Benefits of practicing breath work
With there being much attention these days with breath work, I thought I would share some benefits of practising breath work or pranayama. Plus a practice, and links to my meditations.
When I worked, for several years at an Osteopath and wellbeing clinic, many years ago, it really opened my eyes.
The clients I would see, especially on one to one sessions, I discovered that breath was one of the biggest ways I could create changes to their physical, mental and emotional bodies.
Working on so many bodies over the past 30 plus years, you get to understand patterns, links and join the dots to what is really going on. It is not necessarily the thing that they think is the problem,
It is deeper than that, it is layered complexities of mind, body, emotion and mental thoughts and stories that create many symptoms.
I absolutely love working with individual clients, helping them gain a different perspective and understanding. Empowering them to notice, understand and therefor are then able to chose to make the changes to support what need addressing. Attention and Intention, a powerful duo to accompany knowledge.
Breath work, is still one of the fundamental sessions, I teach and address, in my classes and one to ones.
Working on my own breath, in a deeper and somatic level, created more freedom in my movement for my spine after surgery and is my go to, to help me manage my emotions on a daily basis.
Breathwork and meditation will help you through your menopause also!
I have studied breath on many levels with many amazing teachers including Leon Chaitrow and Eric Franklin, Peter Dawson plus pranayama through my 500 hour teachers.
These are some benefits you might find interesting
· Reduces stress and anxiety
· Can regulate hormonal activity
· Increases lung capacity
· Increase alertness and clarity
· Supports the immune system
· Helps with menopause symptoms
· Helps blood and oxygen flow
· Helps with blood pressure
· Can strengthen the abdominals
· Can help the pelvic floor functionality and resilience
· Can help with spinal mobility easing aches and pains or stiffness
· Supports organ function
thus fandamentally is key to your quality of life!
which is why traditions such as Yoga, have focused on improving how we breath for thousands of years!
A somatic practice for you to try
Sit on a chair or the floor and put a rolled/folded up towel under your groin so you can feel your pelvic floor.
Put your hands on your lower belly, notice your breath.
Notice where you feel your breath
Notice if your lower belly expands into your hands
Can you feel your back body expand?
Can you experience your pelvic floor, what do you feel?
Spend a few moments paying attention to different parts of your body and notice the experience of these areas through the breath,
example the shape the ribs create through inhale and exhale
the sensation of weight of the pelvic floor change
what happens in the throat?
the ear canal?
Practice daily, each day building up your awareness and notice what changes, how you feel, physically, cognitively and emotionally.
You may not feel too much at first, if you are new to somatic practices, but like any type of new training, with practice you will start to notice more and feel more.
Whatever we pay attention to will grow so also remind yourself here, notice how and what you think or say has a positive connotation. So when you are trying to experience the sensation of breath, see with curiosity and wonder as that opens the door to experience rather than say I can’t and create that definite full stop.
You may like to try my recorded somatic breath practise on insight timer
sense your ribs and improve your breath meditation
embodying relaxation meditation
uplift your energy with rhythmic breath meditation
IF you write review, do let me know you have been there from my blog so I can say hello!
have a beautiful day,
namaste
Sue xxx
