Take These 4 Simple Steps and Begin Your Breathwork Practice
Tuesdays are for meditation at Sol Luna Yoga.
Beginning in April, each Tuesday we’ll hold a MEDITATE class, and each week will explore a different meditative practice.
This means you have a chance to discover a practice that resonates with you and soothes your soul.
One week will focus on sound healing, another on insight meditation, and another on energy healing.
On the first Tuesday of each month, MEDITATE will focus on breath work. In this class you’ll learn more about breathwork and be guided through a breathwork practice, with the intention to find stillness and calm within, deepening your meditation.
Let’s explore a little further the practices of meditation and breathwork and learn how you can begin your own breathwork practice from home – and prepare for this week’s class!
Meditation and breathwork – are they the same?
Meditation, mindfulness, and various other calming techniques have seemed to become interchangeable – sometimes described as one and the same. But each practice and technique are unique and serve its own purpose. Some techniques can serve the same purpose but the path there looks a little different or provides a different experience.
Common questions that come up regarding meditation and breathwork include:
What are there differences between meditation and breathwork?
Don’t you use breathwork to enter into meditation?
Or is breathwork a subset of meditation?
Is one better than the other?
Let’s break it down and answer all those questions and more.
Meditation: The Practice and its Benefits
Meditation is defined as the mental practice of bringing your attention and focus inward, for the purpose of mental and emotional calm and stability.
So while mindfulness is more accurately described as a focus on external aspects in your environment, meditation is best described as the opposite: a focus on the internal.
This practice of inward focus can be achieved in a variety of ways. And yes, breathwork can definitely help you get there. Some other techniques that help you develop and deepen your meditation practice include mindfulness, object or candle gazing, mantras or chanting, binaural frequencies, and more.
In developing a consistent meditation practice it is shown to produce countless benefits. Some of these benefits include:
– nervous system regulation
– decreased depression and anxiety
– increased focus and memory
– improved sleep
– reduced stress response
– increases in grey and white matter in the brain
That list of benefits simply translates to a happy, healthy, fulfilling, and long life. And who doesn’t want that?
Breathwork: The Practice and its Benefits
Breathwork, on the other hand, can become a part of your meditation practice and it can be a practice all on its own. Breathwork can serve the purpose of helping you achieve a meditative state and of providing different experiences through the breath, physically and spiritually.
Breathwork is defined as a practice to develop control of the breath in order to develop control of the mind and body. Once that discipline and control are developed, clarity of the mind and increased awareness of the self emerge.
The benefits of breathwork can look similar to that of meditation. They can include:
– decreased stress and cortisol levels
– stronger respiratory function
– stronger immune system
– decreased anxiety and depression
– lowers blood pressure
– improves sleep
Whether you use breathwork to deepen your meditative practice or simply use it on its own without an emphasis on meditation, breathwork can be just as powerful as meditation as well as have its own unique benefits.
4 Simple Steps to Begin Your Breathwork Practice Today
1.) Set Aside Time – Start Small
Every new practice starts with a simple first step. In this case, that first step is to set aside a time you know you can commit to.
It may sound impressive to wake up at 4 am to meditate, but if you loathe waking up before the sun, that motivation will fade real fast. Be realistic. That’s more than good enough.
And hey, maybe once you’ve developed some consistency, 4 am wake-ups may start to sound appealing… to each their own.
2.) Begin with Box Breathing
Along the same lines of start small, start with a simple breathing technique. Box breathing is simple and great for beginning your practice because you’re counting each part of the breath, and making each part equal.
If you inhale for a count of five, you’re also holding your breath for a count of five, and exhaling for a count of five.
Over time, see if you can extend each count a little longer. I bet you’ll get to ten counts a lot quicker than you originally thought!
3.) Try Out Different Techniques
Once you become more comfortable with box breathing, branch out and try different techniques. You may notice different types of breathing techniques are helpful during different times or emotional states. You may notice different effects for each technique. It can be fun to explore!
You can check out a breakdown of different techniques, and their benefits, from our previous blog here. Or, if you’re more of an auditory learner, there are apps like Othership and The Breathing App that can guide you, making it super simple to begin.
4.) The Power of Group Meditation
Group meditation and breathwork can be a powerful experience, and a great way to begin your journey.
When you’re in a group with the same intention – to meditate or practice breathwork – it can actually help you ease in and deepen your experience because the tone and environment have been created for you.
And, you’re being guided, which means there’s no guesswork and you can turn down the mind a little easier.
Find Your Style, Set Aside the Time, and Start Your Practice
Breathwork, and starting your practice, can be simple. Sometimes it’s just about finding the right resources – and knowing the style you enjoy learning in.
Luckily, it’s super easy to find variety and diversity nowadays.
How do you learn best? Do you prefer a live class and a group setting? Are you more comfortable alone and in your own space? Does it help to see what’s being taught or can you pick it up verbally? Share with us in the comments!
