What is Breathwork?
​
Breathwork is more than just deep breathing. It's a bridge between the body and mind, a practical and powerful way to influence your inner state. In a world that constantly pushes us into stress and disconnection, learning to work with your breath can bring you back into balance — physically, emotionally, and mentally.
​
Your Breath Is Always Talking to Your Body
​
We breathe between 23,000 to 26,000 times a day—and yet most of us do it unconsciously. But just because it’s automatic doesn’t mean it’s optimal.
When you're under chronic stress, your breath becomes shallow, fast, and mostly in the upper chest. This overuses the neck and shoulder muscles, reduces oxygen efficiency, and keeps your nervous system on high alert.
​
Over time, this dysfunctional pattern becomes automatic. You may not notice it—but your body does. Shallow breathing reinforces a state of tension, fatigue, anxiety, and even pain.
​
Breathwork helps you reset. By retraining your body to breathe in a slower, deeper, and more rhythmic way, you shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight and into a state of balance.
Learning how to breathe well isn’t just about feeling calm during a session—it’s about reprogramming your baseline. So you can respond to life with more clarity, steadiness, and resilience.
​
The Science of Breath​
Breath is one of the only body functions that is both automatic and under conscious control—which makes it a powerful tool for self-regulation.
​
How it works:
-
Nervous system regulation:
Inhalation activates the sympathetic nervous system (alertness), while exhalation stimulates the parasympathetic system (relaxation). The way you breathe determines whether your body is bracing for danger—or settling into calm. -
Heart rate variability (HRV):
Breathing rhythm influences HRV—a key indicator of resilience and stress recovery. Slow, steady breathing improves HRV and helps the body adapt more easily to daily stress. -
Blood chemistry and brain function:
Breathing controls the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. This affects blood pH, brain alertness, focus, and muscle function. Over-breathing (too much oxygen, too little COâ‚‚) can actually reduce oxygen delivery to cells. -
Digestive and immune support:
Diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, improving digestion, reducing inflammation, and enhancing immune function.
​
Breathwork and Emotional Health
​
Breathwork creates space for emotional healing by accessing the subconscious mind. Because it bypasses the thinking brain, it allows suppressed emotions to surface and be released.
Many people report a deep emotional release, clarity, or inner peace during and after sessions. With regular practice, breathwork helps you build emotional resilience. You learn to stay grounded in moments of stress and to meet your emotions without being consumed by them.
​
Whether you're looking to manage stress, gain emotional clarity, improve performance, or simply feel more grounded—your breath is always available to guide you.
This is more than a technique. It’s a lifelong tool for self-regulation, healing, and transformation.
And it starts with one conscious breath.​
Benefits of Breathwork
-
Reduces stress and anxiety
-
Improves focus and mental clarity
-
Increases energy levels and reduces fatigue
-
Enhances emotional regulation and resilience
-
Supports better sleep and relaxation
-
Boosts immune system function
-
Improves digestion
-
Deepens self-awareness and mind-body connection

3 Resources to Learn about Breathwork Benefits
Over the years, a lot of work has been done investigating the many powers of breathwork and how it can affect us. For additional learning, here are some studies that have explored the various benefits of breathwork:
​
1. The Use of Breathing Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic, Nonspecific Low Back Pain: This 2017 study explored diaphragmatic breathing as a method of rehabilitation for those experiencing low back pain. The results proved breathing exercises are effective in improving lung health, back pain, and quality of life.
​
2. The effect of movement-focused and breath-focused yoga practice on stress parameters and sustained attention: A randomized controlled pilot study: A 2018 study from Consciousness and Cognition on the impacts of movement-focused yoga and breath-focused yoga on stress levels. While both helped to reduce stress, breath-focused yoga, or Pranayama, was the only one that helped participants remove their attention from the stressor(s).
​
3. Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder with Iyengar Yoga and Coherent Breathing: A Randomized Controlled Dosing Study: This 2017 study from The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine explored the effects of Pranayama and breathwork on depressive mood. The results indicated that Pranayama is effective in significantly reducing symptoms of depression in participants.
Book a Free Zoom Consultation
Ready to experience the power of your breath?
Book a free consultation and take the first step toward living with intention.