Breathwork is an ancient and holistic practice that combines control breathing with other components to improve the wellness of body, mind, and spirit. Those of us who teach and practice breathwork tend to describe it in somewhat opaque terms that can be difficult to understand.
To make it easier for those new to the practice, we have decided to put together a series of five blog posts discussing each of the basic concepts of breathwork. The first concept is conscious control of one’s breathing. Be sure to check back for the rest of the posts in this series.
Breathing Is Automatic
Breathwork, as a concept link to wellbeing, can seem a bit strange given the fact that breathing is automatic. None of us need to think about doing it. We just do it because our bodies need oxygen to survive. But in breathwork, we want to control inhalation and exhalation rather than letting it happen automatically.
It starts with self-awareness. Consciously controlling how you breathe begins with observing the natural flow of inhalation and exhalation when you are not trying to control it. You want to become consciously aware of how your body naturally breathes. In essence, it is practicing mindfulness of one’s breathing. This self-awareness is the foundation of everything that follows.
3 Key Principles
Following the self-awareness exercise, three key principles inform conscious breath control. Practicing them can, over time, help you master breathwork for better overall wellbeing. The three principles are as follows:
1. Controlled Inhalation and Exhalation
A technique for controlling inhalation and exhalation can be applied to both duration and intensity. For example, the cyclic sighing technique dictates a more prolonged, relaxed exhalation. This is designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Another technique is known as box breathing. This is where you inhale, hold, exhale, and hold for equal lengths of time. It is great for relieving stress.
2. Engaging With Different Breathing Patterns
Hand-in-hand with breath control is engaging with different breathing patterns. Diaphragmatic breathing is one such pattern, also known as ‘belly breathing’. You practice it by focusing on your diaphragm as you maximize air intake but minimize chest movement.
3. Full Body Integration
The third principal is to incorporate control breathing with an understanding of what the rest of the body feels like. Sometimes, breathwork practitioners will simultaneously work on controlled breathing and systematically relaxing the body. The practitioner focuses on a single body part for the purposes of helping it fully relax in the moment. As the practitioner moves from one body part to the next, the whole body becomes fully relaxed.
Breathwork Is Not an Exact Science
Despite all the principles presented in this post, it is important to remember that breathwork is not an exact science. There is plenty of room for individual experience as one learns and masters breathwork. Also note that all facilitators do not teach breathwork in the exact same way. You might learn the basic concepts of breathwork here at Maloca Sound but then work with another facilitator who has a slightly different take on things. It is all good.
The most important thing we want you to know is that breathwork is a fantastic practice with thousands of years of history behind it. It is something you really should try if you are struggling with stress, anxiety, and other issues that are interrupting your quality of life and preventing you from being the best you can be. With that said, be sure to come back to our website next month for the second post in this series.
