Breathwork is not just the stuff of yoga classes—it’s a vital tool for navigating life’s choppy waters. We all face our own unique blend of stressors, and as a mom, it’s not just about finding time to breathe; it’s about making every breath count. Incorporating breathwork routines in your daily life can mean the difference between riding stress like a wave or being swept under by it. This isn’t just about feeling good; it’s about the concrete physiological benefits that come with every conscious breath you take.

Why Breathe with Intention? The Science Behind Breathwork

You might be surprised to learn just how intricately your breath is woven into the fabric of your health. Diaphragmatic breathing, deep breathing from your diaphragm rather than from your chest, offers a profound impact. Here’s a glimpse of what it can do for you:

• • Enhanced Brain Drainage: Your brain does a literal house cleaning every time you breathe deeply. When practicing diaphragmatic breathing, you’re effectively enhancing the glymphatic system’s functions, which clears metabolic waste and debris that accumulate during the day.
  • Core Stability and Pelvic Health: It’s not just a matter of oxygen; it’s also about muscle performance. When you breathe from your diaphragm, you engage the deep core muscles, supporting your spine and stabilizing your pelvic region. This aspect is crucial for women in particular, as it promotes pelvic floor health over the long road and is key to warding off conditions like incontinence and prolapse.
  • Blood Oxygenation Increase: Oxygen is the fuel of life, and breathwork can increase its presence in your blood. Improved oxygen levels are a boon to every bodily function, from waking up your brain to fueling your muscles.
  • Stress Reduction: Lower heart rate and muscles that aren’t perpetually defensive against a perceived threat are the calling cards of comprehensive stress management.
  • Regulate Nervous System Responses: Breathing from your chest signals your body that there is danger. When you become aware of how you breathe, you can choose to breathe using your diaphragm and thus signal your body that you are safe. 

Simple Techniques for Profound Impact

The intricacies of breathwork may sound complex, but at their core, these techniques are about as organic as it gets—after all, you’ve been breathing since day one. The key is to bring that innate process to the forefront of your consciousness and use it to lead the dance between your body and the world outside.

The Power of 4-7-8 and Box Breathing Strategies

One doesn’t always have to reinvent the wheel to get moving. The 4-7-8 technique, where you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale for 8, offers a simple yet effective blueprint for settling into a richer respiration rhythm. Similarly, box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, and hold for 4) can be a meditative tool that grounds you back to your body’s innate pace.

Alternating Nostril Breathing – A Surprisingly Powerful Ally

A technique steeped in tradition, the alternating nostril breathing method is like a mini-vacation with every cycle. Not only does it help synchronize the brain hemispheres, but it also ensures that you’re not just clearing your head, but also your respiratory pathways while infusing the body with a balanced breath.

Mobilize Your Vagus—Empower Your Health

The power of the vagus nerve, often overlooked, yet wide-reaching, is something that breathwork brings center stage. The vagus nerve is like the conductor in the brain-gut symphony, playing a crucial role in relaxation, digestion, and overall balance. Techniques like Voo breathing, where you focus on the sensation in your throat and produce a resonating “voo” sound upon exhalation, are like push-ups for your vagal ‘muscle,’ working to enhance its responsiveness and your parasympathetic nervous system’s health.

Making It Practical—Incorporating Breathwork in Your Day

Routine is the bedrock of any wellness practice. To make breathwork an integral part of your life, it doesn’t always need to be its grandiose, hour-long affair (though if you have the time, go for it!). Here are the practical steps to kickstart a breathwork routine:

Morning Intention and Evening Reflection

Begin and end your day with breathwork. In the morning, it sets the pace for the day, aligning your rhythm with a calm and deliberate tempo. In the evening, it helps draw the curtains on the day’s events, offering a coach-class ticket to the place of rest.

Micro-Breathing Breaks

Don’t be afraid to take several “micro breaks” throughout your day to focus on your breath. Whether it’s a few cycles of the 4-7-8 technique while waiting for the kettle to boil or alternate nostril breathing in your office, these short respites can punctuate the day with islands of calm.

Synchronize with Moments of Transition

Transitions in our daily life are often associated with increased stress. Meeting these with breathwork can transform them from events that hijack our peace to opportunities where we can flex our calming muscles.

Breathwork as a Teachable Skill

Breathwork is a skill that can be taught and learned across generations. Emphasis on the power of breathing, especially for managing emotions, has been underemphasized. But educating ourselves and our children with the science and practice of breathwork can be a generational game-changer.

Getting Started

• Be aware of your own breathing

• Place your hands on your abdomen

• Inhale and make you hands go out

• Exhale and make you hands go in

The results will amaze you!