Why Breathwork Works — 3 Techniques to Get Started
Originally posted on Medium, re-shared here with the permission of the author.
Understanding the science behind the phenomenon sweeping the wellness industry — and how to get started.
What is breathwork?
After decades of being viewed as new age or “woo-woo”, breathwork practices have slowly but surely bubbled to the top of the wellness conversation. Far from being a novel concept, the roots of breathwork can be traced to a range of Eastern traditions and cultures, but in the West are most closely associated with yoga practice. Known in it’s original form as Pranayama, it’s utility has become increasingly well accepted across wellness and healthcare in recent years — with the evidence to back it up.
Breathwork essentially involves voluntarily changing the pattern, rate and depth of respiration, in order to affect cardiac and (brain) cortical activity, and trigger relaxation responses within the body. No fancy equipment, no steep learning curve. A built-in tool for wellbeing that’s been around for millenia.
The Science
To understand why breathwork works, an understanding of how our bodies send and receive signals for stimulation and for relaxation is essential. These signals are created within the autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic side handles stimulation — the “fight or flight” engine, the parasympathetic side handles the “rest and digest” engine. Our bodies are, for the most part, excellent at maintaining a continuous balancing act between the two so as not to become over or under-stimulated depending on the circumstances.
Our breathing has a direct effect on both our blood pressure and heart rate — a concept known as cardiorespiratory coupling. Therefore, slow diaphragmatic breathwork practices, in particular, have profound calming effects not only on breathing efficiency but also on the cardiovascular function and autonomic functions of the nervous system. These processes work bidirectionally.
For example, if you were to breathe in and out heavily and quickly for 30 seconds, this would be followed by an increase in heart rate, dilated pupils, bronchial dilation — the classic fight or flight response. This shows how breath can affect our autonomic nervous system. On the flip side, the ANS can have a direct effect on breath — if you’re feeling anxious, you may notice your heart rate increase and breaths becoming more shallow.
In psychiatric research and in clinical practice, breathwork has been shown to diagnostically improve symptoms of a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression and trauma. This is precisely where the mindblowing power of breathwork lies. With common mental disorders (anxiety, depression, chronic stress) on the rise globally, we are in increasing need of non-pharmaceutical alternatives for treatment of symptoms. That said, the benefits of breathwork are clear for all, not merely those suffering from diagnosable mental ailments.
Let’s get the ball rolling:
The Techniques
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Dirga Pranayama) to Ease Yourself In
“Dirga” translated from Sanskrit means slow, deep, and complete. Dirga pranayama, also known as three-part breath or full breath, is a breathing exercise derived from yoga. The technique involves inhaling deeply into the three parts of the body — the belly, lower chest, and the upper chest, in sequence. The breath is then released slowly and evenly through all three areas. Practise the technique here.
Box Breathing (Sama Vritti Pranayama With Antara Kumbhaka and Bahya Kumbhaka) to Beat Stress and Refocus
Also known as four-square breathing, this technique involves exhaling to a count of four, holding your lungs empty for a four-count, inhaling at the same pace, and holding air in your lungs for a count of four before exhaling and restarting the same sequence. Practise the technique here.
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama) for Cardiovascular Health
Aside from the powerful calming benefits, a study published in Journal of Education and Health Promotion showed that participants with hypertension who practiced alternate nostril breathing twice daily (10 mins) for five days, saw a marked reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and reduced heart rate. Practise the technique here.
