Breathwork – Breathing exercises for relaxation

Breathwork is a holistic practice that incorporates consciously controlled breathing techniques. The aim is to create a conscious connection between breathing and your inner well-being. By using different breathing techniques, you can influence your nervous system, improve oxygenation in the body and create calm and balance.

• So how does breathwork work?

  - When it comes to our breathing, it is intimately connected to our autonomic nervous system which regulates our body's response to stress or relaxation. When you are stressed, the so-called sympathetic nervous system takes over, causing our heart rate to increase, our muscles to tense and our breathing to become shallow and fast. It is usually called the "fight-or-flight" reaction and it is itself essential for survival, but when it becomes chronic it can instead lead to anxiety, fatigue and other health problems.

  - Breathing techniques such as breathwork are used to calm the sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. By slowing down, resting and deepening our breath, we send signals to the brain that it's safe to relax, which brings lots of benefits to your well-being.

There are a number of healthy benefits of breathwork – here are just a few of them:

• Reduced stress: Breathwork can effectively lower stress hormones such as cortisol, providing a sense of calm and well-being.

• Improved sleep: By regulating the nervous system, breathing work can help induce deeper sleep.

• Improved concentration: Slow, deep breaths can help calm the mind and improve attention span.

• Reduced pain: Breathwork can help manage pain by activating the body's natural pain-relieving mechanisms.

• Increased energy: Correct breathing can increase energy levels and improve your endurance.

• Improved emotional well-being: Breathwork can provide emotional regulation and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

• 4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale through the nose for four seconds, hold the breath for seven seconds, exhale through the mouth for eight seconds. Repeat several times.

• Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing: A technique that focuses on breathing with your diaphragm instead of just using your chest. Do this:

- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose so your stomach expands, hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale through your mouth as you relax your stomach.

- Benefits: Promotes relaxation, reduces tension in the neck and shoulders, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

• Square breathing (box breathing)

- Inhale: Visualize the left side of the square. Inhale slowly and deeply through the nose for 4 seconds. Feel your belly expand.

- Hold your breath: Visualize the upper side of the square. Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

- Exhale: Visualize the right side of the square. Exhale slowly and completely through the nose or mouth for 4 seconds. Feel your stomach tighten.

- Pause: Visualize the lower side of the square. Pause for 4 seconds before starting again.

• Deep breathing: This basic technique involves taking slow, deep breaths through your nose, filling your belly with air. Exhale slowly through the mouth or nose. Repeat for several minutes.

• Lion's Breath: Sit up straight and open your mouth wide. Exhale forcefully with a "ha" sound and stick out your tongue. Breathe in through your nose and repeat several times.

In the practice of yoga, you focus a lot on breathing during the different positions you perform and there are a variety of breathing exercises in yoga. We have mentioned several of these above, for example Ocean Breath, Nadi Shodhana (alternating nostril breathing) and classic deep breathing.

• Want to learn more yoga? - Check out our yoga articles with yoga for beginners and Yin Yoga exercises. Of course, you can also be inspired and find lots of stylish yoga clothes.