What is breathwork and how does it work?

Okay, so here comes the million-dollar question. What exactly is breathwork? The good news is, if you’ve made it this far, then you’ve likely at least heard of it. If you have heard of it but haven’t experienced it, you probably have an idea of what it is. But chances are that an exposure or two was hardly sufficient to really grasp the power of it. So, for a very quick recap, today we are going to talk about breathwork – you know, like breathing, but with intent. Breathwork is a technique that has been around for a very long time. And we’re going to seriously break it down for you.

We know, breathing seems like the most natural and unconscious thing a human being can do, from the first breath a newborn takes to the breaths you are taking as you read this article and 20,000 other times a day. While this is true, it is also true that consciously controlling breathing using specific techniques (breathwork) can guide your body and mind into different states and help you become more alert or more relaxed. Read on to find out how this all works.

To be clear, breathwork is not some new-age wellness trend that arose recently, although you might have just recently heard about it. Breath control has had a long history (thousands of years long) in cultures around the world. In India, Pranayama is an ancient tradition, one of the eight limbs of yoga. It encompasses breath control that, when done right, is said to cure ailments, strengthen the body, and uncloud the mind. The Chinese practice Qigong, a breathwork ritual through which qi – the vital life energy – is guided through the body. Even the ancient Greeks and Native Americans embraced breathwork in some form or another, all finding different ways that it could serve the mind and body.

Fast forward into the present. Anyone who’s ever been stressed out or anxious knows how potentially devastating these emotions can be. Our minds tend to be very active, worrying about the past and the future rather than calming down and focusing on the present.

But, here’s the good news. When you pay attention to your breath and learn to control it with breathwork, it engages the body’s ‘relaxation response’. It’s like your personal reset button. Done properly, breathwork drops cortisol (that pesky stress hormone), lowers your heart rate, and makes you feel more calm and grounded.

Now, we know concentrating on breathing brings to mind meditation. Breathwork and meditation are related in that meditation requires conscious breathing. But, breathwork can be practiced all on its own without it being paired with meditation. There are countless types of forms of meditation, and most involve some focus on breathing and breathing techniques.

Whereas in meditation we tend to observe and be conscious of the breath, and we don’t usually change it significantly. Breathwork is also more active than meditation, which is usually a more passive practice. Breathwork is designed to intentionally change your breathing in various ways such as making your breath slower, deeper, shallower, faster, pausing or changing it up and breathing through the nose versus through the mouth. There are all sorts of ways you can tinker around with your breathing to achieve different goals.

So, how does this otherworldly sounding stuff actually work? Well, it’s not magic – it’s science. Breathwork has a direct effect on our nervous system. Our sympathetic nervous system is the part that gets us amped up and alert. Our parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, helps us get into relax mode.

So, breathing deeply and slowly activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us relax and unwind. Faster, or more intense breathing can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which gets you primed and ready to go. In other words, you can ask your body, with just your breath, whether it should chill out or whether it should wake up. It can also increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain, improving focus and cognitive ability.

So what does that all mean? Basically, you can release tension with nothing more than a big sigh or exhalation. This means you might be able to flip the switch on the fight-or-flight high stress response and slip into a state of relaxation just with your breath.

Thinking of giving breathwork a try? Excellent! Here are some beginner pointers. Find a spot to sit or lie down that’s comfortable to you. As a simple starter example, one way to begin is with a simple technique called ‘Box Breathing’. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, hold for four counts, exhale through your mouth for four counts, and hold after you exhale for four counts. Repeat this cycle for a few minutes and you will probably notice you feel calmer. This is, of course, just one simple exercise and there are so many different breathing techniques to learn and try.

In fact, there are a number of strategies you can use to bring breathwork into your daily life. When starting, make the commitment to do these breathing exercises at least 5-10 minutes a day. Perhaps in the morning when you first wake up, or at the end of your day as a way to wind down. 1-minute breathing breaks at your desk will do wonders as well. Gradually, as you tie these practices into your everyday life, you’ll start to find that you are more easily stepping into the flow of life and experiencing less stress as you live it.

Finally, let’s dispel some misconceptions around breathwork. Believe it or not, some people still think breathwork is too ‘woo-woo’ for anyone who doesn’t meditate all day or hang out with yogis and monks. Yep, some still think they need to give their lives over to regular practice in order to enjoy breathwork benefits. Fortunately, both of these are patently untrue. Breathwork is accessible to almost everyone and requires nothing more than your breath and an open mind. Start small and build up a consistent practice to reap the benefits that are within your reach.

In summary, breathwork is a science-backed practice accessible to anyone that can make a huge impact on your state of mind and physical wellbeing. One of the oldest wellness tools around, consciously controlling the breath to influence physical and mental states can be traced back to numerous different cultural traditions – from the Pranayama of the ancient spiritual tradition of Hinduism to the Qigong of Chinese medicine.

Today, breathwork is seen as an easy portal to stress and anxiety relief. Actively changing our breathing patterns can achieve different ends, engaging the body’s parasympathetic nervous system to lower heart rate or the sympathetic nervous system to increase alertness. Numerous studies reveal how breath control shifts our body from stress mode to relaxation mode – or vice versa (it doesn’t have to be this extreme, though, and there’s no reason why controlled breathing can’t help us find a perfect balance between the two). Breathwork is so accessible and easy to practice that it’s a wonderful tool for everyday use or for use when things get tough.