Guest post by Soma Breath
What is Breathwork?
Breathwork is an ancient practice found in many spiritual and cultural traditions like
yoga, which has made a comeback in today's wellness world. Beyond its old roots,
scientists are now studying how breathwork can help our bodies and minds. This
article gives a closer look at the science behind breathwork where you would
understand how breathwork activates sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in
your body and leads to relaxation, lower blood pressure, and improvement in mood.
Breathwork includes many breathing techniques that allow you to consciously
control the breath by either slowing down or holding it. Regular practice of
breathwork helps to optimize how you breathe, leading to improved overall well-being.
What are the Scientific Benefits of Breathwork?
Reduction in Stress
Controlled breathing helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system
which promotes relaxation in the body. This reduces the stress hormone cortisol
levels which are generally produced when an individual is in a stress-provoking or
threatening situation to prepare the body and mind for flight or fight. Breathing
helps to relax muscle tension, especially the chest and diaphragm muscles.
According to the National Library of Medicine, diaphragmatic breathing has shown
positive results in various stress-related conditions like high blood pressure, stress-
induced insomnia, stress-induced pain, and irregular or painful periods.
Regulation of Emotions
With the help of various breathing techniques, you can regulate your emotions which
helps to promote emotional resilience and stability. There is a small area in the
mind called the amygdala which is the seat of emotions and helps in processing
emotions. Breathwork, like mindfulness breathing where breaths are counted to
enhance focus, helps to better manage emotions. Also, when you are mindful of the
breath in the present moment, the cycle of rumination and thoughts about the future
are broken.
Improved Respiratory Health
Breathing techniques not only boost lung capacity but also enhance oxygen
exchange, enhancing overall respiratory health. This is particularly advantageous for
managing respiratory conditions. Some of the breathing techniques, particularly
helpful for respiratory health are Diaphragmatic Breathing, Alternate Nostril
Breathing, Box Breathing, and Breath Retention (Kumbhaka).
Two breathing techniques that can easily be practiced at home
Pursed Lips Breathing
Pursed lips breathing is a slow breathing technique where you inhale deeply through
your nose and exhale through your mouth by puckering them as if you are blowing
out a candle. Here, exhalation is longer than the inhalation. This is a relaxing
breathwork and is often recommended to people suffering from asthma or chronic
The process of Pursed Lips Breathing:
1. Sit comfortably on a chair.
2. Take a slow and deep breath in through the nose and allow the chest and belly to
fully expand.
3. Purse lips as if you are blowing out a candle and exhale through the mouth,
keeping the exhalation twice as long as the inhalation.
4. Repeat the above 10 to 15 times, focusing more on the exhalation aiming for a
smooth release of air.
Box Breathing
Box breathing is an easy breathwork practice that allows you to inhale, hold, and exhale the breath that promotes calmness and reduces stress hormones.
The process of Box Breathing:
Before starting, know that you will be imagining a box or a square in your mind and
mapping the breath to all its four sides. Starting from the left side (inhale), top (hold), right side (exhale), and bottom side (hold).
1. Sit comfortably on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Inhale to the count of four mapping the left side of the box in your mind.
3. Hold your breath to the count of four while mapping the top side of the box in your
mind.
4. Exhale to the count of four, mapping the right side of the box in your mind.
5. Hold your breath to the count of four, mapping the bottom side of the box in your
mind.
6. Repeat the above cycle 15 to 20 times.
How does Breathwork Help with Meditation?
Intentional breathwork helps in taking the mind into an altered state of
consciousness, helping you feel things differently, raising more awareness. Breathing can help you be more mentally and physically calm, balancing the body and the mind, which provides a foundation to begin a meditation practice. In meditation, you can simply observe your natural rhythm of breath which is called mindful breathing.
Mindful breathing is paying attention to the full inhalation and exhalation without
judging the rhythm of it. While observing, you can feel the breath inside the nostrils
and against the throat and how the belly goes up and down with each inhalation and
exhalation. In this process, the mind may get distracted and drift away, which is fine and perfectly normal. Simply become aware of the distraction then bring your mind back to the breath. Practicing mindful breathing while sitting silently is meditative and doing this practice for at least 15 minutes a day can create a positive impact on your mental and emotional well-being.
In the Soma Breath Breathwork Course, you will find facilitators that have formal training in helping individuals explore various therapeutic advantages of controlled breathing. Not just this, they also provide an environment with enough support for you to learn breathing exercises at your own pace. Visit Soma Breathwork to learn more or try a breathwork session through Soma Breath's YouTube channel.