By Denise Everheart
If you are struggling with breathwork, don’t give up! Simple tips can make all the difference, read to learn how not to turn blue while doing breathwork.
So you jumped in on the breathwork bandwagon only to discover breathwork was a lot of work? The good news is breathwork strain is a result of either trying too hard or incorrectly doing it. But no worries! Relax, breathe, you got this!
Wait, there’s a breathwork bandwagon!?! Yep! Breathwork has taken over the world! Yoga studios do it. Doctors recommend it. Athletes practice it. Meditators love it. Seniors are learning it. Teens are embracing it. Business leaders are incorporating it. If you’re not doing breathwork, come jump on the bandwagon!
Why are so many people turning to breathwork?
Science is always a good reason to take a look at something. And so is the recommendation of someone you know or trust. When these two dynamics are happening simultaneously people start jumping on the bandwagon big time. Here are some quick links you might like to check out.
The science behind breathwork:
Who is doing breathwork:
Benefits of breathwork
The benefits of breathwork read like a shopping list for physical and mental health!
Healthier blood pressure
Increased stamina
Improved immunity
Better sleep
Mental focus
Pain management
Relaxation
Less stress
Check off the ones you wanna buy! ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
So how do I keep from straining?
I have been teaching breathwork for over 20 years and the #1 thing I recommend participants do to keep from straining while practicing any breathwork is to SMILE! Keeping a gentle smile on your face will help you relax and set the tone for your breathwork session. It’s difficult to strain when you’re smiling! Here are more tips to help keep you from straining:
Counts. Many breathing exercises, also known as pranayama, follow specific counts like box breathing or 3 stage breathing (exclusively taught on SKY Breath Meditation workshop). When following any count, know that the count is a ratio and everyone has different levels of lung capacities. If the count is to inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and again hold 4, your breath counts might be quicker and another’s slower. That’s ok! A regular breathing practice will increase your lung capacity over time. Stretching your breathing without straining will make the practice more enjoyable.
Posture. Make sure you are sitting correctly. Your posture matters. The spine should be straight, but not rigid. You might want to consider changing how or where you sit if you feel like you are straining. A straight-backed chair might just be your ticket to nirvana! Experiment a little to see if you need a meditation cushion or bench to help keep your back straight and relaxed.
Hand positions. Some breathing techniques will require placing your hand in specific ways, called mudras. For instance when doing alternate nostril breathing, typically your left hand is in chin mudra (thumb and pointer finger lightly touching while the remaining 3 fingers are outstretched, resting on your left thigh). The right hand is actively controlling the flow of the breath by gently resting the pointer and middle finger between the eyebrows, while the thumb oscillates with the ring finger and pinky taking turns to block the right nostril then the left nostril. It is important to keep the breath light and slow. If you can hear your breath, you might be straining.
Learn properly. You might think you can learn breathwork techniques easily learn from a YouTube video, but wouldn’t you rather learn from a certified instructor live and online or in-person to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly, without straining. The Art of Living Foundation has certified instructors in 156 countries. You are in safe hands when it comes to all things related to breathing, meditation, and yoga!
Beyond Breathwork
If you are looking for something with even more power than your everyday breathing technique, and you want it to be easy to do and give you all of the benefits listed above...look no further! SKY Breath Meditation is a profound technique that uses specific breathing patterns to unlock the door of deep meditation. Here’s a list of some of the most often reported benefits:
Significant decrease in depression
Enhanced optimism
Reduced addictive behaviors
Improved respiratory function
Significant decrease in anxiety
Reduced PTSD
Increased self-esteem and joy
PLUS all of the benefits from the checklist above!
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Now that you have checked off the lists of benefits you want, you can learn all about SKY by attending a free breath and meditation online session. You will even learn a breathing exercise nicknamed, ‘yogic cappuccino’! Just click here to choose your day and time.
Keep breathing and relax, you got this!
Denise Everheart is a freelance writer, life-long meditator, SKY Breath Meditation instructor, party planner, veg chef, and recipe designer. Follow her @everheartstudio4meditation and @celeplateyourlife on Instagram.
