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Most Recent Breathwork Articles ↓
Breathwork vs. Meditation
Breathwork is gaining more and more traction these days, popping up in wellness circles and social media feeds everywhere. But for many, the idea of deep, intentional breathing as a pathway to inner peace might still seem a bit unconventional. After all, isn't meditation – the practice of sitting in quiet contemplation for months or even years – the only real way to achieve lasting transformation?
Even Breathing Space founder Benedict Beaumont, who dedicated years to studying Buddhism and decades to meditation, discovered that, for him, a single breathwork session could unlock more self-discovery and healing than years on the cushion.
Breathwork and Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
I recently got a new Fitbit, excited about all the fancy health metrics it could track. Steps, sleep, heart rate – the usual suspects. But one metric caught my eye: HRV, or Heart Rate Variability. I'd heard it mentioned in passing but never really paid much attention to it. Curiosity piqued, I checked my score... and was shocked. It was alarmingly low, more in line with someone in their 70s or 80s, not a relatively healthy individual in their early 40s.
This sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole of research. What exactly was HRV? What did it measure, and more importantly, what did my dismal score mean for my health? The more I learned, the more fascinated I became.
Breathwork for Relaxation
My mind is constantly buzzing with ideas, to-do lists, and thinking 3 steps ahead. It seems like I always need to be doing something, or better yet, multiple things at once. Sound familiar? I’m the sort of person who tries to multi-task relaxation. I know I'm not alone in this struggle.
If you're nodding your head in agreement, then this blog post is for you. Because even though relaxation may feel elusive, there's a simple yet powerful tool that's always available to us: our breath.
Breath-Body Connection
I recently came across a comment online that said "nervous system regulation is just new-age bullshit." As both a nurse and a breathwork business owner it got my back up and it got me thinking about how much we underestimate the power of our own breath and our ability to influence our body.
The truth is, our breath and our bodies are deeply connected. It's not just about staying alive; it's about how we feel, think, and experience the world. Our breath is a mirror reflecting our inner state, and it's also a bridge connecting our mind and body.
This is Sacred Work
Most of my adult life was spent drinking and using drugs, not knowing how else to deal with my thoughts and feelings. The drinking and drug use got worse after my partner left in 2016. A prolonged period of bullying at work also contributed to a breakdown in 2017. I was convinced that I couldn't be helped and even said to my brother once “no one can help me Johnny, I'm too far gone”. I felt I was left with two simple choices; take my own life or ask for help. I asked for help and that was the beginning of my healing and getting to know myself, and who I really am.
Grounding and Resourcing in Breathwork
In breathwork, we have a profound paradox. On one hand, practices like Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB) and Holotropic Breathwork can be incredibly transformative, opening doors to deep healing, self-discovery, and spiritual awakening. On the other hand, these powerful experiences can also stir up a whirlwind of emotions, unearthing buried traumas and shaking the very foundations of our sense of self.
While these intense emotional releases can be cathartic and ultimately lead to profound healing and emotional integration, they can also be destabilising, leaving individuals feeling overwhelmed, disoriented, or even re-traumatised. This is where the practices of grounding and resourcing become not just helpful, but absolutely essential.
The Power of Intention in Breathwork
If you've experienced the transformative power of Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB), you know it's more than just a breathing technique. It's a journey into the depths of your being, a dance between breath, body, and mind. Each session has the potential to unlock profound insights, release emotional blockages, and awaken a deeper connection to yourself.
As you venture further into your breathwork practice, you may begin to notice subtle nuances in your experience. The way you breathe, the sensations you feel, the emotions that arise – all of these can vary depending on your mindset and intentions going into the session.
Breathwork for Better Sleep
Getting a good night's sleep can often feel like an elusive dream. Studies show that over a third of adults in the UK report experiencing insomnia symptoms, with 10% suffering from chronic insomnia that significantly impacts their daily lives (The Sleep Charity, 2023). Whether it's trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling unrested, sleep difficulties can leave us feeling drained, irritable, and unable to function at our best.