So here we are with the second part of the Breathwork series. But before I get into it I just wanted to share with you some feedback from a long standing patient.
My patient is an older lady and you’ll see that from her feedback, detailed below, that she has been using Breathwork for years, it has helped out through her lifetime and given her a fantastic quality of life:
Hi ****
That’s brilliant and so very true and it obviously stood you in good stead.
Would you mind if I used your words at the start of this weeks e mail? I’ll keep your name out of it, of course.
See you tomorrow.
Best regards.
David Hurley
Yes no problem anything to encourage people to consider the benefits of breathing correctly!! Regards ****
**** feedback:
I could not agree more. I was diagnosed with Bronchectasis at 16 and given breathing excersizes. Over the years I took up singing and found that my breathing training allowed me to be able to sing in choirs and chorus work in Grand Operas! We, the chorus, were the amateurs but had professionals from the major opera houses take the leads. I kept up with my singing till I reach my 70s. This was amazing as I was a very sickly child who missed lots of schooling. So keep up the training of breathing techniques.
So just from that fantastic, and gratefully received, feedback a “true live” incident of how Breathwork in action can contribute to transforming someone’s life.
TREATMENT PICTURE
So on with the good stuff, more of how Breathwork can really transform your life:
Helps manage depression:
Breathwork has also proven to be effective, when paired with other treatments, at helping people manage their depression. Its ability to alter one’s mood and help ground people in the present is incredibly helpful in working to improve emotional well-being and practice gratitude. Many advanced breathwork methods focus on healing, increasing oxygen intake and producing great recuperative hormones and chemicals. Further to this regular, structured and guided Breathwork can help control the destructive chemical release and minimise the affects of so many mental health conditions.
A 2016 study found that participants with severe depression saw improvement after practicing Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, which is structured around Pranayama Breathwork. The participants, in the study, had not been fully responding to their prescribed antidepressants, and they found that this type of activity was effective as an add-on for their treatment plans. The study concluded that there was enough evidence to support the idea that yogic breathwork techniques, like Pranayama, could be used to help manage symptoms of depression.
Increases muscle tone and sports performance:
Many professional athletes have turned to breathwork due to its ability to help increase muscle tone throughout the body, use oxygen and hormones more efficiently and decrease the amount of air that we have to breathe. It’s also a great way to focus on strengthening your diaphragm as a method of improving your breathing. Practicing breathing exercises regularly can help increase your strength all around, making physical activities – and breathing during them – easier to do.
In an article in 2021 it was explained that Breathwork’s impact on our blood is what helps to increase our muscle tone. When our blood is alkalized, it builds upon our sensory and motor neurons. This helps to smooth our muscle contractions and achieve more movement from the muscles throughout our body, with less effort. This will also revolutionise sports performance.
Continually huffing and puffing great gulps of air through our mouths “blocks up” the lungs and airways with dry air, further to this, the breathing becomes so quick that air travelling inwards never reaches the bottom of the lungs and the assimilation of oxygen almost stops. In high intensity sport or exercise learning controlled nasal breathing ensures a smoother flow of air, moist air delivered efficiently to the lungs for easy assimilation and then expelling all the bad stuff through the mouth.
Breathing like this for sport and exercise is a really great skill but needs to be taught in stages to ensure the correct technique.
Helps heal from trauma and manage PTSD:
Those looking to reflect on their past trauma or learn a new way to manage their PTSD will benefit greatly from practicing breathwork. Breathwork’s ability to help us relax makes it great for dealing with trauma triggers or highly stressful emotions as they arise. Many advanced breathwork methods can also be used as guided healing experiences. This makes them useful for those who want a mindful way to move forward with their lives.
A 2014 study found that Pranayama was successful in helping US veterans manage their PTSD symptoms. The results of the study showed that those who’d practiced this form of breathwork saw fewer symptoms and lower rates of distress and anxiety.
Improves digestion:
Those who struggle with digestion will also benefit from regular breathwork. If you’re dealing with digestive problems, including constipation, diarrhoea, IBS etc. Breathwork exercises can help. They relax you and improve your blood circulation enough to help improve all of your bodily functions. They’re effective whether your digestive issues are random or occur regularly and can help to manage intestinal flare up’s.
A major study in 2020 showed that Breathwork can help with the digestive process, as it increases the blood flow throughout your digestive tract. Also, since Breathwork helps to reduce stress, this allows your body to reduce your Cortisol levels. This, in turn, helps decrease your levels of gut inflammation (Back to Kefir again) and thereby reducing your stress and anxiety levels.
Helps to overcome addictions:
Breathwork has also become more common as a therapeutic tool for treating addiction, especially when paired with 12-step programs or other varieties of therapy. Breathing exercises and techniques are great at helping users achieve a sense of calm and focus that can help them fight cravings. Many say they achieve a great sense of control and self-awareness when practicing breathwork regularly.
A 2011 study published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction found that Holotropic Breathwork was successful in helping participants abstain from alcohol and other addictive substances. It was also helpful in helping the participants manage their depression, anxiety, and/or trauma associated with their addiction. The study notes that it is not the only one to validate the success of Holotropic Breathwork for treating addiction, especially when combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy, 12-step programs, and other methods of treatment.
Improves focus:
Those who struggle with their level of focus have also turned to Breathwork. Practicing breathing techniques when you’re struggling to pay attention can help increase your attention span. It can also calm any emotions that are distracting you the most.
In 2018, Trinity College Dublin, reported that mindfulness exercises like Breathwork were effective in helping improve the attention spans of those with poor focus. Research showed that there was a correlation between the level of focus and the quality of one’s breathing, so Breathwork could be used to help those struggling make this improvement. This is because breathing impacts the chemical messenger Noradrenaline, which plays a role in how our brain perceives our work and how well we can give it our attention.
Breathwork really is life transforming, Breathwork 1 is available to read as one of my other Blogs and next time Breathwork 3 will start to explain the "how do I do this"
Don't forget, if you'd like to book in for Treatment, Breathwork Classes or to talk about the supply of Kefir just ring - 07803 255643
Many thanks for reading.
David
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