Our Favorite Types Of Breathwork And Their Benefits
Breathwork has amazing effects on our bodies! This is especially true when we are moving and staying active! It can stimulate the lymphatic system, decrease stress, lower blood pressure, reduce pain, and improve digestion… among many other benefits!
How does breathwork help our bodies?
Reduces Stress - focused breathing reduces stress and makes it so our bodies are not producing as much of the cortisol hormone … the hormone present in the fight or flight response.
Improves Digestion - if we are experiencing high levels of cortisol it can inhibit our digestion because our bodies use that energy that we would normally use for digestion. If we do diaphragmatic breathing exercises to reduce stress it will help improve gut health.
Reduces Blood Pressure - when we are responding to stress our nervous system can become over activated which further inhibits proper functioning and leads to high blood pressure. The act of slowing down and breathing will promote healthy functioning and can be found to reduce blood pressure.
Helps With Pain Relief - when engaged in deep breathing and breath techniques the body’s pain threshold increases and negative feelings happen. This allows for positivity and relaxation to occur!
“By taking longer breaths, we allow our lungs to soak up more in fewer breaths.”
Deep Belly Breathing
This type of breathing is great for relaxation and promoting a sense of calm! It includes a series of deep breaths where you can enjoy the calming vibes you just gave yourself!
Start by finding a tall seat or a comfortable place to lay down. We like to use props like a yoga mat, blankets, and bolsters to find the most supportive positioning.
Draw a deep breath in through the nose and concentrate all of the breath to the low belly. It might help placing the hands over the low belly as a gentle reminder that this is were the breath will travel.
Pause for a few seconds before exhaling completely through the mouth.
Repeat this for a few minutes or until you feel relaxed and calm.
The Three-Part Breath
This type of breathing is also a relaxation technique that can build focus, promote lung capacity, and reduce stress. Visualizing each area lighting up within the body and becoming filled with air can be a great way to further promote meditation!
It starts out with inhaling deeply into the chest and feeling a sense of fullness.
Then the focus shifts to the area near the lower ribcage where the ribcage will expand from your breath.
Finally, all of the breath is concentrated to the low abdomen. Pause, then follow with a deep and nourishing exhale.
Repeat for a few minutes until you feel more focused and less stressed.
Ocean Breath
A gentle constriction in the back of the throat creates a soft ocean-like sound in this type of breathing. It is often found throughout Yoga practice because of it’s long, drawn out, and controlled awareness. Give it a try!
Purse the back of the throat as if you were trying to fog up a window.
Take a deep and slow inhale through the nose.
Open the mouth and as you exhale you will hear the sound of the ocean.
Repeat as it feels right to you. Try this during your next Yoga class.
Breath Of Fire
Utilized to build heat within the body, the breath of fire has benefits such as increasing respiratory functioning and strengthening the abdominal muscles. To perform this type of breath you must take a smooth and passive inhale followed by a quick series of exhales that are accompanied by abdominal contraction.
Start in a kneeling or sitting position. Allow the deep inhale to feel easy.
Find a strong contraction in the abdomen (skip this part if pregnant).
Exhale quickly while maintaining the abdominal contraction. You can choose to leave the mouth closed or open.
Repeat until you feel a good sense of heat within your body.
Against The Wave Breathing
This type of breath, which is also called viloma breathing, incorporates short pauses to increase focus. By interrupting the breath and introducing a sense of control to the breathing, the body is able to invite in a sense of calm. This is excellent for cooling down after yoga, cycle, or any other physical activity!
Prop your hips up on a block, blanket, or bolster in a seated position.
As you inhale deeply in through the nose, take several pauses in the breath until you have completed a full inhalation.
As you exhale, take one long and smooth exhale or incorporate several more brief pauses in the breath as you exhale.
Repeat as much as you want until you feel focused.
We hope you find these breath practices as fun, relaxing, and peaceful as we do! We encourage you to try each one when the time is right for you, at home in your own time or during our Meditation, Yoga, HIIT and Flow, Boxing, HIGH FITNESS, Cycle, Sculpt, or Barre classes all available in person or on AC ON DEMAND!
Sending you so much love!!
-AC
“Add Positivity To The World!”