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Breathing exercises help you relax and get into the 'flow' state where your creativity can come through. By clearing your mind, new ideas can rise to the surface.
Combining breathwork with cognitive behavioral therapy and 12-step programs can help manage addiction.
If you struggle to focus, breathwork can help increase your attention span. It also helps maintain a sense of calm that keeps you from experiencing distracting emotions.
A 2011 study, published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, found holotropic breathwork successfully helped participants with abstinence from alcohol and other addictive substances.
Research showed that there was a correlation between the level of focus and the quality of one’s breathing, in a 2018 study by Trinity College Dublin.
A 2014 study published by Behavioral and Brain Functions suggests short-term meditations could help with the completion of creative tasks, while a 2017 article from the Harvard Business Review poses that mindfulness meditations can increase employees’ creative thinking.
Breathwork improves circulation and thereby blood flow to the digestive tract. This, in turn, helps with the digestive process.
A reduction in cortisol levels thanks to breathwork can decrease your gut inflammation levels.
Regularly practicing breathing exercises can help regulate energy levels, helping you to fall asleep when it’s time.
Breathwork is when breathing techniques and exercises are used to improve health and create a sense of well-being. Ancient practices and modern methods of breathwork can have natural, therapeutic effects on the body.
Breathwork helps to ground in the present moment. This can be particularly helpful for those who struggle with negative thoughts and feelings, especially self-directed ones.
A 2018 study found that self-regulated breathing helped insomniac participants relax and fall asleep. It also suggested that breathing exercises had the edge over other pharmaceuticals for insomnia treatment.
Breathing exercises bring in more oxygen, reducing the cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the blood that can trigger feelings of insecurity/being threatened. In a 2019 article, communication expert Russell Rowe explained that breathing exercises are ideal for helping people build confidence before public speaking.
In a 2012 study, participants with chronic pain syndromes practiced a relaxing breathing technique. As a consequence, they saw an increased ability to process pain and experienced a decrease in negative emotions.
Chronic pain can be debilitating for sufferers, leading to frustration. Breathwork provides a method of distraction, which can help to bring about a positive change in mood.
Shallow breathing can trigger the sympathetic nervous system and lead to a weakened immune system. Breathwork helps you become conscious of your breath, to encourage proper breathing that benefits the immune system.
Improved circulation decreases your heart rate and dilates blood vessels, helping to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Slow, deep breathing exercises help to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and improve blood circulation throughout your body.
Besides being a way to relax and get back in tune with your body, breathwork studies have uncovered a variety of health benefits.
Breathwork increases the amount of oxygen circulating in the body. As oxygen fuels the cells, boosting levels like breathwork does is great for improved energy and overall health.
Advanced breathwork methods, such as holotropic breathwork, are now a method used to experience deep inner, psychological healing.
Being stuck in a fight-or-flight response can be a root cause of anxiety. Breathwork brings you back into the present moment.
A 2016 study, conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, found that participants with severe depression saw improvements when they incorporated pranayama breathing practices into their treatment plans.
Sources: (National Institutes of Health) (ScienceDaily) (Harper's Bazaar) (Othership)
See also: Everything you need to know about respiratory illnesses
Deep breathing strengthens the diaphragm, so the lungs take in more oxygen and clear out more carbon dioxide. About 50% of the toxins we inhale are meant to be released when we exhale. Improved lung capacity helps facilitate deeper exhalation.
Learning how to breathe properly helps to alkalize our blood’s pH level, as toxic carbon dioxide waste is pushed out through exhalation.
When paired with other treatments, breathwork can be an effective tool to help people manage their depression.
A 2016 study of elderly smokers found that regular breathing exercises helped them improve their lung capacity.
Breathwork is popular among athletes thanks to its ability to improve breathing capabilities. People with chronic lung conditions, like COPD and asthma, can also reap the benefits of breathwork, to strengthen their lungs.
Athlete’s don’t just use breathwork to improve their lung function; they like it because it also helps increase muscle tone throughout the body.
When blood is alkalized, as it is with breathwork, it builds upon sensory and motor neurons. This smooths muscle contractions to achieve more movement from the muscles throughout our body.
A 2014 study found breathing exercises successfully helped US veterans manage their PTSD symptoms.
In stressful situations, breathwork is an effective coping strategy. A 1979 study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology proved that controlled breathing exercises work at reducing anxiety, helping to manage stress under pressure.
Inhale, exhale... it’s something we do all day. We don’t give our breath much thought, most of the time. Breathing is involuntary, yet it’s sustaining all of our functions. But did you know there are numerous ancient practices dedicated to harnessing the breath and consciously using it?
Bringing awareness to the breath is a key aspect of ancient Eastern practices like yoga. In the 1960s and '70s, breathwork came to prominence in the West. It turns out there are a number of positive, powerful benefits associated with breathwork. But can it be used as a therapy? Click on the following gallery to find out.
Is breathwork a therapy?
Help to bring back balance with your breath
HEALTH Alternative therapies
Inhale, exhale... it’s something we do all day. We don’t give our breath much thought, most of the time. Breathing is involuntary, yet it’s sustaining all of our functions. But did you know there are numerous ancient practices dedicated to harnessing the breath and consciously using it?
Bringing awareness to the breath is a key aspect of ancient Eastern practices like yoga. In the 1960s and '70s, breathwork came to prominence in the West. It turns out there are a number of positive, powerful benefits associated with breathwork. But can it be used as a therapy? Click on the following gallery to find out.