For years, breathwork has been used not only as a way to energize, relax and destress but to also help with the various healing processes of the body. It’s a little hard to fully grasp it, but there is evidence of breathwork being used as a tool for recovery, especially for problems such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Just from reading the title, someone can assume that this is absolute hogwash and total quackery. However, this cannot be further from the truth.  Keep reading to learn more about breathing to healing.

In reality, breathwork has been used and recommended by doctors when it comes to illnesses like fibromyalgia and arthritis as breathing exercises can reduce the amount of pain felt. Doctors also recommend doing breathwork for patients who suffer from asthma, as it can increase the amount of oxygen intake into the body and promote the recovery of the lungs. Medical uses aside, breathwork also has been used for different forms of anxiety, depression, and even PTSD.

Breathing to Healing: Relaxation, Health, and Breathwork.

Superficially, breathing may look like you’re just changing up the way you inhale and exhale, and is more placebo than reality. However, this could not be further from the truth. In the case of breathing patterns, this is true, but in terms of function, there are more positives than there are negatives. 

First off, one of the major effects of breathwork on a person is their personality. One form of breathwork, known as re-birthing, is often used as a tool by some psychologists to help a person get over the trauma and clear up negative emotions. People who have experienced it describe the process as freeing and feel that they are lighter and have let go of emotional baggage that was weighing them down. Overall, it results in having a better mood and outlook, especially if that person found themselves in a stagnating period of their life.

The journey and experience of this process are tough and often vary from person to person. Though there are some detractors of re-birthing, the results speak for themselves as many have been able to overcome and recover from problems they saw as incurable. 

Psychological effects set aside, breathwork has seen wide use by physiotherapists, personal trainers, and athletes. Different breathing techniques can be used to ready the body for exertion. When used in conjunction with warmup exercises, breathwork, and breathing techniques can be used to not only warm up but also to cool down and relax after a hard workout. Breathwork is also used in physiotherapy due to how proper breathing techniques can affect a person’s perception of pain and also from the fact that it facilitates the release of endorphins which make said person feel good. 

Overall, breathwork is not just to find your center of balance – it is also there to help you with your workouts and any physical conditions. 

How Does Breathing Influence Health and Healing?

By and large, one’s health, whether emotional or physical, has an effect on how one heals. Many doctors and researchers have discussed the impacts of having a positive mindset and good emotional health on a person’s physical health. Some researchers say that people who are more optimistic tend to live longer and have better heart health. 

The effect of breathwork on health is immense too – not only does it help with different physical issues but mental ones too. On the physical side, breathwork has been used to help with things like chronic pain and lung diseases. There are different breathing techniques that can be used to promote healing within the body. One such thing is pain control and reduction. Physiotherapists often make use of breathwork and breathing techniques in order to teach patients to deal with and control their pain. 

Therapists recommend doing breathing exercises not just because it’ll reduce the sensation of pain but also because it will promote and improve the body’s own healing capabilities. When such breathing techniques are used, it floods the body with oxygen and starts the body’s self-healing process.

Breathing to Healing:

The concept of breathing to heal is not new, as it has been used for many years. However, this as a concept is relatively new when speaking in medical terms. There has been some research into how breathing techniques and breathwork can help to relieve pain and reenergize a person. It’s recommended for people who suffer from CFS, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and a number of chronic illnesses. 

Let’s go over a breathing technique that can not only help you to relieve pain but also clear your mind and even help you to improve your body’s healing ability.

Abdominal Breathing

This breathing technique is one of the most widely used techniques and is often recommended to beginners. With this technique, you oxygenate your blood. This sudden rush of oxygen into your bloodstream sends a message to your organs to work more efficiently and thereby increases the potential of your body’s healing system.

These are the steps to perform abdominal breathing.

• Seated, whether on the floor or a chair, place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
• Take in a deep breath through the nose. During this, make sure the hand on your abdomen rises higher than your chest. Finally, exhale through the mouth.
• Start again by taking in a deep breath through your mouth and count to 8 or 9 whilst inhaling.
• When you exhale, try to do it faster than you inhaled and contract your abdominal muscles to fully release the air. 

This should be practiced once or twice during your day. A wellness break within the chaos of a workday will improve your overall energy and mood.

Conclusion

The idea of breathing to heal isn’t new. However, this concept is still being explored in a medical sense. With promising research being conducted into the effects of breathwork on overall health, it is being used widely for both physical and mental healing.

You can also read: Best Books for Learning Yoga Breathing at Home