Breathworks is a broad term associated with any type of therapy that leverages adjustments in breathing patterns to improve mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Breathwork has been in entrenched in numerous cultures and traditions throughout the centuries, most prominently in Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, Christianity, Shamanism, and the martial arts. In many languages, the word “breath” is the literal equivalent to seminal concepts like “spirit,” “soul,” and “life.” In many of these traditions, practitioners of breathworks identified ways of mindfully altering breathing techniques in order to produce an elevated state of consciousness.
Contemporarily, the art of breathworks was largely revived in the Western world during the 1960s and 1970s. The movement was primarily promulgated by two particular individuals: Leonard Orr and Stanislav Grof. Orr, anecdotally, discovered breathwork while relaxing in a hot tub tinkering with different breathing patterns. He found that breathwork functionally allowed him to reach an almost dissociative state of consciousness where past memories, pictures and emotions could be effectively resurfaced and scrutinized. Meanwhile, Dr. Stanislav Grof, who had previous experience in prescribing patients LSD as a therapeutic tool for grappling with trauma; eventually began to explore how traditional societies accessed a “higher plane” without deference to modern medications. After working with groups of volunteers at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, Grof developed a one-day breathing workshop modality designed for participants to enter a “non-ordinary healing state.” He named his modality Holotropic Breathwork, which is still the most popular method applied today for breathworks adherents.
Aside from what has already been mentioned, in this article we’ll further explore the numerous benefits of participating in breathworks.
Strengthens Lungs
When hale and healthy, we breathe naturally and with ease. As with anything, however, over time our lungs decay. One way to allay their natural deterioration is through engaging in consistent breathing exercises. When one’s diaphragm begins to work improperly, largely as a consequence of accumulating unnecessary stale air, the body leverages other muscles to aid in the breathing process. This results in lower oxygen levels, impairing one’s ability to engage in exercise or physical activity. If practiced at regular intervals, breathworks can facilitate increased oxygen and facilitate the return of your diaphragm to its proper functioning.
Decreased Stress and Anxiety
One of the most profound benefits of breathworks is its mitigation of stress and anxiety. Breathworks allows practitioners to effectively complete their stress cycle during a single session, obviating the usual flight-or-fight response activated in the nervous system. In a relatively recent study, conducted in 2016, the results concluded that diaphragmatic breathing – or box breathing – offered a significant reduction in anxiety upon daily application of the method.
Reinforces Immunity
One natural result of engaging in consistent breathworks is increased oxygenation of one’s blood. Additional oxygen improves the vitality of white blood cells, which are critical to the efficacy of one’s immune system. In contrast, poor breathing patterns, usually precipitated by stress, can increase harmful inflammation throughout the body; adversely impacting one’s immune system while simultaneously allowing unfiltered air access to the throat and lungs.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Breathworks can be a useful tool in combatting hypertension. Breathworks improves overall oxygenation of the blood while also abetting increased blood circulation. According to several studies, many blood and heart issues are rooted in regular activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Practicing breathworks, however, activates what is known as the parasympathetic nervous system, decreasing one’s heart rate and dilating blood vessels. Taken in conjunction, both contribute to the overall reduction of blood pressure, as your body understands it can relax.
Improves Sleep
Only about a third of Americans are actually able to attain the recommended amount of seven hours of sleep per night. Sleep deprivation can result in a number of negative outcomes, including impaired learning, a lack of focus, suspect judgment, and increased anxiety. One reason many individuals are turning to breathworks is to improve both their quantity and quality of sleep. Most breathworks exercises imbue a sense of relaxation, contributing to a swift conciliation to sleep. In fact, a 2018 study discovered that breathing exercises were more statistically significant in improving sleep for those suffering from insomnia than other pharmaceutical methods.
Increases Muscle Tone
Another population that is gravitating toward breathworks are athletes, not only for the respiratory benefits but also because it has proven useful in improving muscle tone. Curiously, breathing exercises produce a peculiar effect in the blood, making it more alkalized. This smooths one’s muscle contractions and activates additional movement from more muscles in the body.
Helps Cope with Trauma
If you have particularly painful experiences from the past, breathworks can be used as an effective coping mechanism. Breathworks buttresses one’s ability to grapple with pernicious stressors. More advanced breathworks methods, in fact, can act as revelatory healing experiences. A 2014 study found that veterans suffering from PTSD who integrated breathing exercises into their daily lives suffered from fewer symptoms of distress and anxiety. If you find yourself overly burdened with the past, breathworks can offer a potential way for you to move forward.
Facilitates Digestion
Suffering from gastrointestinal distress? Breathworks has the potential to offer a solution. Most breathing programs place stress on the diaphragm, thereby creating a massaging action felt by organs like the stomach and intestines. This motion expedites digestion, reducing abdominal pain, bloating and constipation. Breathworks also initiates what’s known as the “rest and digest” state through its activation of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Ameliorates Addiction
Most addicts and alcoholics are, in some manifestation, failing to cope with stressful situations in a constructive manner. Moreover, once alcohol or drugs are removed from the equation, it can become even more overwhelming for addicts to self-regulate absent the substance they had previously relied on. Breathworks can be a useful additive in managing one’s emotions, alleviating some of the difficulties that are involved during recovery.
Improves Focus
In a world scattered with myriad distractions, it can be a constant challenge to maintain one’s focus. Consequently, many people, especially those diagnosed with maladies like ADD or ADHD, are increasingly turning to activities like breathworks to steady their attention span. Research has effectively shown that there is a strong association between one’s level of focus and the quality of one’s breathing.
For additional information on preserving health, reference the following articles: