The power of Breathwork is talked about more often these days, but it's nothing new, it's been around for centuries.
Ancient religious, spiritual, and warrior traditions have known the value of breathwork for a very long time.
Somehow the value and benefits of doing breathwork have been forgotten.
But the value of breathwork has always been used by warrior culture for its spiritual and tactical benefits.
The reality is that people are looking for solutions to their problems but some of the best tools they have are right in front of them but they dont see it.
A good example is the power of breathing.
Or more specificly the power of using your own breath as a tool to improve all aspects of your life.
Some people do decide to take up some form of breathwork but soon stop doing it because they expect immediate results in terms of solving their life problems.
These people are not willing to build a breathwork discipline by consistently working on their breathing.
Those who decide to consistently work on their breathwork get the results they are looking for.
The Power Of Breathwork: Let's Look At The Mainstream Benefits of Breathwork.
If you're like most people, you probably don't give much thought to your breath.
It's just something that happens automatically, without any effort on your part.
But what if I told you that the way you breathe can have a profound impact on your physical and mental health?
That's where breathwork comes in.
Breathwork is a type of alternative therapy that involves controlled breathing exercises.
These exercises offer a number of benefits:
Reduction of Stress.
One of the most well-known benefits of breathwork is its ability to reduce stress.
When you're feeling stressed, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, which means your heart rate and blood pressure increase and you start to breathe more quickly.
This is all part of the body's natural response to stress, but it can also have some negative side effects, such as making it difficult to think clearly or causing anxiety and panic attacks.
Breathwork can help to counter the effects of stress by slowing down your breathing and teaching you how to breathe more deeply.
This has the effect of calming the nervous system and reducing the heart rate and blood pressure.
As a result, you'll feel more relaxed and less frazzled when faced with stressful situations.
Manages Pain
Another potential benefit of breathwork is that it can help to manage pain.
When you're in pain, your body releases chemicals called endorphins, which act as natural painkillers.
However, endorphins can also cause drowsiness and make it difficult to concentrate.
Controlled breathing exercises can help to increase the production of endorphins without causing these side effects.
In one study, cancer patients who practiced breathwork reported significant reductions in pain intensity and an improvement in their quality of life.
Improves Focus
If you find it difficult to focus on tasks or tend to get easily distracted, breathwork may be able to help.
One study found that participants who practiced controlled breathing exercises had improved attention spans and were better able to complete cognitive tasks than those who didn't practice breathwork.
Other research has shown that people who practice breathwork are better able to control their emotions and stay calm under pressure.
This suggests that breathwork could be beneficial for people who need to stay focused in high-pressure situations, such as athletes or first responders.
Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, so keeping it under control is important for maintaining good health.
Breathwork has been shown to be an effective way to lower blood pressure naturally.
In one study, participants who practiced controlled breathing exercises had a significant reduction in both systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure readings after just four weeks.
The Spiritual Benefits.
These are mainstream benefits and they are by themselves very valuable.
But let's look deeper at the value of Breathwork.
One of the most famous advocates of breathwork is Wim Hof who wrote the book “The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential”.
One of the biggest Hoff shows us about breathwork is the Spiritual benefits that breathwork gives us.
It's one of the most holistically valuable tools we have to improve ourselves as human beings at a spiritual level.
Wim Hof Method – A Revolutionary Approach to Mind and Body
The Wim Hof Method is a revolutionary approach to mind and body that has been gaining popularity in recent years.
This method is based on the teachings of Dutch “Iceman” Wim Hof, who is known for his ability to withstand extreme cold temperatures.
Hof claims that his methods can help people tap into their “inner power” and improve their overall health and well-being.
While the Wim Hof Method may not be for everyone, there is no denying that it has helped many people achieve amazing results.
The Basics of the Wim Hof Method
The Wim Hof Method is a combination of breathing techniques, meditation, and exposure to cold temperatures.
These three elements work together to help improve your overall health.
Breathing Techniques
The first element of the Wim Hof Method is breathing techniques.
These techniques are designed to help you increase your oxygen intake and improve your lung function.
Additionally, the breathing exercises can help to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
Meditation
The second element of the Wim Hof Method is meditation.
Meditation can help to improve your focus and concentration, as well as reducing stress levels.
Exposure to Cold Temperatures
The third element of the Wim Hof Method is exposure to cold temperatures.
This may seem like an odd choice for improving your health, but Hof claims that exposure to cold temperatures can help to boost your immune system, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation.
The Warrior Benefits.
Another benefit of breathwork is the connection to the warrior culture.
I have previously written about how modern warriors of the Special Operations use breathwork to control stress in combat.
And in those examples, I wrote about box breathing as a way to improve your life.
But keep in mind there are many types of breathing that has value, not just box breathing.
With all this in mind, I want to connect it with one of the most famous warrior traditions the Samurai.
A long time ago before the Samurai were already highly skilled with their warrior skills.
But it wasn't until their first contact with Zen Buddhist Monks that they took their skills to a whole different level.
According to historians the Samurai first took notice of the Monks after witnessing them being attacked by enemy forces.
What the Samurai noticed was how calm and composed the Monks were in combat.
They were fearless and showed a high level of courage and determination when facing adversity.
This impressed the Samurai so much that they started learning from the Monks.
The Samurai quickly adapt Zen Buddism as their religion.
Hence the influence of Zen culture even in modern Japan.
A big part of Zen Buddism is meditation and more specificly breathwork.
Of course, the Samurai tradition has influenced all martial arts that originated in Japan.
Along with that came many Samurai traditions like using breathing as a tool to prepare for combat but also as a tactical tool in combat.
The method of “box breathing” is a stress reduction technique that was popularized by Navy Seals.
The technique is simple but effective, and it can be used by anyone.
How Box Breathing Works
The first step is to find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Then, you close your eyes and breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of four.
Then, breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of four.
Repeat this cycle for a total of four breaths.
When you're finished, you should feel more relaxed and your heart rate should be lower.
If you're still feeling stressed, you can repeat the cycle until you feel better.
Why Does It Work?
There are a few reasons why these breathwork techniques work so well at reducing stress.
First, the act of focusing on your breath helps to clear your mind and allows you to focus on the present moment.
This can be helpful if you're feeling overwhelmed by thoughts of the past or future.
Secondly, the slow, deep breathing helps to trigger the relaxation response in your body.
This is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response that's activated when we're under stress.
When we're stressed, our heart rate and blood pressure increase, but when we're relaxed, those things decrease.
Lastly, box breathing gives you a sense of control over your body and your environment.
When we're stressed, we often feel like we're out of control and that things are happening to us that we can't do anything about.
By taking control of your breath, you can help to reduce that feeling of powerlessness and regain a sense of control over your life.
Modern Jiujitsu.
And at this point, it brings us back to modern times and a legendary JiuJitsu Martial Artist by the name of Rickson Gracie.
Rickson Gracie is probably the most successful Jiu-Jitsu Martial Artist of our time.
A lot of people know about Rickson Gracie, but many people were surprised about how Rickson Gracie used breathwork as a tool.His breathing techniques are legendary in the MMA world.
In the documentary Choke, the world witnessed for the first time how a real Martial Artist used his breath as a spiritual tool and as a tactical tool to overcome his opponents.
The point I'm trying to make is that the value of doing breathwork is limitless and you can choose what type of breathwork you want to use and for what purpose.
But it's up to you to go out there and start incorporating this into your life.
More importantly, it must be a discipline and not just something you do when you feel like it.
To get the true benefits of breathwork it needs to be consistent.
Conclusion.
Something that surprises many people after starting to work on their breath is that they didn't know about the different dimensions of life that exists once they started incorporating breathwork into their lives.
Suddenly they see their lives transform by using something that was right in front of them their whole lives.
The only question they ask is why didn't start doing this years ago?
So start doing a breathwork session a few times a week.
Take a deep breath and relax.
Until next time.
