10 Health Benefits of Conscious Breathwork
By Bob Sima
We all want to be healthy, vibrant, disease and pain free. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easy, free, and always available source to draw from to help us accomplish that? We watch what we eat; we exercise; we take supplements; we practice yoga. As obvious as it sounds, have you ever considered that one of the keys to optimal health is right under your nose? Who would have thought that controlling the breath (both consciously and intentionally) and breathing optimally could actually improve your health? The yogis of ancient India knew this. When we were young we were all told to take a deep breath when we got upset. Well, why did we stop at one? We innately know that it calms us down, but did you know that you could actually affect your entire autonomic nervous system with the practice of conscious breathwork?
I invite you to experience this for yourself. Try this practical exercise, while listening to the song “Breathe.”
Blow all of the air out of your lungs, pushing and squeezing it out with your stomach muscles. Go much farther than you think you can. Keep pushing, pushing, pushing. When you have nothing – and I mean nothing – left:
* Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding the belly first (not the chest area) for a count of 4
* Hold the breath at the top of the inhale for a 7-count
* Release the breath through your mouth, slowly controlling the exhale for an 8-count
Realize that as this becomes a practice over time, this top 10 list of health benefits will start to materialize:
10 Health Benefits of Conscious Breathwork
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 1 – Reduce Anxiety
Most of us are in constant, low-grade stress and we tend to breathe shallow and quickly. Deep and conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which kicks off the natural relaxation response. This is the exact opposite of a stress response. Breathe slower, deeper, and more consciously to reduce anxiety.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 3 – Elevate Mood
Ancient Shamanistic and Pranayama teachers in India reached altered states of consciousness through breathwork. Through a practice of noticing and, thus, controlling your breathing, you can create a consistent elevated mood with deep, slow, and conscious breaths throughout your day.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 4 – Feed Healthy Cells
Cancer can’t live… where? The 1931 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Otto Warburg who discovered that cancer cells cannot thrive in a highly oxygenated environment. A preventative measure? Take deeper breaths.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 5 – Allow Your Skin to Breathe
The skin is in! Deep, slow, conscious breaths stimulate blood flow to the skin for a more radiant and natural glow.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 6 – Promote Digestion
A relaxed body supports proper organ function. We need healthy organ function to support our body’s unmanaged and systematic activities including digestion, elimination, and absorption.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 7 – Oxidative Stress
Deliberate breathing delivers more oxygen to your tissues. This increases the amount of oxygen in the body’s tissues and reduces the risk of hundreds of diseases.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 8 – Reduce Cravings
Deep, conscious breathing can avert the need for an outside substance. Next time you reach for the diet soda (or whatever your vice is!), take three conscious breaths and ask yourself if you really want the side effects from it. Feel the empowerment within yourself. Go from substances to substance.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 9 – Lower Blood Pressure
Long, slow, deep breaths fully oxygenate the heart muscle. This reduces heart rate and blood pressure.
Conscious Breathwork Benefit 10 – Sleep Sweetly
Deep, conscious breathing is known to stimulate the pineal gland, which is associated with sleep patterns. You may also notice more lucid dreaming.