Natural Healing with Breathwork
by Carol Lampman

“The word breath implies more than the physical act of drawing air in and out of the lungs. Breath is the junction point between mind, body and spirit. Every change of mental state is reflected first in the breath and then in the body.”  -Deepak Chopra

Breathwork or Breath Therapy is best described as a highly personal, experiential process utilizing breathing techniques to clear out physical, mental and emotional blocks or stresses. Breathing in and of itself is grossly underestimated. It is a source of life-giving, healing and purifying energy. When we breathe in a relaxed fashion we move from a destructive metabolic state to a constructive one. The shift from operating in chronic stress mode to one of relaxed alertness can affect the synthesis of protein, fat and carbohydrates, increase the production of cells for immune system activation, promote bone repair and growth as well as enhance the cellular, hormonal and psychological process. 90% of the nutrition needed by the body comes from the oxygen we breathe. Only 10% comes from food. 

In the east, breathing has been used for thousands of years as a path of personal and psycho-spiritual development. The ancient yogis probably were the first to discover the relationship between breathing and mental/emotional states. They noted that certain forms of breathing evoked corresponding mental states. Irregular, shallow breathing was seen to result in disturbances of mind, emotion and body. Full relaxed smooth breathing was seen as an accompaniment of a quiet mind.  Specific breathing practices became incorporated into yoga as tools for inducing optimum states of being. 

Breathing is the interaction between our inner selves and the surrounding atmosphere. When we breathe, we absorb in addition to physical substances, the surrounding reality into our inner system.  It is essential therefore for both physical and psychological well being, that our breathing is optimal.

The origin of most human behavioral difficulties is in very early childhood experiences. During the process of growing up, as well as in daily life, we have not developed the skills to deal with our feelings in effective ways. Feelings that are not handled immediately are stored as muscle tension or in the unfinished business files in the mind …watch children and how the hold their breath when in the grip of pain or some other unpleasant emotion. The habit often stays with us unless someone gives us a better alternative. We learn to suppress our emotions early in life by physically tensing muscles and restricting the breath. Over time, this protective process becomes chronic and automatic and we lose the capacity to experience and express emotions. This repression can zap our vitality and rob us of the ability to experience the positive feelings of love, joy and pleasure. If we can learn to breathe in free uninhibited way, the stored feelings can be released from the body and mind.

Breathwork has been found to be a very precise key to the body’s natural healing resources. It consists of a variety of circular and conscious connected breathing techniques that can be described as a relaxed, connected and total way of breathing. This breathing pattern triggers a natural process of cleansing and purifying in both the body and the psyche. The combination of deep relaxation, openness of the body and mind and increased oxygen intake tends to dissolve everything that stands in the way of the body’s natural circulation. By increasing your ability to breathe fully, you will be rewarded with greater health; you will make major improvements, in your physical, mental and emotional functions. Additionally breathwork can dissolve unresolved emotions stored in the mind and body.

Breathwork is both art and science. The art is about surrendering to and trusting our own process.  It is about letting go, releasing control and getting the mind out of the way. The science is about techniques that support the surrendering. It is about adjusting your breath, correcting your thoughts and changing your perception. One is the feeling part—one is the thinking part. Both are valuable.  Breathwork is most effective when both are in balance.

There are many modalities that combine Breathwork with other techniques such as psychotherapy, bodywork, movement or yoga. The health benefits alone are worth the efforts to expand the capacity of the lungs and increase oxygen absorption, improving energy and physical well being.

Breathwork is a powerful tool for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development and is considered a psychotherapy, in and of itself, in other parts of the world. It will continue to evolve and develop over time as its potential is discovered by the health care field and integrated into existing modalities.

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