Breathwork is an amazing practice capable of helping people achieve their wellness goals, especially when combined with other practices that promote relaxation, inner peace, and a sense of self. It is built on five foundational concepts, the fourth of which encapsulates techniques and practices.
Techniques and practices form the actionable core through which the benefits of breathwork are accessed. Their main purpose is to ensure that the practitioner utilizes breathwork in a controlled and intentional way. By maintaining control over breathing, an individual can tap into breathwork’s psychological and physiological effects.
5 Examples of Techniques and Practices
It is important to note that there isn’t one ‘perfect’ or ‘correct’ way to practice breathwork. Different instructors use different practices and techniques. Some instructors are open to multiple techniques based on the needs of the practitioners they are working with.
Here are five examples of common breathwork techniques and practices:
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
Known less formally as belly breathing, diaphragmatic breathing involves deep, slow, purposeful inhalations to expand the abdomen. A practitioner avoids expanding the chest. The goal is to activate the diaphragm to promote relaxation. Believe it or not, diaphragmatic breathing is very similar to the breathing techniques vocal students learn.
2. 4-7-8 Breathing
Next up is a technique based on three numbers: 4, 7, and 8. Here’s how it works: you inhale for four counts, hold your breath for seven, and slowly exhale over eight counts. You control the speed at which you count. Whatever that speed is, maintaining consistency throughout each cycle is key. This form of breathing utilizes pacing to quiet the mind and relax the nervous system.
3. Box Breathing
Box breathing is similar to the 4-7-8 technique, except that all your counts are the same. You inhale, hold, and exhale using the same count for all three. Box breathing is recommended for creating mental and emotional steadiness. It is a good technique for managing stress.
4. Alternate Nostril Breathing
This next technique might seem a little odd if you are new to breathwork. It is known as alternate nostril breathing due to how the technique is practiced. To start, you close off one nostril, then inhale and exhale. After several inhalation and exhalation cycles, you close off the other nostril and start again.
Alternate nostril breathing is believed to encourage mental and emotional balance. For people struggling with anxiety, it represents an opportunity to overcome the negative feelings by replacing them with more balanced alternatives.
5. Breath Focus and Imagery
A favorite among longtime breathwork practitioners is the technique of combining deep, controlled breathing with visualizations. For example, you might visualize inhalation as drawing calmness into your body while exhalation is visualized as tension leaving your body.
Some people find this particular technique easier if they accompany their breathing and visualizations with focus words. For example, you might actually utter the word ‘calm’ as you are inhaling.
Practice Makes Perfect
The practices and techniques a person chooses are less important than mastering them over time. If nothing else, we can say that effective breathwork is the result of practice. After all, practice does make perfect.
If you are new to breathwork, we encourage you to learn as much about the different practices and techniques as you can. Then find a quiet and comfortable space in which you can practice daily. Start slowly and build up as you get comfortable with a particular technique.
Breathwork’s techniques and practices empower practitioners to control their breathing as a means of regulating the emotions, thoughts, and physical functions that enhance wellbeing. They are breathwork’s practical core.
