Breathwork - Is it Just a Trend?
Breathwork is one of the most searched terms when it comes to wellness these days. Is it trendy? Yes, in some ways it is. Is it powerful and impactful? Yes, very much so!
When it comes to breathwork, the idea is to bring conscious awareness to the breath, and shift the pattern of breathing to alter your state of being. Most breathwork techniques are used for a short period of time as a practice, either to assist in correcting irregular breathing patterns (e.g., short, shallow breaths) or to use alternate breathing patterns for healing (e.g., to calm the nervous system down, or release trauma).
Many of the breathwork therapy styles are a form of conscious circular breathing, which involves allowing your inhale and exhale to be continuous. With so many different styles of Conscious Circular Breathwork out there, it can get confusing! Conscious Connected Breathwork, Clarity, Holographic, Transformational and the list goes on.
In essence, most of these styles use the breath to facilitate deep healing. The benefits are innumerable! I find the most incredible results have been: clarity of thought, release of heavy emotions, shifting of limiting beliefs, reduced anxiety, deep self awareness, feelings of calmness, increased energy, confidence, and self-love.
What is ACTUALLY happening physiologically? By using these methods, you are temporarily changing the chemistry and alkalinity of your blood, the oxygen flow to your brain and body, and can increase your immune system response. It’s pretty cool actually!
While I have tried out many of the breathwork styles, I chose to train with the amazing Rebecca Kordecki (@thebreathzone). When it comes to transformational styles of breathwork, I found this to be the one of the most accessible styles and has had such profound impacts on myself and my clients. When guided by a well trained professional, this method is also suitable for beginners!
In each of my retreats, I lead a deep conscious breathwork session as an integral part of the journey to calm, clarity and confidence. This method allows for such incredibly powerful shifts, it is my go-to for not only my clients, but myself as well! Private breathwork sessions are also a part of the one-on-one Custom Healing Plans. If you have not experienced it yet, I urge you to consider it! The more I practice and learn about it, the more I believe in the power of the breath to shift your body, mind and soul.
Tips to Bring Breathwork Into Your Everyday
Whether you choose to practice one of these circular conscious breathwork therapies or not, I strongly believe that in whatever way you can bring your awareness to your breath, you are connecting your mind to your body which is a form of mindfulness in itself. This alone can bring your thought patterns out of the “monkey mind”, help to keep you out of the stress zone.
Try this on… Bring awareness to your breath for a moment here. Are you a nose breather? A mouth breather? Or both? Where does your breath go (what parts of your body are moving - your belly? Chest? Shoulders?). Noticing how your breath moves naturally can tell you a lot about whether your breath is serving you in the best way or not.
If you aren’t sure if your breath is serving you in the best way or not, get in touch with a breathwork practitioner to get assessed and get some advice on breathing techniques you can practice at home.
Now… whatever your natural breath style is, here is a method you can use anytime and in just a few minutes to calm your nervous system down:
Consciously breathe in and out of your nose.
Deepen your breath so that it reaches all the way down to the base of your torso.
Expand your inhale so that you feel your rib cage moving to the sides, front and back.
Slow your exhale down, and think of relaxing your body with the exhale.
Allow the length of your inhale to match the length of your exhale (try for a count of 5-6 for each).
I believe breathwork is not just a trend and is here to stay. The more we become aware of our breath and how we each have the power to shift our breath in order to shift our state of being, the more empowered we become. Using awareness, guidance, and the power of our minds, we can invoke deep healing.
I would love to hear from you about your experience with the breath. Have you worked with a breathwork practitioner? Have you tried or do you practice any specific breathwork techniques? If so, which ones do you love?
P.S. Join us for an in person Deep Breathwork Journey in Golden, BC on October 5th! Spend the evening being guided through a journey to a calm, clear and empowered state of being. If you have wanted to try it out, or know you want to experience more breathwork and are within driving distance of Golden, join in:)
P.P.S. If you are keen to get support with your breathing patterns, be guided on a magical breathwork journey, or just to chat about how breathwork might be beneficial to you and your healing, I would love to support you in this.