7 Benefits of Breathwork

By CJ Bynum, Professional Health Coach

Breathing. It’s something you do all the time and never really give it a second thought. When was the last time you thought about your breath? Like, truly sat there and focused on your breathing? Like many, the answer probably ranges from not that often to never. That’s totally normal because this naturally occurring response already happens all the time without the need to think about it. Inhale, exhale, rinse and repeat to stay alive. However, spending a small amount of time practicing breathwork can be beneficial for your mind, body and spirit.

Breathwork simply refers to being intentional with your breathing while practicing specific exercises and techniques. This practice may help with relaxation, improved awareness, and so much more. Here are 7 different benefits that breathwork can contribute to:

1. Stress & Anxiety Relief: How often have you been told “calm down and take a deep breath” whenever you felt anxious, nervous, or scared? Sometimes that’s not what we want to hear, but there is benefit to the advice! Taking slow, deep breaths causes your heart rate slow down and your breathing to become less shallow. This focused breathwork helps quiet the “fight or flight” part of your nervous system, helping you to feel calm and more grounded.

2. Pain Relief: By taking a couple of deep breaths, you trigger the body to release endorphins (the “feel good” hormone). Deep, slow breathing also influences the way the brain processes pain.

3. Immunity Improvement: Breathing exercises allow you the chance to bring in more oxygen to the blood. A small study found that people who practiced breathwork had fewer flu symptoms and produced fewer proteins that are known to trigger inflammation.

4. Detoxification: With the latest juice cleanses and detox diets flooding social media feeds, it often gets lost that you are already equipped with your very own system to rid the body of any toxins you may come into contact with. In fact, the respiratory system is one of the body’s first defense systems in getting rid of some of the common toxins, such as dust, bacteria, and other pollutants. Breathwork, especially diaphragmatic breathing, can strengthen the diaphragm and lungs so that your body’s natural detoxing system can function at its best.

5. Energy Increase: With more oxygenated blood comes increased blood flow to help get nutrients to your cells. This distribution helps your brain and organs and may ramp up your energy level .

6. Digestion Improvement: Not only does increased blood flow help with digestion, the movement of the diaphragm during deep breathing exercises also massages the internal organs and may help with abdominal pain, bloating and constipation.

7. Lower Blood Pressure: Relaxed muscles allow the dilation of blood vessels, improving blood circulation while also regulating the heart rate. All of which may be beneficial in lowering blood pressure.

And there you have it, 7 benefits of breathwork. One thing to remember is that, even though we breathe without even thinking about it, these deep breathing exercises may feel unnatural and strange at first. And that is totally ok because like any new skill it might take practice to get used to it, but that’s the beauty of it. All you need is 5 minutes to incorporate breathwork techniques into your everyday life. Don’t believe me? Try this simple technique:

Breathe in deep, through the nose (“Smell the roses”), slowly and gently, for 5 seconds, filling in the abdomen as well as the chest. You can place a hand on your stomach, making sure it is rising as you breathe, if you want to make sure you are doing it correctly. Hold this breath for 3 seconds. Then, slowly and gently, release the breath through the mouth (“blow out the candle”) for 5 seconds. Repeat for 5 breaths.

If you are looking for an opportunity to put some breathwork into practice, there is no better place to begin than with yoga. Breathwork is an integral part of the practice of yoga. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you.