What is breathwork?

In short, stress and trauma change how we breath long term. When our body has been through a lot of stress and held a lot of overwhelming emotions our breathing can become shallow and get stuck in a pattern that allows us our body to hold onto emotions without being aware of it; meaning, that we are breathing a certain way as to not allow those emotions to be felt.

In a breathwork class that holds a safe space, individuals are led through a physiological practice that allows them to break that holding pattern and breath in a different way to what their body is used to. Sometimes this allows the emotions that have been hidden and subdued to be released. Breathwork helps release what our natural protective states may have suppressed and when this tension is released from the body, individuals usually experience much more clarity, peace and an increased capacity for stress.

How we breath long term, directly impacts how our brain interprets the world around us because our breath is what cues our body and nervous system in and out of safety. Unexpressed or built up emotions in the body can cause long term impairment in our experience in the world.

Allostatic load is a psychological term that describes the build up of stress in our physiological systems over time. Each person has a limted capacity for this. Breathwork helps the body let go of some of this.

If you have had past trauma, please get in contact with a practitioner to know if it is the right thing for you as it also holds the potential to trigger past experiences and must be used wisely.