How to Use Breath to Facilitate Healing, Peak/Flow States, Spiritual Experiences, Optimise Performance and More!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard many new age health gurus and performance experts alike espousing the virtue of breathwork by now, but, why? What is breathwork, how can it help, and why are so many people jumping on the bandwagon?

What you may not know is that there are a diverse range of techniques which all promote unique potential benefits including optimising human performance, psychological and physical healing, accessing peak states and transcendental experiences and reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety, but, each style has its unique benefits and contraindications you should be aware of before assuming they’re all created equal. In this article you’ll learn the differences between various types of breathwork as well as how to leverage them to improve your wellbeing..

Breathwork is certainly not new, though we are seeing contemporary science validating it’s supported applications with ongoing studies. Many ancient lived cultures practice breath as a means to bring about altered states of consciousness, healing or spiritual awakening, You probably already know that  It’s a cornerstone of Indian Yogic tradition, and Eastern Tai Chi and Qi Gong, but ancient Egyptian and Babylonian texts also reference breath as a vital force. In Egyptian mythology, the breath of life was associated with spiritual awakening and transformation. Similarly The Native American tradition of "breath of life" ceremonies  emphasize the sacredness of breath and its connection to life force.

We could loosely break therapeutic breathwork techniques into two forms, breathing more and breathing less.

Breathing Less: A lot of modern breathwork for performance emphasises the need to retrain the body to breathe less as an everyday practice, because chronic over-breathing is a prevalent issue in modern society. Unfortunately over-breathing and mouth breathing are damaging for your health, impacting respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive, immune and digestive systems as well as oral, dental and mental health.It is estimated our ancestors breathed 8-12 breaths per minute but we breathe around 14-20. Over breathing is also generally a telltale sign of anxiety, distress or illness. It can also be a product of modern western states like subsisting on a modern acid forming diet. You have probably observed that when an animal is in distress or sick one of the first things you’ll notice is that their breathing increases, we are prone to this over-breathing phenomena as well. Over-breathing increases anxiety because it signals to the autonomic nervous system that you are in danger, the increased anxiety also prompts you to breathe faster, creating a negative feedback loop that leads to worse mental health outcomes.

Breathing More: Conversely many breathwork styles like Holotropic or Circular Breathing which focus on facilitating healing or peak experiences rely on short sessions of rapid breathing (Hyper-ventilation/Super-ventilation.) Through hyperventilation and reduction of Co2 and O2 to the cells, participants induce what is known as “Transient Hypofrontality” meaning that the prefrontal cortex is suppressed, suppressing critical thinking and the default Mode Network (responsible for ego/self identity.) This style of breathwork is used to access emotional catharsis, get beyond the psyche or ego toward wholeness and is associated with psychedelic or spiritual experiences. It can also be a support for people experiencing freeze (or dorsal/vagal shutdown) because it escalates the nervous system back to fight or flight to complete the stress response and return to neutral. Many proponents report having profound and healing experiences with super-ventilation practices. If you are choosing to practice this style of breathwork though you are well advised to note the contraindications and balance it out by also focussing on retraining the breathing to tolerate CO2 and breathe less.

Let’s explore some popular types of breathwork along with their therapeutic applications:

Pranayama: Originating from ancient yogic practices, pranayama involves controlled breathing techniques to regulate prana (life force energy.) There are a diverse range of Yogic Breathing practices each with unique benefits and contraindications though many are used to calm the mind, reduce stress, regulate the sympathetic Nervous System (leading to healing), and improve concentration.

For example there are various Pranayama techniques like:

• Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing (used for concentration, clarity of thought)

• Kapalabhati or skull-shining breath (used for toning the digestive system, supporting respiratory health and arresting thought.)

  
  

 Buteyko Breathing Method: Developed to address respiratory issues like asthma and allergies, by Russian Physiologist Konstantine Buteyko in the 1950's the method focuses on nasal breathing and reducing over-breathing to optimise oxygenation and CO2 balance. Techniques like "intermittent hypoxic training" involve deliberate breath holds to improve oxygen utilisation and tolerance to CO2 buildup. During a breath hold Nitric oxide is produced in the nasal cavities (a vasodilator) which improves oxygen delivery. This can enhance endurance and aerobic capacity and has applications for optimising performance. Breathing through the nose promotes proper tongue posture against the roof of the mouth and encourages the lips to stay closed. This natural alignment can contribute to healthier dental and oral development, potentially reducing issues like malocclusion and related dental problems. It also improves sleep, helps maintain optimal carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the body, regulates blood pH, supports efficient oxygen transport to tissues, promotes diaphragmatic breathing and improves oxygenation. Nasal breathing also supports treatment of depression symptoms by reducing hyperventilation which reduces anxiety, promoting alpha and theta brainwaves, improving sleep, optimising oxygenation and producing Nitric Oxide which modulates neuro-transmitters in the brain like Dopamine and Serotonin, having an anti-depressant effect. 

Box Breathing: Also known as square breathing, this technique is taught and utelised by Navy Seals (and these guys don’t stuff around with methods that aren't effective...) This involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding the breath in equal counts (e.g., 4-4-4-4). It's used for stress reduction, improving focus, and promoting relaxation. A great practice for accessing calm in high stress, high consequence scenarios. 

Coherent Breathing:  A core practice for calming and retraining the breath, and widely impactful and well tolerated. In coherent breathing, the inhale and exhale are of equal duration, typically around 5-6 breaths per minute, through the nose. This rhythmic breathing pattern helps regulate the autonomic nervous system (responsible for fight/flight and rest/digest functions) to reduce stress. Most people can use this without supervision any time. This practice is effective because often (and particularly when we are in distress) if we allow our breath to be an unconscious function of the autonomic nervous system we don’t breathe low into the ribs or slowly enough. Coherent breathing is a brilliant practice to come to several times a day. Just focus on your breath, slow it down and breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of four. Repeat for five minutes. You may wish to raise your tolerance to a longer count such as in and out for six.

Holotropic Breathwork: Developed by Psychiatrist Dr. Stanislav Grof, Holotropic breathwork combines rapid and deep breathing (hyperventilation) with evocative music to induce altered states of consciousness. It's used for self-exploration, emotional healing, and accessing deep insights. It is said to make unconscious issues stored in the body conscious for healing and integration, due to the fact that the prevalent mental narratives and ego are suppressed due to restricing O2 to the brain centres responsible for these functions. In this state we may finally experience release the legacy of negative events stored in our body below conscious awareness. Many people report having new awareness, emotional release or what might be termed “spiritual experiences” such as ancestral healing or having potent insights through Holotropic breath because this breath technique also leverages natural release of DMT  the "spirit molecule" produced at birth, death and when dreaming. Holotropic breath should only be practised with supervision of a trained facilitator. You can learn more or book to attend one of my Breathwork events here. 

Wim Hof Method: Named after Wim Hof, this method involves a combination of specific breathing techniques, (mainly hyperventilation, as with Holotropic) cold exposure (like ice baths) and meditation. It's claimed to enhance the immune system, increase energy levels, and reduce stress. It is considered to optimise performance because of the reported benefits to the immune system, reducing inflammation, improving concentration and mental resilience.

Many practitioners and researchers have found that breathing practices can positively impact various physiological systems, such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems, leading to better overall health and well-being. If you're interested in exploring these techniques further, consider seeking guidance from a certified breath facilitator for a personalised and enriching experience. Seek Medical advice before commencing any practice. 

*There are several contraindications for Holotropic or Superventilation breath practice to familiarise yourself with before considering what style of breathwork is right for you, please read below.

I hope you enjoy leveraging this information to live your most extraordinary life. 

E xx

*Each technique is unique and some are considered lower risk than others. Some common Contraindications for Breathwork Practices like Superventilation and Pranayama may include but are not limited to: Pregnancy, Epilepsy or history of seizures, Uncontrolled thyroid conditions, Diabetes, Ocular Issues: (detached retina/glaucoma laser eye surgery in past month) Cardiovascular Disease/Irregularity/pace-maker, Unmedicated high/low blood pressure, Osteoporosis, Aneurysms, Stroke, Blood Thinning or Anti-Clot Medication, Bipolar/Schizophrenia, Skeletal Fractures, Complex PTSD, Strong doses of antidepressants, anti- anxiety, or mind altering medication, psychological or psychiatric conditions, including psychosis, brain injury/surgery/severe head injury/concussion, photosensitive medication, recreational/psychoactive drug use 24 hours before, health issues requiring treatment (active depression) Ask a qualified health professional if you have any questions about your capacity to safely undertake any practice.

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