieving, or even empowered, confident, successful. Did you ever have this big emotional energy you didn’t know what to do with? Lion’s breath is your friend in these moments. The more you lean into the silliness of it all, the greater you feel the emotional energy move through you with freedom, competence, and strength. It’s pretty fun actually!
Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati)
Full breaths in and out through the nose, quick and uninterrupted (be careful, this fast and full breathing can cause dizziness and other symptoms; if something feels off return to normal or try again at a slower pace).
If lion’s breath is about expressing what’s already inside, the breath of fire is about stoking that inner flame. Build up your energy and wake up the sleeping dragon within you. Breath of fire brings a boost of oxygen to your system, which can wake you up, reset creative juices, and inspire action. I use this to help me focus, meditate, feel more optimistic, or get moving on a task I’ve been putting off.
Don’t try this one if you’re pregnant or have respiratory, heart, or spinal conditions.
Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
Plug one nostril and breathe in and out through the nose, then switch to the other nostril and repeat.
While the first three exercises are used to access and express our emotional energy, alternate nostril breathing is more about grounding and regulating our energy. This practice brings balance to our bodies, gets us to focus on the present moment, calms us down, and recenters our minds.
How can breathwork help?
As you’ve read by now, breathwork is a phenomenal way to engage with, regulate, and integrate our emotional experience in our bodies with presence of mind, but that’s not all! See below for a more comprehensive list of benefits,
Other energetic benefits:
Learn to summon your energy
Direct your flow of energy
Reach altered states of consciousness
Activate and balance the hemispheres of the brain
Create and fortify energetic boundaries
Purify and detoxify your energy, lighten your baggage and encourage inspired action
Build strength and resilience in the body
Tune into abundance
Breathwork is fairly easy to do on your own but is not entirely without risk. Use common sense and slow down or stop if you feel dizzy, muscle spasms, ringing in your ears, changes in your vision, or otherwise feel too much discomfort.
Let’s give it a try!
Work with a specialized breathwork practitioner, join yoga classes with dedicated breathwork, watch guided videos online, or try it yourself at home.
