Breathwork… What is it, exactly?

Breathwork is a practice of controlled breathing similar to pranayama, a centuries old practice with deep roots in the yogic traditions that can be defined as breathing exercises that free the breath and the flow of pranic (life force) energy. Pranayama is often a precursor or adjunct to yoga and meditation, though it can certainly be a practice in and of itself.

Contemporary breathwork is an evolving, more independent practice than  pranayama. You could say that breathwork addresses the mechanics of breathing, embracing its historic roots in pranayama, while welcoming non-traditional development, along with support for its benefits from the scientific community.

Breathwork is neither a spiritual nor religious practice, though many practitioners have had very deep spiritual experiences while practicing breathwork.

With breathwork we focus on our breathing in a conscious, often rhythmic, and controlled manner. While practicing we focus on each in breath  (and its length), and each out breath (and its length), often done in sequence, for a set period of time. Pretty simple stuff, really.

There are many, many, many forms of breathwork, each designed to achieve a certain end, such as: joy, calmness, inner peace,  – even euphoria! A consistent breathwork practice has many benefits – from heart health to emotional health and well being, and many points in between.

Breathwork serves us best when we commit to it and make it regular practice. In the same way that heading to the gym to get in shape won’t bring about any change in one visit, so with breathwork. That said, you will feel a noticeable shift during and after your very first session! But to bring long term benefits into play, you will want to make breathwork a part of your daily life. And why not? You can get it done in 10 to 15 minutes!

Seriously – 15 minutes! Ready to try it? Click Here! (coming soon!!)

Why Bother with Breathwork?

There are so many incredible reasons to dive into a regular breathwork practice. So many! But let’s start with what is, in my opinion, the most simple.

1. Feel Better!

Breathwork makes you feel better. And who of us does not appreciate feeling better!  As we come to (what we hope is) the end of a global pandemic and I reflect back over the emotions that I have experienced during the past year and a half, I will admit that my emotional repertoire was: sadness, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and depression playing on a relentless, continuous loop that would not let me go. It was during this time that I (very gratefully) discovered breathwork myself.

Breathwork helps you feel better almost immediately, during your very first session. No need to spend countless hours at a gym sweating it out for 6 months while you hone your skills and technique to experience noticeable results. It’s fast and efficient at shifting your state from anxious and crappy to calm and peaceful. It’s swift!

How does it achieve this swift shift? Consider my reason number two to give a cracker about breathwork:

2. Step Into The Present Moment

Breathwork demands that we be fully conscious with our breath. It is a simple practice that pulls us into the present moment.

Think about it – why do we feel sad or mad or anxious? Usually because we are focusing our attention on some past event that caused us pain and discomfort, or we’re focused on a future event that we dread or are frightened about.

When we focus our attention on the past or the future, we drag whatever it is that we are focusing our attention on into the present moment, and we become oblivious to what is actually happening around us in the present moment, or what is even possible.

But, when we consciously shift our attention to our breath we pull ourselves out of the quagmire of past and future, into the present where we can experience what Dr. Joe Dispenza refers to as the fullness of the generous present moment (love that juicy description – the generous present moment… Yes, that’s where I want to show up!).

The present moment is where you want to be, because that’s where the magic of life shows up. Believe me when I tell you, the magic of life is not hanging out in the memory of the heartbreak you suffered when your cheating first true love named Bob made out with your (ex) best friend, Shelly, one day after he dumped you… Nor is the magic of life to be found in the fear of losing your job or coming down with a rare form of incurable cancer at some point in the near or distant future…

The magic of life can only found here and now, friend.

Another reason to practice breathwork is that over time we have become a population of abominable breathers, and that’s bad news. Very bad news… because how we breathe affects our health, our mood, and our physicality. Bad breathing habits affect our very being, which brings me to reason number three:

3. Stress Buster

Modern life is both helpful and harmful. We live at a pace that is fast, furious, and overwhelming. And while the way we live provides great convenience and opportunity, it also generates a tremendous amount of stress – and that stress affects us to the core.

When we are stressed the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, dumping loads of stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, and the like) into our system and generating a fight, flight, or freeze response. This was a terrifically efficient response ages ago when we were part of the food chain and we encountered a predator. It got us out of harm’s way and once we were safe the parasympathetic system would kick in, to ensure a swift recovery from the stress response, and our system (body) would return to a state of balance. 

These days our stress response is in overdrive due to the amount of stress we encounter each day and our bodies fail to transition to recovery mode. As far as our bodies are concerned there’s a tiger drooling and smacking its’ lips at every corner because a stress response, is a stress responses, is a stress response… Your body can’t tell the difference between a tiger, an overdue bill, an angry spouse, or an axe murderer. It just responds to stress.

When we are stressed out our breathing becomes quick, shallow, and short. Our muscles tighten and our posture shrinks in on itself. We get all balled up and end up with our shoulders hanging off our ear lobes and tension cinched across our back and neck for hours or days at a time and that’s not a good situation. Over time this situation will take it’s toll on our general health. 

However, with a quick hit of breathwork (and by quick I mean 5 – 10 minutes) you can stimulate your parasympathetic system and return to a state of balance any time. Your body will relax and you will feel so much better!

These are but a few good reasons to consider taking on breathwork and there are so many more, from heart health and improved sleep to better mental focus and enhanced creativity. I’ll be sure to add a few more articles addressing these benefits so check back soon, and until then, sit down, shut up, and breathe…  ;o)

Getting Started

Sit, stand… lie down? What posture should you take? Where can you practice breathwork and when is the best time? How long and how often should you practice… Do you have to do it everyday??? So many questions! I will answer them for you here. 

Let me start by saying that breathwork is a very forgiving practice. You can fit it into your life anywhere, and at any time. Your body will let you know what’s right for you, so pay attention to that little voice.

Don’t pressure yourself into a rigid practice. It’s ok to miss a day. It’s ok to miss a week! You don’t have to hurry up and get to it. You don’t even have to put it on your to-do list. Breathwork isn’t about giving you one more thing to take care of every day – it’s about taking care of yourself, making your life a little easier, and making you feel better while you do so.  Breathwork will call you. It’s a journey, of sorts. It may be spiritual – it may not. It will be calming, and it will help you feel centered and balanced.

There are really only a few hard guidelines to follow:

1. Shut your mouth and breathe through your nose (unless you are instructed otherwise).

2. Maintain a straight (but relaxed – not rigid) spine and a slightly tucked chin so that the breath flows freely and unrestricted.

3. Most gentle breathwork exercises are fine for everyone, but if you have a health condition (stroke, seizures, heart condition, aneurism, high blood pressure, etc.) you should always consult with your primary healthcare professional before taking on any of the the moderate or more vigorous and lengthy breathwork practices.

If you are pregnant you should definitely not engage in moderate or vigorous breathwork.

If you are experiencing or processing psychological issues (trauma, grief, PTSD, past abuse, etc.) you should not participate in vigorous, journey type, breathwork sessions without the support of a qualified counselor or support person.

4. Do not drive a car or operate machinery while engaging in any kind breathwork.

Beyond these, the process is pretty wide open. You can practice simple breathwork techniques anywhere you find yourself breathing – any time, day or night.

If you are inclined to participate in more vigorous, lengthy practices it is best to do so in a quiet space where you can get comfortable and will not be disturbed – any time, day or night. Whatever works for you.

You can practice breathwork every day, twice a day, once a week, 6 times a month, or in the moment that it would be a benefit… It matters not. You will feel the benefits immediately, regardless of how often you practice, so do what feels right for you. If you are looking for long term gains and benefits you might want to head in the direction of a regular practice. Maybe twice a day is a good fit – maybe twice a week is best. Only you can determine what is best for you, so honor that and explore.

I generally practice twice a day. Once for half an hour, once more for 15 minutes. Some times I do a one hour journey. Sometimes I miss a day.  Some times I miss a week. I don’t stress out about missing my practice (that’s counter productive), I just get back to it when I can.

You can practice breathwork while walking, standing still, sitting down, or lying down. I practice reclined on a beanbag chair – that’s what works for me. Explore what feels right for you. However you practice, do your best to ensure a comfortably straight spine, relaxed neck and shoulders, and a slightly tucked chin to ensure that your breath is moving freely. Most importantly, relax.

You can do breathwork in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Any time you’re breathing is a good time for breathwork. Try out different times of the day and see what feels best for you. Personally, I prefer  mornings for a lengthy, vigorous practice – if I leave it to evening I generally fall asleep during my practice (boring, but highly restorative!).

Must you participate in lengthy, vigorous sessions? Absolutely not. Give them a try – you might love them. You might find that you love them some days, and despise them other days. You might find that an hour is too long – practice for 20 or 30 minutes. You might find the pace too vigorous – slow it down. You’re the boss – find your sweet spot.

Some days I start in on a vigorous session and my body just says, no…  When this happens I listen to how my body is feeling. If it is too tired or not into it I stay with the session and simply focus consciously on my breath, in breath, out breath, and see where it takes me. Listen to your body – you’ll know what to do.

What kind of breathwork is best? The kind that makes you feel good. There are hundreds of techniques. Short practices, long practices, mixed practices, gentle practices, vigorous practices, deep journey practices. Explore and find what feels best for you. Breathwork is kind of like a pair of shoes. You’ll like some, you’ll love others, and some just won’t be your style. Some will feel squishy, others too wide. Find the practices and thechniques that are comfy and a delight to slosh around in.

Breathwork can be something you do in the moment to navigate a situation and bring you into the present moment, ease stress and anxiety, or energize. It can be a practice that becomes a brilliant journey of discovery. It can also be all points in between.

Do you have to take classes? Well, to get started you will want some sort of instruction and direction. There are many expensive classes and courses available – and they are an option, but there are many inexpensive classes also. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to learn breathwork (but you can if you want to ;o)

Once you’ve explored and gained a few basic techniques you can be on your way to developing your own practice – and I think that’s the best route. Explore and find your path.

Myself, I invested in a number of courses and classes. Some were a good fit – others were not. At the end of the day I ended up cherry-picking techniques from different courses and weaving them into my practice. And I did a lot of reading. A great point of departure for me was Breath – The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. A fab read packed with technique and insight, supported by science, and peppered with the author’s personal experience.

Breathwork is simple. It’s a gift you can give to yourself. It can be a practice. It can be a moment, an hour, or a journey. It might be just what you need, and it will call to you if it is, so hush… and listen.