Breathwork is one of the most powerful ways to connect your mind, body, and spirit. It sounds airy-fairy – but breathwork is scientifically proven to calm the nervous system and move your body out of fight-or-flight mode. The benefits of breathwork include:
- Calms the body down when you’re stressed
- Reduces anxiety
- Improves heart rate variability
- Reduces cortisol
- Lowers blood pressure and resting heart rate
- Improves lung capacity and breathing efficiency
- Increases CO2 tolerance (for endurance and panic resilience)
- Can reduce pain
- Improves ability to fall asleep
- Improves focus
- Helps to manage emotions
- Can stop a panic attack or anxiety spiral
- Helps release built-up stress
- Improves breathing economy
- Aids recovery
- Calms nerves
Breathwork Techniques To Use
Belly breathing: Practice breathing low into your stomach instead of up in your chest.
Long exhale: Breathing out for longer than you breathe in, with 4 seconds in and 8 seconds out.
4-7-8: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, then breathe out for 8.
Physiological sigh: Take two breaths in through your nose, a big one then a short one on top, then release one long breath out.
Coherent breathing: Breathe evenly in and out, around 5 seconds each way, for five to ten minutes.
Alternate nostril: Hold your thumb over one nostril and breathe in, then swap sides and breathe out through the other.
Box breath: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, out for 4, then hold for 4 before starting again.
Pursed-lip breathing: Breathe in through your nose, then out slowly through your lips.
Wim Hof: Take around 30 fast deep breaths, then breathe out and hold with empty lungs, then repeat.
Bhastrika: Breathe fast and hard in and out with even force both ways.
Kapalabhati: Let your breath fall in softly, then push it out with a sharp squeeze of your stomach, over and over.
Ujjayi: Narrow the back of your throat slightly so your breath makes a soft ocean sound.
Sitali: Curl your tongue and breathe in through it.
