Breathing exercises, also known as breathwork, have the potential to improve your physical, mental and spiritual health. One particular breathwork technique, known as holotropic breathwork, is well-known for helping people dive deep into their spiritual being, helping to heal their traumas and become more self-aware.
So, does working on a person’s breathing help with their health? The answer to this question lies in the large body of scientific research that has been conducted to understand the effect of proper breathing on people’s health.
The Emergence of Breathwork Techniques
One particular research study brought respondents into the laboratory and informed them they would get electrical stimulation in an earlier report in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Some individuals practiced breathing gently before giving shocks (which were never demonstrated). In contrast, others concentrated on inhaling and exhaling the surrounding air normally or didn’t manage their respiration. Slow breathers described experiencing less apprehension while expecting suffering from the shocks that they were told they would experience by the researchers. Still, they also demonstrated decreased bodily stress, as assessed by perspiration and blood circulation to the fingertips.
Breathwork benefits and risks should be studied before anybody decides to embark on this journey, but the benefits include so many things that they are enough to convince any genuine good health proponent to try them out.
For example, holotropic breathing has the potential to elicit strong emotions. Some people have utilized the approach to overcome unpleasant ideas, such as death anxiety. They’ve also used it to help with trauma management. Some people benefit from the practice because it gives them a new sense of purpose and direction in their life.
What is Holotropic Breathwork?
Holotropic breathwork is a therapeutic breathing technique that promotes emotional stability and self-growth. It is claimed to induce an altered state of consciousness. The procedure entails rapid breathing that can go from minutes to hours. The body’s carbon dioxide and oxygen balance are disrupted as a result. Somebody educated in this emotional relief therapy should lead others interested in this catharsis activity.
Music is an essential component of the approach, and it is included in the practice. People are generally asked to creatively reflect their perspective after each class, typically by painting a circular art design called a mandala. It also involves the participants discussing their experiences, and the class often supports this act. One of the benefits of holotropic breathing is that people’s views will not be processed in any way. Alternatively, individuals can be requested to expand on specific points.
What Happens During Holotropic Breathwork?
You might have heard of the term ‘holotropic states,” but what are these holotropic states, and why is it vital that you understand these?
The phrase “holotropic states” was developed by famous psychiatrist Stanislav Grof to characterize holotropic states of consciousness that have the power to recover, change, and evolve.
The outcomes of 11 thousand of participants who engaged in holotropic breathwork classes over a decade and two years were detailed in a 2013 publication. The findings can be primarily used to treat a broad spectrum of psychological and spiritual concerns. Many individuals claimed emotional cleansing and interior soul discovery to have considerable advantages. In addition, there were no documented side effects. As a result, it’s a limited-risk treatment, which adds to the practice’s attractiveness.
It’s best to practice holotropic breathing with the help of a qualified instructor. Since there is considerable potential for it to be a compelling and emotional encounter, the moderators are present to assist with any challenges. Holotropic breathing can also be used as a counseling treatment strategy.
Group activities, workshops, and getaways are all offered. Individual sessions can be arranged as well. Deciding on the ideal meeting style for one person is an important task and should be done carefully by speaking with the moderator. Throughout the course, the guide will support and encourage people. Holotropic breathwork aims to achieve regulated, intentional accelerated breathing. Because breathing causes low carbon dioxide levels in the blood, the procedure can cause behavioral and physiological alterations, which can be significant.
According to a 2015 study, holotropic breathing can help people become more self-aware. In addition, it may assist in bringing about favorable changes in attitude and personality development. People who had more practice with the approach said they were less clingy, bossy, and angry. Hyperventilation may assist generalized elimination of avoidance behaviors, culminating in therapeutic improvement when Holotropic breathwork is utilized in the face of ongoing treatment.
Why Working On Your Breathing is Important
Working on your breathing can help in potential risk management. Think about all those emotions you keep bottled up; what if you worked on releasing them often enough? Would it not hinder the random explosion of these ugly feelings in an inappropriate place? It is always better to release one’s emotions and work on their emotional stability than to have a bad encounter in front of the wrong people.
Individuals in the Eastern part of the world have been doing breathwork for thousands of years, even if it appears to be comparatively a recent approach toward the well-being and health goal of many health gurus and wellness practices in the West. Breathwork is a set of practices that teaches people how to control their breathing rate and depth to increase the consciousness of the breath and, in turn, offers the same advantages as meditating practice.
One more reason people should consider practicing holotropic breathing is that it helps them achieve good mental health. Holotropic breathing can encourage the expression of strong emotions. Holotropic breathing can trigger strong emotions and sad memories, which might exacerbate symptoms. However, it allows people to work through and resolve any concerns that may occur. The great majority of people use the procedure without any negative consequences.
Holotropic breathwork is one of the many techniques that the breathwork exercises help people with, and with the right instructor, it is worth a shot!