The Power of Breathwork and Why You Need it in Your Life!

We’ve all heard the words “just breathe” at one point in our lives when feeling emotionally over-stimulated. However, at that moment this advice can seem a bit ridiculous. How could gaining control of your breathing pattern simply reduce your symptoms of emotional overload and supposedly fix the situation? Well, science tells us otherwise and studies have shown that practicing Breathwork daily is incredibly healing to the body and mind. 

For those of you who aren’t entirely familiar with Breathwork, it simply refers to a type of breathing technique. There are many different techniques that can be practiced, all ranging from gently stimulating the nervous system to actually having psychedelic effects or even an out of body experience. It’s worth trying all forms as they can all have slightly different effects and even open your mind in ways you never thought possible. 

3 common techniques: 

1. “Relaxing breath” or 4-7-8 breathing: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. This pattern is beneficial for immediately reducing anxiety. 

2. Holotropic: This pattern has the ability to allow you to reach different states of consciousness, and can even have psychedelic effects. This pattern has been shown to be very beneficial in trauma healing. Please do not attempt this on your own, and use a facilitator to guide you. 

3. Belly breathing: place one hand on your belly and the other over your chest, inhale deeply through the nose making sure your belly expands outwards, count to 4. Exhale through the mouth for 4 seconds. Repeat for at least 5 minutes. 

It’s important to know that Breathwork is not a new trend that was discovered by the person you follow on instagram. It has been around for thousands of years, used by all different cultures and has played a huge role in healing ceremonies amongst tribes. They clearly figured out how profound it was and for very good reason! Below is a list that only scratches the surface. 

5 benefits include: 

1. Detoxifies the body by increasing oxygen intake, which allows for the removal of carbon dioxide. 

2. Increases overall energy & immunity by allowing more oxygen to enter the body and nourish it with oxygen rich blood which is also reparative to cells. 

3. Reduces anxiety & stress by stimulating the nervous system and bring calm to the body after a stress response. 

4. Improves digestion by significantly increasing blood flow to the digestive tract and aiding in healthier nutrient absorption along with better GI motility. 

5. Trauma healing by allowing the nervous system and muscles to release negative emotions or energy that have formed in your tissues and cells over time. 

Creating a routine that implements Breathwork ranging from 10 to 30 minutes a day is something you won’t regret and can even be referred to as life changing. The best part about it? You can do it from absolutely anywhere! 

Interested in learning more about breathwork? Come join us at our Fall Harvest Retreat on October 15th and experience a live breathwork session! Learn more here.

Written by:  Amanda Rader