What is Breathwork?

Breathwork techniques use intentional breathing patterns to achieve a specific outcome, such as increased energy or reduced anxiety. As a mindfulness technique used for centuries, breathwork is a systematic approach to improving your mind and body well-being. 

There is a growing body of research on the scientific impact of breathwork on the body and nervous system. When you feel overly stressed and anxious, the sympathetic nervous system triggers a fight-or-flight response. Your body prepares itself to fight or run away by directing excess oxygen to the arms and legs, the muscles crucial to both a “fight” or a “flight” response. In doing so, less energy is directed toward the brain, which often makes it difficult to think clearly or feel calm. 

Because respiration is one of the few autonomic functions you consciously control, your breath becomes a bridge between your body's automatic stress response and your intentional return to calm.

How Do Breathing Techniques Impact Your Nervous System?

A sensitive sympathetic nervous system leaves you on edge, contributes to chronic sleep disturbance, and even strains your personal relationships. 

Down-regulating (relaxing) breathwork techniques quiets the sympathetic nervous system and brings the parasympathetic nervous system online. The parasympathetic nervous system sends calming signals to your brain, letting you know that you are safe. Slowing your breathing with intention activates this system, reroutes oxygen to the brain, and calms the mind and body. 

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

What is Meditation?

Meditation is the practice of bringing conscious awareness to your thoughts and feelings. Self-directed or instructor-guided, meditation is typically used to redirect your mind away from intrusive thoughts and back to the present moment. 

Along with reducing anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions, a meditation practice cultivates deep self-awareness to improve your focus, strengthens your emotional regulation, and supports your health. You get the most benefit from a meditation practice by treating it as a long-term exercise or part of your daily routine. 

What Is the Science Behind Meditation?

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years to steady the mind and return to the present. Modern science is beginning to explain why it works. Some experts have used diagnostic and imaging techniques to prove that meditation has a proven effect on a person’s brain chemistry and mental health.

This technology has also allowed experts to study how meditation affects neurons in the brain. The neurons are intricately connected to each other, which is how your body sends and receives signals to control how you move, think, and respond to unique situations. 

Research has shown that people who meditate have denser brain tissue in certain areas, indicating stronger connections between neurons. These connections typically control your senses, your capacity to concentrate, and your emotional processing. Those who maintain a regular meditation practice in their daily routines have a stronger ability to respond to stress, grief, and anxiety with greater ease.

Meditation Practice for Beginners

• Morning meditation practice: Morning Pause
• Anxiety-reducing meditation practice: Anxiety Relief
• Meditation practice for sleep: Body Scan For Rest
• Nighttime meditation practice: Daily PM

How Do Breathwork Techniques Impact Meditation Practices?

Breathwork techniques are different from a meditation practice. However, breathwork techniques elevate your meditation practice. Because a meditation practice is focused on centering your awareness away from distractions, it is helpful to have a “prop” to serve as a focal point. This may be an instructor-led meditation practice with direct cues and thought prompts, specific sound meditation, or breathwork techniques during the session itself. 

Focusing on your breath allows you to bring your mind back to the present moment. It also allows you to deepen your meditation practice. Attuning to the breath as it moves in and out is among the most accessible and most reliable ways to enter a meditative state, particularly for anyone new to the practice.

What Are the Best Breathwork Techniques for Meditation?

While meditating, there are calming breathing techniques you can practice to 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 let it soften without 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 (Box Breathing): Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
• Breathing by Itself: Focus on your natural breathing rhythm. 

How to Start a Meditation Practice with Breathwork

Many beginners wonder whether breathwork or meditation should come first. Because they are complementary practices, the most effective approach is to blend them together.

To begin a meditation practice, start with a few minutes of breathwork. Even five minutes of active breathing, such as with Easy Exhale, makes the transition into stillness more natural. From there, you switch to a meditation program that suits your needs, such as Morning Tone or For Your Commute.

Beyond breathing exercises before your meditation begins, all you need for a successful session is a small block of time and a comfortable or convenient space. Select programs in the Open app to weave practice into your day, wherever you are.

Begin Breathwork for Meditation

You don’t have to commit to intensive or lengthy meditation and breathwork practice to notice a difference. Whether you’re a beginner or navigating a busy schedule, a daily five-minute program is valuable.

Your breath brings balance. Start with one inhale and join Open to guide the rest.

*Safety note: If you have any pre-existing health conditions or concerns, consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning a new movement or breathwork practice.*