For as long as we humans have lived, we have dreamed of becoming Super-Human! Think of the legend of Icarus and how he managed to fly. Now, with Breathwork Techniques, we truly can.
The roots of many of these practices are in India. Pranayama is the ancient science of Breath that controls the movement of our prana, or life force, that the Chinese call qi. They use breathing techniques that expand our seed vibration and connect us more closely with the whole universe.
Don’t be put off by the strange words or cryptic concepts. I can assure you from personal experience, that exploring Breathwork can change your life. In simple terms, Pranayama is energy management. The ancient yogis found a way to manipulate their energy at will. And those very same tools are so good that they still work perfectly today!
Inspired by the ancient techniques of Pranayama, the first Breathwork Techniques were developed by the pioneer Austrian doctor and psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich at the beginning of the 20th Century and later became more and more popular. He also wrote a fabulous book on the Magic Muscle – the Psoas!
While we all clearly understand the importance of breathing in terms of continuing life (!), often we forget how important the actual process of breathing is and how it can dramatically affect our well-being. Just like an old closet that we don’t use anymore, we don’t really pay attention, even though it’s always there. However, this particular overlooked closet hides many beautiful, friendly blankets that can keep us warm during the coldest winter; much luxurious silk that makes everything feel soft and smooth; and the ancient, memories of glorious times gone by.
Nevertheless, most people still don’t breathe correctly: it’s often short or inconsistent, locked down by stress or anxiety.
Learning how to breath properly, deeply, is possibly one of the hardest yet most transformative forms of liberation. Ever taken a deep breath after a long day or when you felt de-energised? Breath techniques can support you in numerous ways.
The benefits of Breathwork are so incredible! Science shows a regular practice can:
1. Support energy levels (Angelo, 2012)
2. Increase concentration (Brulè, 2017)
3. Boost immunity (Collinge et al., 2001)
4. Fight addictions (Eischens, 2018)
5. Reduce depression and anxiety (Foulkrod et al., 2016)
6. Heal emotional pain and release trauma (Bray, 2018)
7. Fix broken relationships (Chow et al., 2008)
Modern Breathwork Techniques include: Transformational Breath (which promotes energetic renovation, while balancing emotions and energies), Holotropic Breathwork (designed to deal with emotional coping and personal growth) and Rebirthing (intended to release emotional and energy blocks).
To begin integrating these tools into daily life, keep reading! Here are two classic Pranayama exercises – with a cool surprise - that are absolutely my favourites.
Square Breathing – Sama Vritti Pranayama
This breath technique is extraordinarily simple and yet profoundly effective at the same time. It’s a great help in keeping stress and anxiety under control.
Sama means ‘equal’, and the aim of this exercise is to achieve uniformity in the duration of all the four phases of the breath – the inhalation, internal retention, exhalation, external retention. And as a consequence, achieve calmness and uniformity in your mind
The Technique
Sit in a comfortable position with eyes closed. Notice the quality of your breath.
Begin by equalising the duration of the inhalation and the exhalation. Breathe in with a count of 4 and breathe out with a count 4. Keep a soft and smooth rhythm.
Then begin to breath in with a count of 4, hold the breath in for 4, breathe out with a count 4 and hold the breath out for 4. Repeat again, keeping a soft and smooth rhythm. Try to make your breath perfectly even or ‘square’. If to begin you’re struggling to keep the ratio uniform, don’t worry about it, it’s perfectly normal. Just go gentle and steady.
Once you managed to keep a precise and equal ratio for all the phases, you can increase the duration to 5, 6 and so on. Proceed only if you can keep an even ratio through all the breathing progression.
Use this tool anytime you feel overwhelmed and agitated, even if you’re struggling to sleep. As it’s basically the yogic version of counting sheep, it’ll send you off in no time,!
Breath of Fire - Kapalabhati
This exercise means literally “cleaning the skull” and has many different benefits:
- Energizes the body: try it when you’re tired, you’ll be surprised!
- Releases toxins: it gets rid of a lot of the dirty stuff we don't want to deal with in our physical system
- Oxygenates our brain, improving our clarity, our concentration and even our brain balance
- Sends a strong signal to strengthen our nervous system
- Helps us release our psoas muscle, the key ‘Magic Muscle’ that stores stress and trauma
And here’s your surprise… I consider this technique so fundamental that, to make things easier, I’m sharing my Breath of Fire video with you! [CLICK HERE - BREATH OF FIRE]
Enjoy your transformation, one breath at the time!
Andrew
