Is breathwork healthy?

Breathwork encompasses all types of breathing exercises and breathing techniques. People frequently engage in a breathwork session to improve their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. During breathwork, you deliberately alter your breathing rhythm. By taking deep breaths and using relaxation techniques you can reach inner peace using breathwork practice.
"And breathe" neon sign on a green wall

Let’s explore the question is breathwork healthy? There are numerous types of breathwork techniques that require conscious and systematic breathing. Breathwork is beneficial to many people because it promotes profound relaxation or makes them feel rejuvenated.

Various breathing practices include:

  • Shamanic Breathwork.

  • Vivation.

  • Transformational Breath.

  • Diaphragmatic Breathing

  • Integrative Breathwork

  • Holotropic Breathwork.

  • Clarity Breathwork.

  • Rebirthing Breathwork.

  • Conscious Energy Breathing

  • Circular Breathing.

  • Alternate nostril breathing

 

How Breathwork Can Benefit Your Mind, Body, And Spirit

Breathwork is more than just breathing correctly or deliberately. Breathing practises might help you transform and heal. To relieve mental, bodily, and/or emotional strain, breathwork includes a variety of therapeutic methods and exercises.

See how it can help your mind, body, and spirit: 

 

Body

Breathwork most often conjures up images of the physical act of breathing—the inhaling and expelling of air. Breathing is an essential element of life because it allows oxygen to enter your bloodstream and carbon dioxide to escape.

A whole breath cycle incorporates your entire body, including your chest, belly, back, and thoughts. Although the simple process appears to be uncomplicated, it takes work to synchronise all parts of the breath.

Deep breathing has a number of physical benefits that are typically noticeable right away. You may engage your parasympathetic nervous system or reach altered states of consciousness by breathing deeply, which can slow down your heart rate and drop your blood pressure, giving you a sense of peace and deep relaxation. You also use your diaphragm rather than your chest, which allows your neck and chest muscles to relax while you work your abs, allowing more oxygen to reach your body’s cells and organs.

When your body is in a state of stress or “fight-or-flight,” it generates a surge of chemicals (cortisol and adrenaline) that leads your breathing to quicken, your pulse and blood pressure to rise, and you to become hypervigilant. Deep breathing might help you calm and reverse this reaction.

Breathe deeply and consider the following: Look at the physical qualities of your breath the next time you do breathwork:

  • Keep an eye on your chest and belly button as they rise and fall.

  • Take note of your breath’s warmth and wetness.

  • Pay attention to how your muscles and bones move in your body.

  • When you go from shallow to deep breathing, pay attention to how your body reacts.

 

Mind

Deep breathing can assist with calming and slowing down the emotional turmoil in your head, on top of reversing the physical response to stress in your body. Breathwork has been shown in trials to aid with sadness, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Breathwork might assist you in reaching a more relaxed state of mind. You may be able to gain access to suppressed emotions, grievances, and traumas while in this state, and eventually, free yourself from their influence on your mental state. Breathwork is a technique for calming and focusing the mind that is frequently used to aid people with mental health concerns.

Consider the following: Focus on your thinking the next time you perform breathwork:

  • Be mindful of your thoughts, but don’t become attached to them.

  • Feel the emotions that arise

  • Pay attention to your inner voice.

  • Visualize the goal you’ve set for your breathwork sessions.

 

Spirit

Using Breathwork breathing techniques can be spiritual as well. When you practise, you can connect with your fundamental spirit—your Self—beyond your body and mind. So,  you can connect to your inner self and the Universe by removing your ego. Many people who use breathwork practice claim to have had spiritual awakenings, attunements to their inner selves, and an increased mind-body connection.

Consider the following: Focus on the spirit the next time you perform breathwork:

  • On your inhalation, feel the cosmos filling you with air.

  • Feel the flow of life power (prana) through you.

  • Let yourself make room inside yourself for this energy.

  • Feel how this energy helps you connect to a deeper part of yourself.

  • Distribute the energy to all the life forms around you as you exhale.

Photo by Motoki Tonn on Unsplash

 

Risks And Suggestions

While there are numerous health benefits to using breathwork treatment, there are also concerns to be aware of. When considering the question is breathwork healthy? we can clearly understand the benefits that are possible when done correctly and safely. But there can also be risks if poor or incorrect technique is used or certainly if underlying health conditions but you at risk of undertaking breathwork. Before commencing any breathwork therapy, consult with your doctor, especially if you have a health condition or are taking medications that may be affected by the practice. This includes if you’re pregnant or nursing.

It is not suggested that you do breathwork or try a new breathing technique if you have any of the following circumstances:

  • Breathing problems

  • Cardiovascular problems

  • High blood pressure

  • Aneurysms in the past

  • Osteoporosis

  • Recent physical injury or surgical procedures

  • Mental symptoms that are extreme – mental health professionals will be able to help.

  • Problems with vision

One issue with breathwork is that it might cause hyperventilation. This can result in:

  • Vision changes

  • Alterations in cognition

  • A decreased blood flow to the brain

  • Dizziness

  • Palpitations in the heart

  • Spasms of muscles

  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

  • Tingling in the extremities

Using a guided recording, programme, or trustworthy organisation to practise breathwork can help you pace yourself and be safe while practising. It’s always best to get professional medical advice.

Urban Ice Man - Meditation

 

What Is The Best Way To Get Started?

If you are thinking about starting breathwork practices you should seek out a well-trained, licenced instructor to assist them in becoming acquainted with different breathing methods before trying them on their own.

It is critical to understand the right positioning, the desired result, and any indicators that practise should be discontinued. Even after studying from an instructor, it is not always advisable to practise on one’s own. To learn how to bring breathwork into your life, speak with your healthcare practitioner along with your fitness/breathing instructor.

Take a deep breath, relax, and explore the benefits of breathing exercises for yourself!

As you can see there are many ways focused breathing through breathwork can benefit you, however, there are also considerations you need to make before you practice breathwork. Make sure you enter this journey of personal growth after talking to a healthcare provider and breathwork practitioners. You can read more about the benefits of breathwork here and click here to book a guided breathwork session with Urban Ice Tribe.

Ryan Abbott

Ryan Abbott

Founder of Urban Ice Tribe

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Helping men & women release anxieties & limiting beliefs to experience a life of freedom using powerful breathwork, cold water therapy, movement & sound healing.

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