“Breathwork.” It’s possibly a new term to you, but what’s it about and how can you utilize it in your wellness plan?

Breathwork is a term that describes any kind of therapy which uses breathing exercises to improve your health, whether that be physical, spiritual, emotional or mental health. While breathwork techniques share some common principles and goals, many forms of breathwork are available to implement into your training regimen. Drawing from yoga and other fields while adding elements of psychotherapy.

Breathwork can include many things, such as breathing exercises, music, talk therapy, and more. Breathwork training may be done individually or in groups and should be led by a certified trainer.

Benefits of Breathwork Therapy

Proper breathwork training can aid in healing and help the practitioner in many beneficial ways. Some of the most common conditions treated by breathwork include anxiety, depression, anger, grief, recurring pain, PTSD, emotional issues, and more. In addition to treating these specific issues, breathwork contributes to overall improved health, healing, and wellness.

Common Breathwork Therapy

Breathwork therapy is a diverse field, including numerous approaches and practices. Four of the most popular forms of breathwork therapy include:

1. Holotropic Breathwork. This approach desires to achieve a wholeness of the complete person, in the mind, body, and spirit. Music and brief periods of bodywork combine to lead participants through breathing exercises while lying down, inducing altered states of consciousness. This type of breathwork training is typically conducted in a group setting, with participants sharing and discussing their experiences with one another at session’s end.

2. Rebirthing Breathwork. This approach is also referred to as Conscious Energy Breathing. This is built on the idea that all people carry forward trauma from their own birth experience. Rebirthing works to help practitioners let go of energy blockages stored inside themselves resulting from this suppressed trauma. Participants lie down while relaxing and breathing normally. Circular breathing is used to help inhibitions surface, allowing past trauma to be revealed. Deep relaxation then helps participants release this pent-up energy stemming from long-held subconscious issues.

3. Clarity Breathwork. This approach holds similar principles to Rebirthing, yet, it doesn’t focus only on birth trauma. It instead focuses on all issues hindering healthy energy flow and breath. This is based on the idea that most people don’t breathe to their full capacity, with its main goal being to teach participants to breathe fully. This, in turn, releases the emotional energy keeping them stuck. The therapy begins with detailed interviews about current struggles and past emotional baggage. 

4. Biodynamic Breathwork. Fully known as BioDynamic Breath and Trauma Release System, this approach includes six components to release tension, support natural healing, and restructure internal systems. These six components include breath, movement, sound, touch, emotion, and meditation. This approach acknowledges that trauma is stored in both psychological and physical ways through emotional patterns, chronic stress, and blocked energy. Biodynamic breathwork attempts to restore balance to these systems. Therapy includes exercises such as deep, connected breathing and revisiting ingrained memories and sensations. It might also include music or sound therapy, vocalization, whole-body shaking, and even dance therapy. 

Experience the Benefits of Breathwork Therapy for Yourself

F3 Wellness Connections can help you experience the benefits of breathwork therapy. Contact us today with questions or to schedule a session.