What is Breathwork?

Put simply, breathwork techniques are centered around the idea of intentionally manipulating your breathing pattern for a specific outcome – from more energy to reducing anxiety. As a mindfulness technique that has been used for centuries, breathwork is a systematic approach to improving your mind and body well-being. 

There are many research studies on breathwork’s scientific impact on our body and our nervous system. When you’re feeling overly stressed and anxious, your body triggers your fight-or-flight response. When this happens, the body prepares itself for either fighting or running away by directing excess oxygen to the arms and legs — those muscles that are crucial in both a “fight” or a “flight” response. In doing so, there is less energy being directed toward the brain which often makes it difficult to think clearly. 

While the response of the sympathetic nervous system is beneficial in some stressful situations, for example, to protect oneself or to produce all-natural energy, it is not necessary in day-to-day life. Creating a baseline for equanimity can help you think more clearly. This is where breathwork techniques come in.

Down-regulating (relaxing) breathwork techniques flip the parasympathetic nervous system switch “on’ and the sympathetic nervous system switch “off.” The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for sending signals to your brain, letting you know that you’re safe. In doing so, your body reroutes the oxygen to your brain which will allow for a calm mind and body.

What is Meditation?

A meditation practice is the act of bringing conscious awareness to your thoughts and feelings. Meditation can either be self-guided or instructor-guided and is typically used to redirect your mind away from intrusive thoughts of stress, anxiety, and other distractions and back toward the present moment. Meditation practice is a wellness regimen that is thousands of years old but its benefits continue to be proven by modern science. Some experts have used diagnostic and imaging techniques to prove that meditation has a very real, proven effect on a person’s brain chemistry to positively affect one’s mental health.

This technology has also allowed experts to study how a meditation practice can impact the neurons in a person’s brain. The neurons in your brain are intricately connected to each other, which is how your body is able to send and receive signals. These signals each of different specialities and directly impact the way you move, think, and respond to unique situations. 

Research has shown that people who have a meditation practice also have denser brain tissue in certain areas, meaning that the connection between these neurons is stronger. These stronger connections are typically those which control your senses, ability to think and concentrate, and ability to process emotions. As a result, those who incorporate a regular meditation practice in their daily routines have a stronger ability to respond to stress, grief, and anxiety.

How Do Breathwork Techniques Impact a Meditation Practice?

Breathwork techniques are different from meditation practice. However, breathwork techniques can be used to elevate your meditation practice. Because a meditation practice is focused on centering your awareness away from distractions, it is often helpful to have a “prop” to direct your attention toward. This may be an instructor-led meditation practice with direct cues and thought prompts, specific sound meditation, or breathwork techniques. 

Focusing on your breath allows you to bring your mind back to the present moment. It also allows you to deepen your meditation practice. Focusing your attention on your breath going in and out is the most simple and natural way to get into a meditative state. While meditating, there are calming breathing techniques you can practice to help you focus your mind, feel relaxed and centered, reduce your blood pressure, stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, and lower your heart rate:

• Diaphragm Breathing — Inhale deeply through your nose. Exhale through your mouth.
• Alternate Nostril Breathing — Alternate exhaling from each nostril, closing the other one with your thumb.
• Soft Breath — Move the breath to the belly and allow it to become soft without any resistance.
• Intermittent Breath Retention — Inhale slowly, hold for 3-5 counts, exhale, hold for 3-5 counts.
• 4-7-8 Breathing — Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8.
• Four Count Breathing (also known as Box Breathing) — Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
• Breathing by Itself — Focus on your natural breathing rhythm. 

Breathwork Techniques for Beginners

• Down-regulating breathwork techniques for stress and relaxation — 4:6 Calm
• Up-regulating breathwork techniques for energy — 6:2 Wake Up
• Balancing breathwork techniques for beginners — The Perfect Breath
• Functional breathwork techniques for everyday — Functional Breathwork

Meditation Practice for Beginners

• Morning meditation practice — AM Check-in
• Anxiety-reducing meditation practice — Anxiety Relief
• Meditation practice for sleep — Body Scan For Rest
• Nighttime meditation practice — Daily PM