Breathwork: Why Everyone’s Doing It

Despite being around for many centuries, breathwork has recently become one of the hottest buzzwords and healing modalities within the wellness world.  Celebrities, influencers, athletes, executives, and pretty much anyone concerned with improving their health and well-being are all practicing breathwork. With good reason too as breathwork has been shown to provide a ton of long-lasting effects on everything from stress reduction and improved focus to emotional balance and enhanced physical vitality.

Are you feeling daily overwhelmed or have a desire to be more present in the moment?  Do you want to optimize your immune system while increasing your willpower and sense of calm? Perhaps you dream of experiencing more intimate connections, enlightening your spirit, and enhancing your athletic performance. Well then say hello to breathwork, your new BFF.

If you haven’t already, I’m helping you jump on the trend by reviewing all the scientifically proven benefits and the most popular forms of breathwork. You didn’t think there was just one way to breathe, right? I’m also sharing all the details of my own return to breathwork through a one-on-one session with a gifted somatic breathwork facilitator here in Miami. Hint..I left feeling transformed and an even stronger believer in all things breathwork.  OK. Breath in. And Exhale.

All The Benefits of Breathwork

Stress Reduction: Many people find that certain breathing techniques can help alleviate stress and promote relaxation. Deep breathing activates the body's relaxation response, reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol and promoting a sense of calm.

Improved Mental Clarity: Conscious breathing practices can help clear the mind, improve focus, and enhance cognitive function. By increasing oxygen flow to the brain, breathwork may support mental clarity and alertness.

Emotional Regulation: Breathwork techniques are often used as tools for managing emotions and promoting emotional resilience. By cultivating awareness of the breath, individuals can learn to regulate their emotions more effectively and respond to challenging situations with greater ease.

Enhanced Physical Health: Deep breathing can have numerous physiological benefits, including improved circulation, better oxygenation of tissues, and enhanced immune function. Some forms of breathwork may also support cardiovascular health and respiratory function.

Spiritual Connection: Breathwork has deep roots in various spiritual and contemplative traditions, where it is often used as a means of accessing altered states of consciousness, connecting with inner wisdom, and exploring spiritual dimensions of existence.

Different Ways to Breathe

Holotropic Breathwork: Journey into Consciousness

Holotropic Breathwork is a therapeutic approach developed by psychiatrist Dr. Stanislav Grof and his wife Christina in the 1970s. The term "holotropic" means "moving toward wholeness" or "moving in the direction of wholeness." Holotropic Breathwork is based on the idea that altered states of consciousness induced by specific breathing techniques can facilitate healing, personal growth, and spiritual exploration.

Participants engage in a specific breathing pattern that involves deep, rapid breathing without pausing between inhalation and exhalation. This continuous deep breathing is often accompanied by music and bodywork techniques to facilitate the release of physical and emotional tension. The intense breathing pattern induces an altered state of consciousness characterized by heightened awareness, vivid imagery, and non-ordinary experiences. Holotropic Breathwork operates on the premise that, in the altered states, individuals can tap into this inner wisdom and access the root causes of emotional distress, trauma, or psychosomatic symptoms, facilitating the process of self-healing and integration.

Somatic Breathwork: Mind-Body Harmony

Somatic Breathwork emphasizes the connection between breath, physical sensations, and emotional experiences to promote holistic well-being and personal transformation. This breathing approach was created to utilize the breath as a bridge to delve into emotions, release tensions, and foster holistic well-being. This approach focuses on sensing, feeling, and experiencing your body from within. Research suggests it targets emotional and mental well-being by influencing the autonomic nervous system.

Participants are encouraged to observe their breath as it moves through different parts of the body and to notice any physical sensations or emotions that arise during the breathing. By listening to the messages of the body and honoring its needs, individuals can develop a deeper sense of self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-regulation.

Pranayama: Yogic Breath Control

In Sanskrit, "prana" means life force or vital energy, and "yama" means control or restraint. Therefore, Pranayama can be understood as breath control or breath expansion. It's a key element of traditional yoga practice and is used to influence the flow of prana in the body for various purposes, including physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual growth.

Pranayama techniques can vary widely in their complexity and purpose, but they generally involve a manipulation of the breath through specific patterns, rhythms, and ratios of inhalation, retention, and exhalation. Pranayama is often practiced as a standalone technique or as part of a broader yoga practice that asanas, meditation, and relaxation. Regular practice of Pranayama is believed to have numerous benefits for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, including improved respiratory function, reduced stress, enhanced concentration, and increased vitality.

Shamanic Breathwork: A Spiritual Odyssey

Shamanic breathwork is a modern therapeutic practice that draws inspiration from ancient shamanic traditions and incorporates elements of breathwork, visualization, and energy work. This breathwork is a powerful method that takes you on a journey to channel and release intense emotions and suppressed memories for personal growth, healing, and spiritual exploration.

Guided by a breathing technique focusing on the diaphragm, the Shamanic Breathwork circular motion guides your breath through the body with continuous inhales and exhales, facilitating a journey to break apart and transform past traumas and unhealthy habits. Shamanic breathwork sessions are often conducted within a ceremonial space that is created to facilitate healing and transformation. Seek a certified practitioner well-versed in reputable programs and shamanic cosmology as shamanic breathwork is intense and requires someone well-versed in the practice.

Wim Hof Method: The Iceman's Breath

Wim Hof, also known as "The Iceman," is a Dutch extreme athlete known for his ability to withstand extreme cold and his method combines breathing exercises, cold exposure, and mindset His devoted followers swear by the transformative effects of controlled hyperventilation, boasting its potential to boost immunity, improve sleep quality, alleviate stress, and enhance focus.

The core component of Wim Hof breathwork is a specific technique that involves rhythmic and controlled breathing. It typically consists of a series of deep inhalations followed by passive exhalations, without forcing the breath out. The breathing pattern is often rapid and intense with the focus on fully inhaling and exhaling. His methods are also widely circulated online with dozens of guided demonstrations available on YouTube making it very easy to practice on your own.

My Breathwork Journey: Elevating My Spirit

I had my first experience with breathwork pre-pandemic at the illustrious, but unfortunately now shuttered, Woom Center in NYC.  Utilizing a holotropic breathwork methodology, participants were guided by a facilitator through about 30 minutes of intense breathwork alongside loud, rhythmic electronic music.  I went with zero expectations and had little resistance to falling into the pace.  It was hard and physically uncomfortable, but the insistence of the music and the consistent tempo of the other participants propelled me forward. As I pushed through physically, I underwent a truly life-changing experience of leaving my body. I traveled through different lifetimes and felt my soulmate’s presence encompassing me.  Let’s say it was a trip.

I have been chasing that self-induced exhilaration since that first mystical experience. I’ve met and experienced many wonderfully talented facilitators and have had many lovely group sessions. However, I’ve not been able to reattain that type of out-of-body release like I did my first time.  There is something so beautiful about entering into a first experience without expectations that allows you to just be. My body and mind simply refused to collaborate again once aware of the journey.

When I heard about Alexandra De Montreuil, and the illustrious private breathwork sessions she facilitates at the Centner Wellness Center here in Miami I happily booked a session. Born and raised in Peru, Alex felt a unique connection to the land and those around her from a very early age. As an empath, she felt the physical pain of others and always held a great desire to help heal them. She moved to Miami in 2000 to study fashion but soon felt herself called back to her soul’s purpose. She immersed herself in her studies becoming trained and certified in numerous healing modalities and therapeutic techniques.

A breathwork session facilitated by Alex includes a combination of Somatic and Holotropic methods while incorporating additional healing tools such as EFT, reiki, crystals, and theta healing. All her sessions are unique and tailored to the needs of the individual whether it means working through more intense trauma and PTSD, mental and emotional health issues, or basic and tension relief. Alex works with individuals at all levels from beginners who want to incorporate breathwork into their routines to experienced breathwork clients who want to deepen their practice.

As soon I walked into the treatment room with Alex I felt immediately at ease. She has an incredibly grounding presence which made me feel like I was being supported energetically.  We had a brief discussion of my past experiences with breathwork and I set an intention for the session. She prepares you with the breathwork rhythm while giving you an overview of her work and what might happen during the session.

Once I was comfortably laid down on the table Alex placed an array of crystals onto my body to support healing including an amethyst eye mask which is known to channel the third eye chakra to stilling one's thoughts and combating negative energy. She begins by cleansing the energy of the room and auras with a sage and a smudge feather.  There is music playing and she softly guided me into a holotropic circular breathing pattern of two breaths in (first lower and then upper abdomen) and then one breath out.  All breathing is continuous and occurs through the mouth.

As with my prior experiences, my body froze after several minutes and I found it incredibly difficult to continue at the rapid tempo.  However, with Alex’s constant encouragement and motivation, I was able to continue breathing in life force deeply and releasing tension freely. It was like having an emotional coach holding my energetic hand through any resistance and ego pushback. I can’t say I kept up the tempo at 100% but with Alex’s help, I kept up a steady pace that I wouldn’t have achieved on my own.

I cried extensively and I released so much tension and energy that I didn’t even know was stuck in my sacral. I felt 10 pounds lighter at the end of the session and there was just a sense of calm over me.  A deep feeling of relaxation similar to one you feel after a massage.  We talked a bit about what I felt through the session and what Alex felt on her end. The entire time she felt completely present with me and I felt safe.  It was the first time I had been able to keep going through the breathing without lagging or stopping the pace.  I would highly recommend booking a certified and talented practitioner like Alex if you feel you could benefit from the support and guidance. I certainly did.

For more information on sessions with Alexandra please connect with her here.