What if the secret to success and happiness was as simple as breathing?
It would seem crazy to think that something we do day in and day out without much thought at all could be life changing. But, learning to control our breath means that we control our mind.
When we are calm in situations, we can clearly see them and react appropriately. How many things are we blowing out of proportion every day simply because we are stuck in fight or flight mode due to the immense stress the world puts on us?
Want to learn how to calm your inner voice? Somatic breathwork may hold the answers you are looking for and may even uncover some you didn’t know you had.
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What is Somatic Breathwork?
Somatic breathwork is the intentional manipulation of your breathing pattern to achieve a desired result. During these sessions, relaxation and mental clarity is the main objective. Somatic breathing focuses on breathing deeply and fully, carrying as much oxygen to your brain as possible.
Breathwork has been utilized by cultures for centuries. Today, more and more people are adding breathwork to their daily lives as a way to calm down, de-stress, and improve mental function. Similar to yoga and meditation, breathwork carries a long and rich history.
While the origins of breathwork lay somewhere entrenched in history, you can find snippets in almost all of our daily lives. Before you begin a presentation you almost always take a deep breath to calm down. When you are panicking or scared, you are told to take a breath. We inherently know the power of our breath— mastering it is the key to our happiness and well-being.
How Does Somatic Breathwork Heal?
We know that mental and emotional ailments can manifest themselves as physical problems. So can somatic breathwork help heal these problems?
Breathwork is a multifaceted approach to wellness. Consistently adding breathwork to your daily regime has numerous benefits to your mental, physical, and emotional well-being including: alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety, improving cognitive function and focus, improving sleep quality, balancing blood pressure, improving mood, decreasing stress, and many others.
These benefits are hard to ignore. But can somatic breathwork help you heal on a deeper level?
Somatic breathwork helps put your nervous system into a state of calm. During this state, we can perceive things as they are. When we are stressed, we are placed into a permanent cycle of fight or flight responses, where even the smallest thing can send us into a panic. When we are calm inside, we can experience life as it is and have the capacity to feel all our emotions without feeling like we are coming undone.
This also creates a safe space for us to begin to dissect uncomfortable feelings, emotions, or memories we may be carrying with us. Being able to think through and release these memories are vital to our overall health and mental well-being.
How Do You Practice Somatic Breathwork?
Like any new endeavor, it only makes sense to seek out those who have already been there to help guide you. When it comes to your breathwork journey, the guide is extremely important.
Breathwork facilitators have undergone special training to ensure you are safe, focused, and on track during your sessions. These individuals began just like you, wanting to live their best lives. You can find certified breathwork coaches online.
When it comes time to begin your session, clothing is important. Always make sure you choose loose fitting clothing that will allow for full expansion of your abdomen. You don’t want your lungs to be restricted.
Breathwork sessions can be performed lying down on your back or sitting upright either on the floor or in a chair. It’s best to keep a glass of water near you during your sessions and to always stop and breath normally if you ever feel light headed especially in the early stages of our journey.
Somatic Breathwork Exercises
Learning to breathe to calm ourselves and our nervous systems doesn’t need to be hard. While the best approach is to work with a certified breathwork coach, there are a few simple exercises that can be almost anywhere.
During a somatic breathwork session with a coach, you will get in depth instruction, guidance, new and modified exercises, and a general road map to help you stay on the path to achieve your goals. This is especially beneficial for those hoping to heal themselves or treat mental or physical ailments.
If you haven’t found a breathwork coach yet or are just hoping for a quick relaxing exercise for day to day life, there are many methods you can use. The most common is the 5-5-5 method.
The 5-5-5 method has you breath in deeply through your nose for five seconds, filling your lungs fully allowing your abdomen to fully extend. Once you’ve reached capacity, hold the breath for a 5 count before exhaling fully to the count of 5. This exercise can be completed 5 times for full effect. This method is great for winding down in the evenings for sleep or for a quick pick me up during a busy day.
Similar to the 5-5-5 method is pursed lip breathing. This technique forces you to slow down simply because air cannot be released as quickly from pursed lips. Begin by drawing in a deep breath through your nose for a count of 3 before pursing your lips as if you were trying to whistle and exhale fully for a 5 count.
There are many different breathwork exercises to explore. Each one offers something different. Some methods are meant to slow your breathing down and relax you while others require rapid breaths meant to invigorate.
Keep Breathing
The benefits of breathwork are limitless. Whether you are hoping to improve your physical wellbeing or heal deep rooted trauma, breathwork offers you the tools to succeed.
Working with a certified breathwork instructor to establish and work toward your goals is the best way to get the most out of your breathwork sessions. But no matter how you go about it, just keep breathing.
