What is Breathwork?
You might wonder why everybody is talking about breathing these days. All of us are doing it every day, all the time. What’s the big deal?
Your doctor has probably told you to improve your diet, exercise more and meditate in order to maintain optimal health.
All those measures are important and scientifically proven to be effective, but did your doctor ever ask how’s your breathing? Or maybe observe and measure your breathing rate as they would your heart rate?
We can survive days without food and water, months and even years without moving. Yet, we can only survive a few minutes without air! Time to pay more attention to this very essential aspect of our existence.
In recent years, modern scientists showed more interest in how we are breathing and the effects good or bad breathing habits have on our health and wellbeing.
Looking back to ancient civilizations, breathing has always been a vital part of maintaining good health, mentally, emotionally and physically.
In the center was always the understanding that the breath is our life energy, qi, prana. Without a well regulated flow of life energy, all other systems in our body are doomed to fail eventually.
This intuitive knowledge is put to the test by modern scientists. And surprisingly (or not really) they found proof. On a physiological level it matters how much oxygen, and even carbon dioxide, circulates in our body. It influences our blood pH and consequently all chemical processes in our cells. Which raises the question: Could the way we breathe be contributing to so many illnesses like depression, low immune response, obesity, diabetes and more?
Aside from the physical manifestations, poor breathing habits have a major impact on our emotional and mental wellbeing.
Think of it this way:
How do you breathe when you are in distress? Let's say someone cuts you off in traffic or you just avoided a collision? First, you hold your breath and then you start panting. This is a totally normal response of our Nervous System, called “Fight or Flight response”. Your heart rate is fast, your pupils are narrow, all the energy goes into your peripheral muscles and your digestive system shuts down. A healthy and necessary stress response of our sympathetic Nervous System, that should only last a short period of time. It's a very primal response.
The trouble starts when this response lasts days, weeks, months or even years. Our nervous system can’t distinguish between different stressors.
Running from a predator, like our ancestors, or dealing with deadlines, traffic, child care or relationship trouble is all the same to our nervous system. And the response is the same. See where this is going?
Symptoms of an unhealthy, unbalanced lifestyle can include . . .
High blood pressure
Digestive issues
Muscle tension
Headaches
Anxiety
The good news is that there is an antidote! It’s the other branch of our autonomic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system or “rest and digest”. Having a laid back afternoon with your significant other or spending time in nature triggers a completely different response: you’re exhaling, your breathing is deep and slow, your pupils widen, your heart rate slows down and your digestion is active. Unfortunately, many of us have forgotten how to relax and trigger our parasympathetic nervous system.
The really great news is that your breath is the key to bringing balance into your life and improving your health. Let us show you how you can tap into your innate ability to balance your nervous system response and therefore your ability to manage stress better and be healthier.
But this is not all!
What if we told you that through conscious integrative breathing exercises you can access your subconscious mind and release old trauma. By letting go of stored, unintegrated emotions you are finally free to live a more fulfilled and empowered life.
Whatever situation you're in or struggles you are facing, allow us to guide you step-by-step to be the best version of yourself.
True Balance is featured in The Weekly, Focus On Breathing Techniques To Improve Your Health, written by LaTina Emerson. The informative article discusses breathwork, a.k.a. easy-to-learn breathing techniques that can help you calm your body and mind, relieve stress and more.
Read the full article here or click the button below.
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