Mastering Breathwork

Breathing, it’s something you do every day, some 25,000 times on average. In most cases, subconsciously. However, did you know that mastering breathwork —which is basically a group of exercises or techniques you use to manipulate your breathing depth and rate—is a proven way to access your body’s own innate ability to heal? That’s right, mastering breathwork correctly can produce the same benefits of meditative practice, and— along with womens active wear, yoga pants for tall women, high-quality workout apparel or yoga pants fashion— is a great addition to your current exercise or wellness regimen:

What Does it Mean to Master Your Breathwork?

Obviously, you breathe in and out, all day without thinking about it, so what is the difference between regular breathing and breathwork? It is basically a focused purposeful approach to breathing, instead of what your body would do on its own. Most breathwork sessions last from 20 minutes to an hour and include various rhythmic breathing techniques. Some of these you can do at home, others take place in a class setting with an instructor. You can even download apps that guide you through the process of mastering breathwork if you want to go it alone. There are a few types of breathing techniques you can try during your practice. Some of the most common are listed below:

• Alternate Nostril Breaths
• 4-7-8 Breathing
• Pursed Lip Breathing
• Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Box Breathing 

Benefits of Mastering Breathwork

After learning about breathwork and how to complete a few breathing techniques, you might wonder why you should bother with it at all. What are the benefits of mastering breathwork?

• Reduces Stress, Anxiety and Depression: Breathwork is a natural, safe way to address stress, depression and anxiety. It can even help with anger and grief or any other emotion or feeling that would alter your mood. Long, deep breaths allow the body to calm down and this simultaneously energizes and centers you. This works because deep breathing techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn lowers your blood pressure, slows your heart rate and produces a sense of calmness.
• Boosts Immune System and Energy Levels: Breathwork allows your body to take in more oxygen, which will then release into your cells. Your body uses the increased oxygen levels to boost your natural immunity and energy levels. 
• Improves Sleep: Thanks to our harried lifestyle with overstimulation being the norm, our sleep can often be negatively impacted. Deep breathing practices will help you counteract the stimulating effects of phone and/or computer use and caffeine consumption, which will give you a better, more restful night’s sleep. Additionally, you will also notice yourself sleeping more deeply and falling asleep faster when regularly practicing breathwork techniques.  
• Reduces Pain: If you live with chronic pain, you have likely tried everything to treat your condition. Breathwork is a natural way to address your pain and can even promote healing, which can eliminate its cause, freeing you up to once again enjoy living life. It works in several ways, but perhaps the most effective is the fact that deep breathing alters the acidity levels within your body, producing a more alkaline state, which is better in terms of pain. In addition, it reduces the amount of cortisol in your body, lessening your overall stress levels, which will cause you to feel less pain overall. 

Mastering breathwork is one effective and natural way to promote calmness, reduce pain and improve your overall sense of happiness and wellbeing. We recommend you give it a go if you have never before attempted breathwork. Even a small increase in breath awareness will improve your overall sense of wellbeing.