Breathwork is a more advanced type of mindful meditation that incorporates different breathing techniques that draw your focus into this one action. It promotes physical relaxation through monitored breathing, as well as reduces stress and anxiety. If you’ve mastered mediation, breathwork is a great thing to incorporate into your daily meditation routine as it can make you feel more focused and energised. Breathwork has also been known to enrich creativity, so is a great tool for both work and home life.
Breathing techniques may even be easier to work into your everyday routine as they require less of a controlled, quiet environment. All you really need is to know how to breathe (easy!), and a decent amount of focus. Here are two of the main types of breathwork you can try out:
Diaphragmatic breathing in its most basic form is breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. It has been linked to deeper relaxation and stress relief, and even lowering blood pressure. Also known as belly breathing, its main purpose is to strengthen your diaphragm muscle. To do this, all you need is to sit in a relaxed position, you may even want to lay down if possible. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach, and breathe in through your nose until you can’t anymore, make sure this isn’t strained. Then, exhale for about 4 seconds through pursed lips, and notice how your stomach contracts. Repeat several times for the best results.
Box breathing is another super easy one. It’s all about counting in sets of 4. For box breathing, make sure you’re seated in a chair, with active posture and feet flat on the floor. Let your hands rest on your lap with your palms facing upwards. First, exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds, make sure your mind isn’t wandering and you remain focused on the intent of what you’re doing. Then, inhale for 4 slow seconds through your nose, making sure you count it in your head. Hold for 4 seconds, and then repeat the process until you feel ready to stop.
These exercises may take some time to get used to as they involve a lot of discipline. Because restricted breathing is involved, you may feel light-headed to begin with, particularly with the box breathing method, so just make sure you’re aware of your limits and if you need to stop to take a breather (literally) then do so. Good luck!