The Body’s Built-In Healing Tool
Living in a big city can be a lot. Some days, you feel in flow, synchronizing with the rhythm of the city. Yet other days, you feel super aware of every car horn, loudspeaker and toxic fume in your vicinity. This can leave us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and tense. It’s no wonder we seek external sources of numbing, such as alcohol, junk food, and t.v. to quiet the mind and nervous system after a long day.
What if all this time, we had everything it takes to calm the mind, moving through our bodies during every second of our waking lives? What if it was free and improved our health at the same time?
Guess what? We do! It’s our breath. Discovering the power of my breath was one of the most empowering realizations that drastically improved my quality of life. One of my first introductions to breathing techniques was the Wim Hof method. Also known as “The Ice Man”, Wim Hof designed a healing approach that involves submerging yourself in a frozen lake and using your breath to soothe your nervous system.
Although this piqued my interest, as someone who prefers my bathing to be warm, I decided to seek alternatives. That’s when I came across several different breathwork options you can try (while also staying dry!). Some of these include:
- Holotropic Breathwork: breathing at a faster rate to achieve spiritual shifts and altered states of consciousness.
- Rebirthing Breathwork: circular breathing that aims to move trauma through the body.
- Box Breathing: consecutive 4-second inhales and exhales, using the visualization of drawing a box with your breath; great for overcoming anxiety
and stress. - Diaphragmatic Breathing: deep belly breaths, often incorporated into yogic practices, that help to ground, decrease stress, and connect with the present moment
- Alternate Nostril Breathing: inhaling through one nostril while covering the other, then closing both to hold the breath for a set number of seconds, and then slowly exhaling through the opposite nostril and repeating; also stems from yogic practice.
As I began to investigate the world of breathwork more deeply, I discovered that there were experienced professionals who specialized in helping other heal through breath. It seems that I wasn’t the only one starting to catch onto this powerful healing tool available to us whenever we need.
After a few failed attempts at trying to “rebirth” myself through breath, I decided to try a practitioner and immediately saw the value in guided breathwork sessions. Aside from the immediate lightness or rush of emotions that happens, I could feel a shift in my energy and mental clarity hours and days after my practice.
If you frequently feel anxious, stressed, or burnt out, try a quick alternate nostril breathing session in the morning and before bed, breathing in for 6 seconds, holding for 6, and exhaling for 6, then repeating for about 4 rounds on each side.
I know it might sound silly, but you would be surprised at the incredible power of your breath.
