Breathwork is a new age term for the practice of conscious breathing, more popularly known as Pranayama in Yogic teachings.
Breathwork teaches or rather trains you to breathe consciously, correctly, with awareness and intent.
These breathing practices/techniques bring about major transformation and healing. These therapeutic practices help relieve mental, physical and emotional tension, as well as bring about a greater sense of self awareness and capacity for self-healing.
Types of Breathwork:
1. Holotropic
- Goal is to achieve “wholeness” of mind, body and spirit. This practice is facilitated by certified practitioners using intense music
- The breath exercises are usually conducted in groups and while lying down. The process involves inhaling and exhaling for the same amount of time at different speeds to induce an altered state of consciousness
- Holotropic therapy stems is the drug- free alternative to LSD therapy One often experiences uncontrollable spurts of emotions muscle cramps and see visuals
2. Pranayama
- Prana- Breath
- Yama- Control
- This practice of breath control helps you move past emotional and energetic blocks that interfere with the flow of life force
3. Rebirthing
- Also known as conscious energy breathing, the goal is to help people release energy blockages stored in the mid and body due to suppressed trauma that accured during your birth. It involves circular breathing and deep relaxation used to release pent-up stress and subconscious issues
4. Clarity Breathwork
- The goal of this practice is to teach people how to breathe fully as most people do not breathe to their full capacity
- This in turn releases old emotional energy
Breathwork Exercises
All exercises involve deep, focused breathing which last for extended periods of time
1. Continuous Circular Breathing
- Conscious inhale and exhale using full deep breaths do not hold the breath at any point. This continuous in and out creates a circle of breath
2. Immersion in Water
- One is fully immersed in water
- They are asked to breathe deeply, either above the surface or with the aid of a snorkel used to produce dramatic results
3. 20 Connected Breaths
- One is meant to breathe in and out 20 times
- 4 sets of 4 short breaths and 1 deep breath
- To be done through the nose
Benefits of Breathwork
- Deep breathing actuates the parasympathetic nervous system and slows down the heart rate and lowers blood pressure – hereby creating a feeling of calm
- Breathwork helps you access deep buried emotions, traumas and grudges, then ultimately helps you release these deep-seated emotions and achieve calm
- Breathwork helps you connect to your spirit. Many experiences spiritual awakenings
Breathwork helps improve:
- Chronic Pain
- Depression
- Grief
- Trauma and Post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD)
- Anger issues
- Anxiety
- Boosts Immunity
- Increases self-awareness
- Improves personal and professional relationships
- Helps you overcome addictions
- Increases joy and happiness
- Increase confidence and self esteem
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Preeti Singh
September 3, 2020Read the breathing technique. Good to learn new techniques but always deep breathing and breath control help to cure so many diseases. What is most important is a regular practice. If you do it sometimes there will be no benefits.