What Is Breathwork & Why You Should Do It | MSMC

What if we told you that you can improve mental health, inner peace, & attain better overall wellness, just by focused breathing(within minutes). Too good to be true? Well, this article will let you in on the how & the benefits of breathwork techniques, & why(if you aren't doing it) you should be!
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What is Breathwork Practices

Breath work involves a conscious control of a breath that affects a person’s emotional and physical condition. Though we have just had our moment in sunshine, breathwork is an ancient practice(yeap, it's not new) used by many different cultures, & for thousands of years. One prime example that is commonly known for practicing breathwork is the yogis, & is referred to as pranayam. Breathing exercises are a key component for most kinds of therapy & fitness programs. In learning breath manipulation, a professional works on a synchronised breathing pattern to affect the autonomic nervous system(ANS). The ANS primarily performs involuntary tasks. In a stressed environment the sympathetic nervous system begins to activate & the heart rate increases.

Reduce Stress, Increase Alertness and Boost Your Immune System when you practice Breathwork

Various techniques were developed centuries ago but science is only beginning to prove its usefulness today. Several studies suggest box breathing can improve the symptoms of

• Depression
• Attention deficit disorder (ADHD)
• Post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)
• Chronic stress(stress relief)
• Lower blood pressure
• Chronic pain

Top Health Benefits

The health benefits of breathwork that people don't see coming apart from physical & mental health, is spiritual well being. This sets breathing exercises from other types of meditation, with the added breathing deeply to help improve:

• Blood flow
• Immune system
• Mental health
• Deep relaxation
• Vagus nerve
• Increase self awareness
• Carbon dioxide tolerance(stressor)

Tell me the different types of breathwork?

The breathwork technique includes many different kinds, ranging from fairly basic & simple to practise by yourself to others requiring an qualified instructor. Various deep breathing methods can be traced to yoga practices like Pranayama or breath & motion patterns of Kundalini yoga. Some breathing practices are based on religious beliefs like Buddhist beliefs, & meditation practices. Other breathwork practices, including Holotropic breathwork, involving accelerated deep breath & meditative music developed by Dr. Stanislov Grof & psychotherapist Dr. Christina Grof, are entirely secular & were developed to help people heal their minds. For the ones that have health conditions such as sleep apnea or any form of COPD(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) will be best to look for a trained Buteyko or Oxygen Advantage breath instructors.

• Holotropic breathwork
• Wim Hof
• Breathera Breathwork Techniques

They all give you the same benefits as most breathwork session work on putting some type of stress response & guiding you to relaxation at will. During Breathwork practice such as Breathera breathwork practice at the studio, we go through a range of breathing techniques so that you do a practise that covers all aspects of how the breath can help improve the quality of experiences. Which would help people with high blood pressure, improve your parasympathetic nervous system response, & conscious awareness of your whole being.

How does a breathwork session work?

The facilitator starts by increasing self awareness through various breath control & breathing technique to have an increased mind body connection, this is achieved by doing conscious breathing. Typically you will learn to practicing breathwork using diaphragmatic breathing technique, commonly known as belly breathing, improving blood circulation, enter a deep meditative practice or state of mind, & ultimately relaxation. Most times, you will be asked to practise nostril breathing, taking deep breaths, & even follow a pace to induce a stress response before cycling over to relaxation techniques.

Breathwork: The secret to emotional regulation

Breathing rate is so tied in to how we are feeling at the present moment. You can be relaxed, happy, sad, panicky, anxious, & the whole host of emotional roller coaster that can really bring you down some days. Since our breath is directly linked to the nervous system, it makes logic sense that we learn how to control our breath to better how we experience life. Some breathwork practices may also facilitate an emotional release as they go through an emotional purging to help heal emotional pain or past trauma. Breathwork is catching up in Singapore, & do you know that we are the only one in Singapore to offer this type of practise to help with a range of benefits. Come inhale fully with us, book your session below.