If you’ve got your finger on the pulse of the wellness world, then you’ve likely noticed the growing buzz around breathwork. In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining mental and emotional balance can feel like an impossible feat. Juggling worth, relationships, and personal health can leave you feeling stressed, anxious, and disconnected.
But what if we told you there was a simple, accessible tool you could use to manage those challenges anytime, anywhere?
There is, and it’s breathwork. This powerful practice has the potential to transform your entire well-being, both in the immediate and in the long-term. To better understand this tool and how to implement it in your life, read on for our breathwork guide.
Enhance your Clean 21 experience with the January Community Reset, featuring a 3-month membership to the Othership Breathwork App. Access expert-led breathwork sessions designed to ease stress, balance emotions, and deepen your mind-body reset. Join the Reset today.
The Power of Breathwork: Why It Matters
While most traditional mindfulness practices focus primarily on observing your thoughts and emotions, breathwork is different. On the surface, it may seem like breathwork is just taking a few deep breaths. But it’s far more than that — breathwork is a conscious approach to controlling your inhales and exhales for specific wellness benefits.
Breathing techniques actively influence your nervous system and stress response, opening you up to greater mental clarity and overall health. Here’s how it works.
Research shows that specific breathing patterns can trigger the activation of your parasympathetic nervous system. This, as a result, boosts relaxation and lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), while boosting feelings of calm and clarity.
The best part about breathwork? It’s for everyone, regardless of age or experience. And you can teach it to yourself. Whether you’re a beginner looking for quick in-the-moment stress relief or a seasoned practitioner looking to deepen your practice, there is a breathwork technique waiting for you to experience and reap the benefits of.
Explore Foundational Breathwork Techniques
Deep Breathing Exercises
At the root of any breathwork practice lies deep breathing techniques. These exercises engage your diaphragm, which allows you to take in oxygen more deeply and efficiently.
Here are two popular deep breathing techniques to try:
Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Start by lying comfortably on your back with knees bent or sitting in a chair with feet flat on the floor.
- Put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, and feel your belly rise, while your chest remains mostly still.
- Exhale slowly through pursed lips, feeling your belly return to normal.
- Repeat steps 2-4 for 5-10 minutes.
Box Breathing
- Sit comfortably with your eyes closed or gaze turned down.
- Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four.
- Hold your breath at the top for a count of four.
- Exhale slowly through pursed lips for a count of four.
- Hold your breath at the bottom (after exhaling for a count of four.
- Repeat steps 2-5 for 5-10 minutes.
Breathwork Techniques For Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people turn to breathwork. Techniques such as the 4-7-8 technique offer a powerful way to calm your mind and body in the height of an anxious moment.
Here’s how to do one of the most popular breathing techniques for anxiety:
4-7-8 Breathing
- Find a comfortable seated position, with feet flat on the floor.
- Put the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, emptying out.
- Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of four.
- Hold your breath at the top for a count of seven.
- Exhale completely through your mouth for a count of eight.
- Repeat steps 2-6 for 4-8 rounds.
Breathwork is not only great for immediate anxiety relief, but also for building resilience in the long-term so that you’re able to approach anxious situations with greater mental clarity.
Holistic Practices
Though rightfully lauded for its ability to aid in times of anxiety, breathwork offers a wide variety of holistic practices for general wellness. Here are some gentle practices that are ideal for everyday use.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
This technique balances your nervous system and promotes relaxation.
- Find a comfortable place to sit or lie.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
- Use the thumb of your right hand to close your right nostril.
- Slowly inhale through your left nostril.
- At the top of the breath, close your left nostril with your ring finger, and take your right thumb off your right nostril.
- Slowly exhale through your right nostril.
- At the bottom of the breath, slowly inhale through your right nostril, while keeping your left nostril closed with your ring finger.
- At the top of the breath, close your right nostril with your thumb.
- Slowly exhale through your left nostril.
- This is one cycle. Repeat steps 3-9 process for 5-10 minutes
Rhythmic Breathing
This type of breathing involves coordinating your breath with a specific movement or rhythm. This breathing technique can boost focus, mindfulness, and energy.
- Choose a gentle activity like walking, stretching, or yoga.
- As you inhale, take a step or a deep breath.
- As you exhale, release any tension you’re holding in your body and return to your starting position.
- Continue this pattern of rhythmic breathing for 5-10 minutes.
Integrating Breathwork Into Daily Life
One of the greatest things about breathwork is its versatility. It’s easy to integrate breathing practices seamlessly into your daily routine. Here are some ideas to try today:
-
Morning Routine: Start your day with a few minutes of deep breathing to create a calm and focused tone you can carry with you throughout the day.
-
Evening Wind-Down: Before bed, incorporate calming breathwork techniques to help slow your body down, boost melatonin production, and prep it for a good night’s sleep.
Tools to Enhance Your Breathwork Practice
If you’re looking to take your breathwork practice to the next level, there is no shortage of tools out there to help.
-
Apps and Guided Videos: Technology has made great waves in the world of breathwork. There are numerous apps and online resources that offer guided breathwork sessions for all ages and levels of experience.
-
Stress-Relief Tools: To go even deeper into your practice of stress-relief, try adding calming music, a meditation timer to track your sessions, or noise-canceling headphones.
-
Personalized Guidance: You may want to consider seeking out personalized guidance from a breathwork instructor or joining a breathwork group. Both of these options provide instruction that’s more tailored to your specific goals. They also have the added bonus of offering a sense of community with like-minded people.
Benefits Beyond the Breath
Breathwork can be a great standalone practice, but when paired with others, the benefits magnify. This practice complements other wellness modalities like yoga, meditation, and regular exercise to boost your overall wellness to new heights.
Together, these activities can improve your focus, sleep quality, your immune system, and more.
While breathwork presents immediate advantages such as stress and anxiety relief, the long-term benefits are even greater.
Over time, regular breathwork practice can cultivate emotional resilience, foster self-awareness, and deepen your focus and connection to the present moment. The tool of breathwork is one that can help you navigate life’s challenges with greater hope, peace, and ease.
Breathwork is a simple yet powerful practice that’s accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere. The key for beginners? Start small and be consistent. As you deepen your practice and incorporate it into your life on a regular basis, you’ll unlock the transformative potential of your breath and its lasting results.
Ready to begin your breathwork journey? Join our January Reset with Othership and experience the benefits of breathwork firsthand.
Written by Leslie K. Hughes
![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 525.5 525.5"><path d="M381.3 247.3c.3-1.2 1.2-3.4 3.4-4.2l2.5-.9c.5-.2.8-.5.9-1l3.8-16.2c.1-.4 0-.8-.2-1.1-.2-.3-.6-.5-1-.6-61.1-8.3-93.8-.3-113.3 4.6-6.4 1.6-11.1 2.7-14.6 2.7s-8.2-1.1-14.6-2.7c-19.5-4.8-52.2-12.9-113.3-4.6-.4.1-.8.3-1 .6-.2.3-.3.7-.2 1.1l3.8 16.2c.1.5.5.9.9 1l2.5.9c2.2.8 3.1 3 3.4 4.2.4 1.4.7 3 1.1 4.6 1.8 7.6 4 17 7.9 25.9-7.6 8.2-13.4 15.3-16.2 18.9-.5.7-.8 1.5-.7 2.4.1.8.5 1.5 1 2 .5.7 1.9 2.6 4.6 3.4 2.4.7 4.6 1 6.6 1 7.8 0 13.4-4.7 17.5-9.4 6.7 5.9 15.6 9.7 27.8 9.7 43.9 0 52.1-24.5 57.5-40.7 3.3-9.8 5.4-15.3 11.4-15.3 6.1 0 8.3 5.6 11.6 15.4 5.4 16.1 13.5 40.6 57.4 40.6 12.4 0 21.4-4 28.2-10.1 4.2 4.8 9.8 9.8 17.8 9.8 2 0 4.2-.3 6.6-1.1 2.6-.8 4.1-2.7 4.6-3.4.6-.5.9-1.2 1-2 .1-.9-.1-1.7-.7-2.4-2.9-3.7-8.9-11-16.7-19.4 3.8-8.7 6-18 7.7-25.4.3-1.5.7-3 1-4.5zm-238.6 54.5c-2.1-.6-3.1-2.3-3.1-2.3-.1-.2-.2-.3-.4-.4-.1-.1-.1-.2-.1-.2 0-.1 0-.2.1-.3 2.7-3.4 8.2-10.1 15.3-17.9 2.5 4.9 5.5 9.6 9.4 13.5-6.9 7.9-13.1 10.1-21.2 7.6zm244.3-3.3c.1.1.1.2.1.3 0 .1 0 .2-.1.2l-.4.4s-1 1.7-3.1 2.3c-8.2 2.5-14.5.2-21.6-8 3.9-4 6.9-8.7 9.3-13.7 7.4 8.1 13 15 15.8 18.5zm-9.5-47.2c-4.8 20.6-12.1 51.7-45.8 51.7-41.8 0-49.2-22.3-54.7-38.6-3.1-9.3-5.8-17.4-14.3-17.4-8.3 0-11 8-14.1 17.3-5.5 16.3-12.9 38.7-54.8 38.7-33.7 0-41-31.1-45.8-51.7-.4-1.7-.8-3.2-1.1-4.7-.8-3.1-2.6-5.3-5.2-6.2l-1.7-.6-3.2-14c59.5-7.9 91.5 0 110.7 4.7 6.6 1.6 11.4 2.8 15.3 2.8s8.7-1.2 15.3-2.8c19.2-4.7 51.2-12.6 110.7-4.7l-3.2 14-1.7.6c-2.5.9-4.4 3.2-5.2 6.2-.5 1.5-.8 3.1-1.2 4.7z"/><path d="M383.9 232c0-4.1-13.7-4.1-13.7 0 0 2 3.4 3.1 6.8 3.1 3.5 0 6.9-1 6.9-3.1zm-6.8 1.7c-3.4 0-5.4-1.1-5.4-1.7s2.1-1.7 5.4-1.7c3.4 0 5.4 1.1 5.4 1.7s-2.1 1.7-5.4 1.7zM141.8 232c0 2 3.4 3.1 6.8 3.1s6.8-1.1 6.8-3.1c.1-4-13.6-4-13.6 0zm6.8 1.7c-3.4 0-5.4-1.1-5.4-1.7s2.1-1.7 5.4-1.7 5.4 1.1 5.4 1.7-2 1.7-5.4 1.7zM356 227.6c-7.9-2-36.2-7.4-68 5.5-5.7 2.3-9.4 8-9.1 14.1.9 22.6 7 52.6 48.7 52.6 12.9 0 23.1-3.8 30.2-11.4 11.3-12.1 12.7-30.8 11.8-44.5-.6-7.9-6-14.4-13.6-16.3zm-67.5 6.8c15.7-6.4 30.5-8.2 42.4-8.2 11.9 0 20.8 1.8 24.7 2.8 5.3 1.3 9.4 5.1 11.4 10h-.1c-.1 0-14.3 1.7-36.4 3.5-9 .7-20.2 1.6-32.9 2.2h-.8c-.1 0-.2 0-.3.1-5 .3-10.2.5-15.6.7-.2 0-.3.1-.5.1.4-5.1 3.5-9.4 8.1-11.2zm39.1 64c-39.9 0-46.2-28.5-47.2-50.4.2.1.3.1.5.1 5.8-.2 11.4-.4 16.7-.7 28.4.1 40.9 18.3 51.9 34.4 1.6 2.4 3.2 4.7 4.8 6.9.2.2.4.4.7.5-6.8 6.1-15.9 9.2-27.4 9.2zm29.2-11.1c0-.1-.1-.3-.2-.4-1.6-2.2-3.1-4.4-4.7-6.8-8.8-12.9-19.4-28.3-39.2-33.7 6.5-.4 12.4-.9 17.6-1.3 10.4 5.8 21.4 14.7 33.6 27.3.3.3.6.4 1 .4h.1c-1.8 5.4-4.4 10.4-8.2 14.5zm9-17c-11-11.2-21.1-19.6-30.6-25.5 19.5-1.6 31.9-3.1 32-3.1.2 0 .4-.1.5-.2.2.8.3 1.6.3 2.5.5 6.7.5 16.7-2.2 26.3zM238 233c-31.7-12.9-60-7.5-68-5.5-7.6 1.9-13.1 8.5-13.6 16.4-.9 13.6.5 32.4 11.8 44.5 7.1 7.6 17.3 11.4 30.2 11.4 41.7 0 47.8-30 48.7-52.6.3-6.2-3.4-11.8-9.1-14.2zm-67.6-4.1c7.7-1.9 34.9-7.2 65.7 4.9-8 .9-14.7 1.5-22.6 2.2-5.5.5-11.6 2.6-18.3 6.3-21.8-1.7-35.8-3.4-36-3.4h-.3c2.1-4.9 6.2-8.6 11.5-10zM157.9 244c.1-.9.2-1.8.4-2.6.2.2.4.3.7.3.1 0 12.5 1.5 32 3.1-9.6 6-19.7 14.4-30.7 25.7-2.8-9.7-2.8-19.8-2.4-26.5zm40.5 54.4c-11.5 0-20.6-3.1-27.4-9.2.3-.1.6-.2.8-.5 1.5-2.1 3-4.2 4.6-6.5 11.4-16.5 24.3-35.1 55.1-34 5.1.2 8.8.3 13.6.3.2 0 .3 0 .4-.1-.9 21.9-7.3 50-47.1 50zm46.8-52.7c-4.8 0-8.4-.1-13.5-.3-32.4-1.3-46.4 19-57.6 35.2-1.6 2.3-3 4.4-4.5 6.4-.1.2-.2.3-.2.5-3.9-4.2-6.5-9.2-8.3-14.5h.3c.4 0 .7-.1 1-.4 12.3-12.6 23.4-21.6 34-27.5 6.5-3.6 12.4-5.7 17.6-6.2 8.5-.7 15.7-1.5 24.7-2.4.5-.1 1-.4 1.2-.9 3.5 2.3 5.7 6.1 6 10.2-.4-.1-.5-.1-.7-.1z"/></svg>)
