In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s important to take the time to remind ourselves to just breathe. Sometimes, this means going deeper with breathwork. The idea of breathwork takes our typical breathing patterns to the next level. This exercise can be extremely beneficial when it comes to your mental health, stress levels, and anxiety. 

What Is Breathwork?

Breathwork guides you through a variety of exercises that teach you to intentionally use your breath to take control over your nervous system. Some breathwork practices are up-regulating, increasing your energy and alertness, some are balancing and others are down-regulating, creating a sense of calm and peace in the body. 

Although breathing is a natural process that doesn't require specific thought or planning, paying attention to your breathing and controlling the flow of it can be helpful in stressful or anxiety-inducing situations. 

For example, if you are panicking prior to a big test, this could lead to a state of hyperventilation. In order to avoid this, sitting down and taking slow deep and quiet breaths can increase your sense of calm and focus.

1. Who Created Breathwork?

Breathwork has been used in Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Tibetan cultures for the purpose of health maintenance as far back as 3000 B.C.E. This practice has also been incorporated in activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, and Buddhism in order to increase the beneficial results of these exercises. 

More recently, breathwork has gained a lot of attention in the world of mental health and therapy. Many models and programs are becoming available in order to teach one how to properly engage in these breathing techniques. 

2.  What Is the Science of Breathwork?

Breathwork has a physical impact on the systems of the body and slow breathing directly affects the function of the nervous system. 

Going back to the example above of taking the test, panic produces a state of hyperventilation in which your breaths are rapid. This activates the sympathetic nervous system and leaves you feeling lightheaded and short of breath due to decreased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.  

When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it tells your body that there is danger. This causes greater anxiety, stress, and fear. On the flip side, the parasympathetic nervous system is known as the “rest and digest” system. 

The process of taking slow deep breaths tells the body that you are safe and comfortable and gives it permission to slow down and feel at ease. This in turn can reduce anxiety, stress, and fear. 

If you take time to calm your breathing through the proper breathwork techniques, you will avoid effects from hyperventilation, sympathetic nervous system activation, and shortness of breath. Moreover, this will increase your sense of relaxation and will better prepare you for the exam.

3. What Are the Benefits of Breathwork? 

Below are some of the biggest benefits that breathwork has to offer. 

• Helps decrease stress: Because of the way slow breathing can decrease your sympathetic nervous system response while increasing your parasympathetic nervous system response, it has the potential to decrease stress. 
• Helps boost your mood: If you’re feeling stressed, it’s hard to be in a good mood. If breathwork has the potential to reduce stress and increase comfort, this, in turn, has a positive impact on your mood. 
• Helps boost your energy: In addition, a bad mood often decreases energy levels and steals the motivation you need to complete your daily tasks. If you need additional energy and a mood booster, a few seconds of breathwork might make a difference in how you approach your day.
• Helps create self-love: Many of us are so busy in our day-to-day lives that we don’t take time for ourselves or spend time alone in the quiet of our own minds. Even a short episode of breathwork can increase self-love and self-awareness
• Helps improve sleep: Feelings of stress and anxiety can often disrupt your sleeping patterns. Whether you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restful sleep, practicing breathwork can help improve your rest and decrease feelings of exhaustion throughout the day. 
• Being able to relax and “turn off” your mind before bed is important for most people in order to achieve good sleep, and this can be accomplished through the correct breathwork techniques. 

4. An Example of the Benefits of Breathwork

Say you’re at work, frustrated with a coworker who is new and doesn’t do their job correctly. You feel yourself about to snap, but know you will regret it if you do. 

In this situation, you could go to a quiet location for a minute or two and engage in slow deep breaths to calm your mind, increase your self-awareness, and prepare yourself for more interactions with the coworker.

This time of quiet is likely to give you clarity into why you are feeling frustrated. Maybe you aren’t frustrated with this person at all and are actually thinking subconsciously about the fight with your spouse that morning, the deadlines at work, or your rent you aren’t sure how to pay. 

Whatever the reason for your frustration, taking time for deep breathing exercises will increase your self-awareness and give you the tools to better handle the situation. 



Start Practicing Breathwork

Here’s everything else you need to know about breathwork, including types of breathwork and popular breathwork practices.

1. The Types of Breathwork 

When it comes to breathwork, there are multiple options you can engage in, so don’t limit yourself with this exercise. 

• Holotropic breathwork originated from the Greek word holos, which means to move forward towards wholeness. This is one of the most popular, as well as effective, types of contemporary breathwork and involves a state of altered consciousness. It’s a safe and useful method that allows you to release emotional stress and become aware of your own thought processes. 

This breathwork involves a series of intense quick breaths followed by a period of deeper or drawn-out breaths over an extended period of time. This is typically done in a group of 10-30 others and can be combined with music to create a relaxing and conducive setting for the exercise. 

Rebirthing breathwork — also referred to as Conscious Energy Breathing — was based on the theory that each person carries around trauma related to their birth experience. This breathwork is designed to relieve energy blockages that form from suppressed trauma. 

The treatment involves lying down, relaxing the body, and breathing as one normally would. Individuals are then guided through something called conscious connected circular breathing and are sent into a state of total relaxation which aids in letting go of the trauma.  

This type of breathing works to coordinate the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in order to increase calmness and vitality. It was designed on the basis that increasing the quality and quantity of our breath expands the energy in the body. Each breath is viewed as a chance to bring restoration to the stress we feel as well as increase our own unique gifts and abilities. 

Clarity breathwork branches from the Rebirthing Breathwork, but it goes further than focusing on the trauma of birth. It works to target issues related to ineffective breathing and aims to teach people how to breathe at their full capacity. 

This breathwork is often combined with an interview, counseling, and personal exploration. This is done to explore past trauma and current concerns in order to find the root cause and improve breathing patterns. 

The Wim Hof Method, along with holotropic breathwork, is one of the most popular types of contemporary breathwork. This method got its name from the ice cold-immersion athlete with the same name. The exercise involves a variety of exercises and breathing techniques with the goal of causing breakthroughs and increasing emotional, physical, and mental awareness. 

You repeat each sequence of exercises three times with breakthroughs typically appearing in the second or third round. This breathwork has gained the most research and can be one of the easiest ones to learn.    

Zen yoga breathwork is commonly used in meditation as a way to calm the heart. Zen is said to be a type of Buddhist denomination and focuses on one’s attitude on a daily basis. In addition, it’s a way to become self-aware during the process of meditation. 

Yoga, on the other hand, is seen as a type of philosophy rather than a religion. Zen yoga breathwork combines these two ideas and involves sitting in a quiet location with a straight back and upright posture. You are then guided to pay attention to your breathing as you release current thoughts in your mind.

2. Breathwork Techniques to Begin Your Practice

Now that you know options for breathwork routines, you can start practicing and see what you like best.

The 4-7-8 Pattern: This breathwork involves a four-step sequence of inhaling for four beats, holding your breath for seven beats, then exhaling for eight beats. Using this extended period of time to exhale increases your body’s ability to release stress and feel rejuvenated.

Soft Belly Breath: This type of breathing is also referred to as abdominal breathing. Many people take short and shallow breaths without realizing it, which results in feelings of tension and low energy. 

These soft belly breaths encourage you to take deep meaningful breaths in order to expand the abdominal movement. This type of breathing is commonly used by those participating yoga. 

Circular Breath: Circular breathing was created to expand the distance between breathing points and produce comfort, stability, and a better tone. It also plays a role in reducing levels of stress and tension. 

This exercise is completed through a variety of breathing and spitting techniques. This activity can be challenging, so don’t get discouraged if it takes time to do correctly. While some are skeptical towards this type of breathwork, others have found it helpful.

3. More Breathwork Styles To Continue Your Practice

Once you’ve become comfortable with 4-7-8 breathing, soft belly breath, and circular breath, try adding these additional breathing techniques into your breathwork practice.

Triangle Breathing: This type of breathing is combined with imagination techniques in order to get the most out of the exercise. Begin by closing your eyes and picturing a triangle. Imagine the first side of the triangle as you count to three and breathe in. 

Next, breathe out to the count of three as you picture the other sides of the triangle, then hold your breath at the bottom of the triangle to the count of three. Continue this pattern of imagination, breathing, and counting for as long as you need. 

Alternate Nostril Breathing: When engaging in this type of breathing, begin by putting your right thumb pad onto the right nostril in order to prevent air from entering or escaping. Take a breath in through the left nostril. 

Next, switch your thumb to cover the left nostril, exhale in this position, then proceed to inhale again before switching nostrils. The purpose of this breathing technique is to provide balance to both the mind and body.

How Can Open Be Helpful in Practicing Breathwork?

Now that you have some more knowledge of how to incorporate breathwork into your daily routines/life, check out the range of breathwork practices in the app/at Open for guided practices.

We provide a variety of meditation videos, ranging from short 5-minute routines to longer videos when you have more time. Whether you are frustrated, angry, sad, or stressed, a few moments of breathwork can help relax your mind and give you the tools to keep moving forward in your day. 

Regardless of your needs or time restraints, Open can provide a video for any moment you are in. Check out Open and get started on your breathwork. There are several options available when it comes to picking the perfect meditation videos for you.

1. Breathe

While all meditation videos incorporate breathwork into their routine, these videos have a specific focus on improving breathing patterns. Whether you’re about to give a speech, are anxious about a date, or feel overwhelmed with deadlines, these breathwork exercises can help your body prepare for the stressor. 

• Vase w/ Manoj D.
• Symmetry w/ Crussen
• 3 Min Wake w/ Ally M.
• 3 Min Calm w/ George R.

2. Move

If you want to practice meditation and breathwork while also being active, this is a great place to start. These videos can work to improve your breathing and mental function while also working your muscles and heart. 

• Ready to Release w/ Ally M.
• Inner Compass w/ Erin G.
• Quick Morning Flow w/ Renee N.
• Targeted Front Body Flow w/ Catherine E.

3. Meditate

This section contains a variety of video topics. If you need to increase your gratitude, give yourself a little more love, or improve your rest, these videos can help. For each of these concerns and more, check out this section.

• Unwinding Road w/ Manoj D.
• Here w/ Erin G.
• Heart Support w/ Mel M.
• Recipe for Joy w/ Felipe G.

When considering the above videos, keep in mind that each of these will give you the opportunity to practice your breathing. Picking the exercise that works for you depends upon several factors, such as your goals. 

If you want something to get moving in the morning, choose the “move” category. If you need something to calm your mind part way through your workday, choose “meditate”. 

Remember to try a variety of videos and don’t let yourself get bored with the routine. Practicing breathwork long-term is likely to prove highly effective.

5 Breathwork Practices To Start Your Journey

Breathing… This isn’t something you think about moment to moment. This process comes easily and naturally for the majority of us, and few of us walk around thinking about the need to breathe in order to keep our bodies alive. 

Breathwork comes into play when our breathing patterns need extra assistance. It has the potential to take a stressful and negative moment and turn it into something you can handle, overcome, and keep moving forward in. You are capable of calming your nerves with a few moments of slow, deep, and calming breathing.

New to breathwork? Get started with these practices.

• Welcome Calm w/ Manoj D.: Guide yourself into a calmer state with this short breathwork session (10 Minutes).
• Bedtime Story w/ George R.: This calming bedtime breathwork session combines music and storytelling to get you ready for rest (20 Minutes).
• Stress-Less Breath w/ George R.: This short breathwork session is designed to lower your stress after a tense moment (5 Minutes).
• Arrive Inward w/ Renee N.: This session uses the beat of the music to help you anchor your mind and energy to your body (11 Minutes).
• Shift Up w/ Ally M.: Turning on and pressing go – boost your mood and energy. Accompanied by the music of Nicola Cruz (6 Minutes).

With the help of Open, you can learn these techniques and see how it positively affects you day to day. You can do this.

Sources:

Trend Time: What is Breathwork? | Top Trends | Healthy News Blog

Types of Breathwork | Good Therapy

Analogy between classical Yoga/Zen breathing and modern clinical respiratory therapy | NCBI

A breathing technique to help you relax | Harvard

Ways to Relax by Using Breathing 1. Triangle Breathing 2. Breathing from your Belly 3. Blowfish Breathing 4. Progressive Muscle | Washington.edu

Circular breathing for oboe | ASU