Where does breathwork come from?
Although you wouldn’t know it, the average human breathes around 28,000 breaths per day. Thanks to the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate involuntary body functions, we don’t have to remember to tell our bodies to inhale and exhale. Because of this, it’s easy to lose awareness of how closely interlinked breathing is to our emotional states. If you’re feeling angry or stressed, you may have noticed your breath is shallow and rapid, whereas when you’re content, your breathing is deeper and slower.
You can, however, “override” your sympathetic nervous system through techniques such as downregulated breathing, by activating your parasympathetic nervous system. Activating the parasympathetic nervous sytem creates a sense of mental tranquility, as it resists the production of cortisol, allowing the body to relax. Christopher Kopplin, an academic of the University of Bayreuth, describes how “the parasympathetic system is directly connected to the heart via the sinus node.” Therefore, by controlling the breath, we can change the quality of our breath, increasing oxygen levels and emotional regulation. When you become conscious of your breathing, you can counteract its fight or flight response and instead direct the body to its rest and digest response. Deep breathing increases the pressure of oxygen available to the alveoli, which are tiny air sacs within the lungs. These alveoli diffuse this oxygen into the surrounding blood vessels, which then allows the o2 to move into the bloodstream. When the blood is more oxygenated, muscles have more fuel, leading to improved endurance and athletic performance.
This correlation between emotional state, cognition, and perception to breath was something the ancients were aware of. Although the contemporary understanding of breathwork primarily focuses on Vedic texts like the Upanishads, many different belief systems all around the globe interpreted this concept with their own unique practices.
PRANAYAMA
Prana, which means “breath” in sanskrit, and yama, which translates to “control” is the ancient practice of harnessing the breath, or life force, within us. Yogis believe that prana connects the spirit to the body through the movement of energy. Mention of prana is found in each of the Vedas, with special attention devoted to this concept in the Atharva Veda. This tome includes a hymn called the Prana Suktam, which details the importance of prana as the omnipotent, all-encompassing breath of life. It was not until the Upanishads, however, that specific practices evolved. The Chandogya Upanishad describes that the breath is closely interlinked with the mind, similar to a bird on a string. If the bird tries to fly in many different directions and finds no place to rest, it will return to where it is tied down. Thus, our breathing becomes an anchor point for our minds when it returns to focus on the breath. In Patanjali’s 8 limbs of Yoga, pranayama is the bridge which connects the more corporeal, physical yamas to the more abstract, transcendental yamas.
One of the most well known breathwork practices that hail from the Classical Yoga/Hatha period is Nadi Shodhana:
Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is the practice of breathing between the left and right nostrils. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika illustrates this method as a way of purifying the nadis (energy channels) and balancing the opposing energies in the mind and body.
Kundalini breathwork, another style of pranayama that has gained popularity in recent years, is a style that emphasizes activating kundalini energy. Kundalini is the sexual and creative life force that exists within everyone, yet usually remains dormant. This energy resides at the base of the spine like a coiled snake, and when awakened, purifies each chakra as it flows upward, leading to higher states of consciousness. This practice utilizes breath of fire, a short, staccato like breath that allows energy and heat to rise in the body.
QI GONG/DAO-YIN
The history and evolution of Dao-Yin is shrouded in a history that reaches back as far as 5,000 years ago. This ancient method of breath-body awareness began in China as a manifestation of imitation and reverence for the cycles of nature. By observing patterns in nature, early practitioners developed principles that would later become the foundation of Daoism. In traditional Chinese medicine and Daoist philosophy, “qi” is known as a vital life force energy that sustains the body. Qi gong, then, is the cultivation and movement of this energy in order to enhance spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing as well as regulate the mind. Qi gong can be practiced in a still, meditative posture, or as a dynamic, more active practice. There are various well-known methods to practice qi gong, such as Yijin Jing, Baduanjin, Hu Yue Xian, and Liuzijue. Each movement and breath during these practices encourages the practitioner to cultivate a deeper understanding of the subtleties of yin energy. With this knowledge, creating balance between the yin and yang elements of the body becomes more intuitive.
Baduanjin involves 8 specific movements, like asanas, that stimulate 12 various meridians and improve the quality of qi within the body. The physical poses allow the body to shift energy internally, each correlating to a specific target area. While creating these shapes, it’s important to move in a soft, slow, harmonious rhythm.
Liuzijue, another form of qi gong practice, involves the repetition of six healing sounds that are coordinated with breath and a specific movement. The sounds, XU, HE, HU, SI, CHUI and XI are chanted, one by one, as breath and stale energy is expelled from the body. The body then moves into each new pose while inhaling, allowing the breath to renew itself, creating balance and harmony.
WIM HOF METHOD
Although not an ancient practice in and of itself, the Wim Hof method draws inspiration from the traditions of Hindu sages who resided in the Himalayas, as well as the Tibetan Buddhist breathwork/meditation Tummo. The Wim Hof routine, developed by the eponymous Dutch athlete, is a technique that involves a timed series of deep breathing, followed by breath retention, and finally, recovery breathing. The exercise allows the body to decrease its carbon dioxide levels, leading to the production of lactic acid. Furthermore, when utilizing diaphragmatic breathing, the practitioner stimulates the vagus nerve, which in turn downregulates cortisol. While the body then holds the breath, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, leading to enhanced creativity, deeper sleep, improved athletic performance and recovery, reduced stress, and mental calm and clarity.
Some Wim Hof routines include cold exposure as a way to enhance the experience. The addition of intense cold exposure is a form of conditioning that can enable someone to control their body temperature in extreme environments, improve immune response, and promote overall mental and physical wellbeing.
HOLOTROPIC BREATHING
In the last few years, holotropic breathing has also gained traction as a contemporary form of breathwork. The format is similar to Wim Hof breathing in that it reduces carbon dioxide and emphasizes long breath holds, however, this method is performed over a period of one or two hours. The effect of the longer session results in the potential for hypoxia, a condition in which the body is deprived of oxygen, leading to euphoria, subtle psychedelic experiences, and sometimes, hyperventilation. Holotropic breathing is usually done in a group setting, with music and trained facilitators to ensure a safe, introspective environment.
Each tradition of breathwork, whether it is 5,000 years old or 50, proposes very similar components, such as breath retention, quick exhalation, or corresponding movements. The evolution of these methods, disparate as they are in time or location, allude to the simple beauty of what it is to become aware of our inner life force. Breath is the instrument which connects our physical being to our conscious being.
