It is becoming normal to live under intense stress and burnout, to overlook signs of depression, or to isolate but stay connected online – as if it were any good.
Having mental problems so widespread inevitably means there’s something strange happening with society. Maybe it is social media. Or perhaps it is the hectic economic lives of everyone nowadays.
Whatever the reason, a solution seems super necessary. Some people are taking pills and medications. But they’re not really helping. Others are making progress with regular therapy. But sometimes the slow pace or lack of concrete results push patients to give up. So, does that mean we’re set to live our lives with no change in our mental state?
Well, no, that’s why therapeutic activities like breathwork exist. To kill the silent but most dangerous diseases: those of the mind.
One particular method, also known as Holotropic breathing, is a set of techniques known to help with self-esteem, self-awareness, and an overall reduction of anxiety, stress, and much more.
There are several health benefits of Breathwork that are essential to know about. Here, we’re going over 3 of them. Read up!
1. DEVELOPS SELF-AWARENESS
One of the main advantages of breathwork is its capacity to develop self-awareness about the body and mind. People who undergo therapeutic sessions with this activity appear to have betterment in their overall character.
Those who used to have grumpy tendencies became calmer afterward. Those who used to have interpersonal issues eventually improved how they related to others. And those who were usually hostile towards their environment became warier of their attitude.
According to this study from 2015, the patients were all between the ages of 25 and 56 – and all of them experienced significant changes in their lives over 12 weeks.
Ashlee Neese, an MFA from California College of the Arts and a breathwork teacher with years of experience, affirms that it’s all about accessing feelings of inadequacy to eventually eliminate them.
And it’s all done through Breathwork. It helps people bring themselves closer to their feelings. And it allows them to analyze and understand where those feelings are coming from.
Developing self-awareness in a world filled with social media anxiety, trimmed future outlooks, and complicated interpersonal relationships is becoming a steep goal to achieve. But with breathwork, it’s all possible.
2. REDUCES DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
Not only does Breathwork help to improve the self-image people carry in self-judgment, but it has also been proven to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms.
From attention problems to sluggishness, loss of interest in preferred activities, and voluntary isolation – they’re all symptoms that these two mental states can create. Luckily, they can all be reduced and possibly even healed with breathwork.
Following a study from 2012 published in the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, breathwork is a possible therapeutic option for symptoms of depression and anxiety. It helps to relieve death anxiety, self-identified problems, and a faulty ability to associate with others.
According to Michelle D’Avelia from the blog Pushing Beauty, breathwork helped her enormously to overcome feelings of inadequacy, future uncertainty, and deep life anxiety that were making her life miserable.
After several years of breathwork, she affirms that it has completely changed her life. She now feels like a totally different person, and even her results on tests like Myers-Briggs changed from introverted to extroverted – something she thought was not possible.
Breathwork is not something that will change everyone’s life quickly. But it will undoubtedly have positive effects that no medication or other activities can achieve. By simply learning how to breathe deeply, anyone can learn how to spot and overcome depression & anxiety signs.
3. IMPROVES FOCUS & ATTENTION
While the advantages of breathwork seem to only focus on emotions, it can actually enhance several other mental factors such as focus, attention, and stress.
In fact, breathing exercises have been long known for helping with stress. An experiment made on mice at Stanford, confirms the idea. Several mice were put into different types of breathing training techniques, and all of them developed improvements in their overall states of mind, making them feel calmer over time.
And sure enough, reducing stress does help with focus and attention. According to another 2017 study from the Frontiers in Psychology journal, a group of Chinese psychologists decided to test the effects of breathwork on cognition, attention, and cortisol.
The results were outstandingly positive. Forty participants ended up feeling better, with excellent focus and improved attention overall. Even their cortisol levels saw an improvement, which meant they ended up feeling better.
The effects of breathing the right away are even confirmed by Navy Seals. While a totally different practice with other approaches, it is still clear that the right breathing techniques can help to achieve a calm state of mind, release cortisol, and get rid of everyday stress.
Breathwork may not be the magic stress pill that many people wish existed, but it can certainly help to reduce stress, which eventually transforms into better focus, attention, and productivity. Navy Seals are a clear example of that.
HOW TO START WITH BREATHWORK TODAY
We know how hard it can be to find a reliable way to start a new practice, especially with the fame and popularity of Breathwork. But don’t worry – YogiLab is your way to go.
As a growth platform for entrepreneurs forming a biohacking community in search of truth and life betterment, YogiLab offers the chance to unite and enjoy the latest and most effective practices to get into the right rails on life.
If you’re interested in learning more about the health benefits of Breathwork and possibly join our program in the future – then click here and we’ll send you a free mini course from Marcel Hof, Master Breath-worker and creator fo the Marcel Hof Method. You will learn a powerful technique you can start to use today to help you develop more self awareness, reduce depression, anxiety or stress, improve your focus or to simply feel better about life.
Don’t shy out, and don’t take our word for granted. Try it yourself and see what it this powerful practice can do for you.
