Holistic Health Through Breathwork
May is mental health awareness month, a time to check in on your friends, family, coworkers, and yourself for a genuine inventory of healthy space. Two of the most common mental ailments people experience are anxiety and depression, sometimes simultaneously. An overlooked solution to help those suffering with these mental and emotional conditions is breathwork. Breathwork is simply defined as a breathing exercise or technique used to improve mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It has been used for centuries as a healing practice in various cultures around the world. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Eastern traditions where the breath was seen as a vital force that connected the body, mind, and spirit. Historically, breathwork has roots in ancient spiritual practices such as yoga and meditation. A modern key figure in the field of breathwork is Wim Hof, also known as “Iceman”. Hof gained international attention for his extraordinary ability to withstand extreme cold temperatures through his unique breathing technique that combines breathwork with cold exposure.
The practice of breathwork has made a profound impact on society with many individuals reporting transformative experiences and healing benefits. It has been used as a tool for personal development and emotional grounding, helping individuals connect to their inner thoughts and intuition. By working with the breath, people are able to release tension, trauma, and negative emotions stored in the body, leading to increased well-being and vitality. In the Western world, breathwork gained popularity in the 20th century when it was discovered that breathing techniques could release emotional blockages stored in the body. Doctors and critics furthered this idea through decades of research on holotropic breathwork: a method that uses deep, rhythmic breathing to access altered states of consciousness. That may be a bit intimidating for those unfamiliar with this form of holistic health practice, but it doesn’t have to start that deep. Simply taking a few moments to be intentionally mindful of your breathing is all you need to do to get started in this practice.
Everyone’s breath is directly connected to and affected by two things, their activity and their emotions. Triggered breath that comes from running or excitement causes the heart to pound. A person can sit completely still yet have an accelerated heart rate and heavy breathing just from thinking of or speaking on a sensitive topic. That’s a good example of how our breath reflects not only our activity, but our emotions. Most don’t think of controlling their breath until they’re swimming or running. Breathwork is bringing that same intentional breathing into the present moment. This is a huge factor in why breathing plays such a crucial role for those who have anxiety. Controlled breathing patterns are a way to reassure your brain and nervous system that you are calm, safe, and grounded. There are a lot of different breathing patterns used in breath work, each with its own pace, rhythm, and intensity. Diaphragmatic breathing uses the diaphragm to control the breath. Coastal breathing is shallow use of the intercostal muscles (between the ribs) to control the pace. Eupnea is the regular, calm, silent breathing we do subconsciously all day. Hypernea is forced breathing that takes physical effort to exasperate; much how you may have seen in movies when a woman is preparing to give birth and blows air out of her mouth in a quick, forced manner.
Grounding is a form of awareness meant to calm an individual down who may be experiencing a high level of stress, worry, or fear. Usually anxiety is induced by a person becoming overly critical or overly analytical of a situation that hasn’t happened yet. For example, a person feeling nervous before speaking publicly is normal. Hoping to speak well and look nice, are both normal concerns. Sweating through your clothes or becoming incorrigible while picturing yourself being laughed at or failing to speak well, is anxiety. In this example, grounding would be the process of that person becoming aware of their immediate surroundings. The anxiety is driven by “what ifs”. Grounding helps pull you back into “what IS.” Instead of focusing on what you think is about to happen, you focus on what you see, hear, smell, or feel. Looking around to zone in on what’s happening in the current moment instead of focusing on the inner war in your head. Pastor and Author, Juanita Rasmus, of St. John’s Downtown in Houston, Texas speaks often of the importance of slowing down. In her book titled “Learning to Be, Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out,” Rasmus refers to ways one can improve themselves with daily self-check-ins and intentional breathing.
“Every morning I engage in a mediation practice for thirty minutes. I find that the mediation time has greatly minimized my anxiety. Start with just a couple of minutes daily, morning and evening, and then build up, as you are able to, twenty or thirty minutes. Focus on your breathing as a means of being present. One key is to do what you are able right where you are, no judgement, no punishment. Be gentle and kind to yourself.”
Breathwork is a powerful tool for healing that has the power to improve your day to day, your thoughts, and much more with continued intentional practice. Each session promotes relaxation, increases mindfulness, lowers your blood pressure, and improves your focus. As we continue to explore breathwork from various perspectives, we can harness its transformative power for the betterment of individual goals and society as a whole. As more research is conducted on the physiological and psychological effects of breathwork, we can expect to see new advances in the field. Integrating breathwork with other modalities such as therapy, meditation, and somatic practices can further enhance its therapeutic potential. Breathwork has the power to unlock the body’s innate wisdom and healing capabilities, offering a holistic approach to well-being that addresses the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit. There are hundreds of videos online that can coach you through breathing exercises. Some are as short as one minute, others are as long as an hour. Whichever length of time you choose doesn’t matter. What matters most is ultimately improving your self care and mental health in a productive way.
