10 Health Benefits of Conscious Breathwork

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By Bob Sima 

We all want to be healthy, vibrant, disease and pain free. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easy, free, and always available source to draw from to help us accomplish that? We watch what we eat; we exercise; we take supplements; we practice yoga. As obvious as it sounds, have you ever considered that one of the keys to optimal health is right under your nose? Who would have thought that controlling the breath (both consciously and intentionally) and breathing optimally could actually improve your health? The yogis of ancient India knew this. When we were young we were all told to take a deep breath when we got upset. Well, why did we stop at one? We innately know that it calms us down, but did you know that you could actually affect your entire autonomic nervous system with the practice of conscious breathwork?

I invite you to experience this for yourself. Try this practical exercise, while listening to the song “Breathe.”

Blow all of the air out of your lungs, pushing and squeezing it out with your stomach muscles. Go much farther than you think you can. Keep pushing, pushing, pushing. When you have nothing – and I mean nothing – left:

*   Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding the belly first (not the chest area) for a count of 4

*   Hold the breath at the top of the inhale for a 7-count

*   Release the breath through your mouth, slowly controlling the exhale for an 8-count

Realize that as this becomes a practice over time, this top 10 list of health benefits will start to materialize:

10 Health Benefits of Conscious Breathwork

Conscious Breathwork Benefit 1 – Reduce Anxiety

Most of us are in constant, low-grade stress and we tend to breathe shallow and quickly. Deep and conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which kicks off the natural relaxation response. This is the exact opposite of a stress response. Breathe slower, deeper, and more consciously to reduce anxiety.