What is Breathwork?

Breathwork encompasses a variety of breathing exercises and techniques designed to improve respiratory function, reduce stress, and promote a sense of calm and well-being. It involves mindful, intentional breathing patterns that can help regulate the nervous system, increase oxygen intake, and facilitate a deeper mind-body connection.

Benefits of Breathwork

Physical Benefits

• Improved Lung Capacity: Regular practice can enhance lung function and increase oxygen intake.

• Stress Reduction: Deep, rhythmic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing stress hormones.

• Enhanced Immunity: Improved oxygenation and stress reduction contribute to a stronger immune system.

Mental Benefits

• Increased Focus: Mindful breathing can enhance concentration and mental clarity.

• Emotional Regulation: Breathwork helps manage anxiety and emotions, fostering a sense of inner peace.

• Better Sleep: Calming breath exercises before bed can improve sleep quality and duration.

Spiritual Benefits

• Mind-Body Connection: Breathwork bridges the gap between the physical and the spiritual, enhancing self-awareness and inner harmony.

• Energy Flow: In Ayurveda, prana (life force energy) is vital for health. Breathwork balances and enhances prana, promoting overall well-being.

Breathwork and Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, breathwork is known as Pranayama. It’s an integral part of daily routines (Dinacharya) aimed at balancing the doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) and enhancing prana. Different breathing techniques are recommended to balance specific doshas and support overall health. For example, calming techniques are ideal for Vata, cooling techniques for Pitta, and stimulating techniques for Kapha.

10-Minute Breathwork Routine

This simple routine can be done using the stopwatch on your phone. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit, and follow these steps:

1. Centering Breath (2 minutes)

• Duration: 2 minutes

• Technique: Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your belly. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Focus on the sensation of the breath entering and leaving your body.

• Purpose: This step centers and prepares you for deeper breathwork.

2. Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) (3 minutes)

• Duration: 3 minutes

• Technique: Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale deeply through your left nostril, then close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through your right nostril. Inhale through the right nostril, then switch and exhale through the left.

• Purpose: Balances the nervous system and promotes mental clarity.

3. Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath) (2 minutes)

• Duration: 2 minutes

• Technique: Take a deep inhale through your nose. Exhale forcefully through your nose, pulling your belly towards your spine with each exhale. Inhales are passive, focusing on strong exhales.

• Purpose: Energizes and detoxifies the body, stimulating digestion and circulation.

4. Bhramari (Bee Breath) (3 minutes)

• Duration: 3 minutes

• Technique: Inhale deeply through your nose. As you exhale, make a humming sound like a bee. Close your eyes and cover your ears with your fingers to enhance the vibration.

• Purpose: Calms the mind and reduces stress, promoting a sense of peace.

The Effect

The breathwork routine described affects the doshas in different ways depending on the technique used. Let's break down each technique and its impact on the doshas, and then assess the overall effect of the routine.

1. Centering Breath

• Impact on Doshas: This technique is generally neutral and balancing for all doshas. It calms the mind and prepares the body for more focused breathwork.

2. Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

• Impact on Doshas: Nadi Shodhana is balancing for all three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). It helps to calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and bring mental clarity. It's particularly beneficial for balancing Vata and Pitta.

3. Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath)

• Impact on Doshas: Kapalabhati is a heating practice that stimulates and energizes the body. It is excellent for reducing Kapha dosha due to its stimulating nature but should be practiced with caution by those with a dominant Pitta dosha as it can increase heat in the body.

4. Bhramari (Bee Breath)

• Impact on Doshas: Bhramari is cooling and calming, making it particularly beneficial for calming Pitta and Vata doshas. It reduces stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of peace and relaxation.

Overall Effect of the Routine

When looking at the routine as a whole:

• Cooling/Calming Techniques: Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari

• Heating/Stimulatory Techniques: Kapalabhati

• Neutral/Balancing Technique: Centering Breath

Overall, this routine combines both cooling and heating elements. The majority of the techniques (Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari) are cooling and calming, which help balance Vata and Pitta doshas by reducing stress and promoting mental clarity. Kapalabhati adds a heating element that stimulates and energizes, helping to balance Kapha dosha by promoting circulation and detoxification!

Is this all too much?

Just watch this graphic instead.

Inhale as the ball ascends the staircase, exhale as it glides back down.

If it is too fast, find a new rhythm. Example: wait for the ball to return to its position at the bottom before starting your exhale(: