Breathwork, i.e. conscious work with the breath, is far more than just a technique for relaxation – it is a powerful method for harmonizing body, mind and soul. While many people use Breathwork as a way to cope with stress or for emotional healing, what happens in the body during such a session is as fascinating as it is profound.
Imagine you are sitting or lying comfortably, eyes closed, and begin to deepen your breath. With every conscious inhalation, fresh, life-giving air flows into your lungs. You can feel your chest rising, the oxygen flowing through your lungs into your blood and being transported from there to every cell in your body. It is as if you are filling your body with new energy from the inside out. You may also feel connected to the plants that provide the life-giving oxygen you breathe while you exhale the CO2 they need to survive.
But Breathwork is more than just supplying oxygen. In this article I would like to focus specifically on the physical changes that occur during a Breathwork session
When you go into a Breathwork session, you often start to breathe faster and deeper than usual. This process changes the chemistry of your blood. Normally your blood is slightly alkaline, with a pH value of around 7.4. Increased breathing reduces the carbon dioxide (CO2) content in your blood. As CO2 plays an important role in regulating the acid-base balance, reducing it will make your blood even more alkaline. This condition can cause various physical sensations, including tingling in the extremities and a feeling of lightness or even euphoria.
During intensive breathing, not only does the CO2 level drop, but the blood’s ability to efficiently deliver oxygen to the cells can also be affected. This may sound counterintuitive – after all, you are breathing in more oxygen – but the process is complex. CO2 actually helps to release oxygen from the red blood cells into the tissue. If the CO2 level drops too much, the oxygen remains more strongly bound to the red blood cells and less oxygen is delivered to the cells. This condition can cause a feeling of tingling and, in extreme cases, even mild cramps. Although you might think that taking in less oxygen is a disadvantage, it actually has many health benefits as long as this condition only exists for a short time.
Due to the reduced ability to absorb oxygen, the frontal lobe in particular, which is responsible for rational decisions, planning and self-control, reduces its function. This leads to an altered state of consciousness which can enable you to delve deeper into your subconscious and process emotional blockages or old traumas that are often suppressed in everyday life. Intense emotional releases or visions that bring new insights or heal old traumas are therefore very likely in a Breathwork session.
One of the lesser known but very real physical reactions to Breathwork is the displacement of calcium ions within the cells. The altered pH value of the blood can cause calcium ions to flow into the muscle cells, which can trigger muscle contractions and in some cases cramps. These are usually harmless and disappear as soon as the breathing returns to normal, but can be a strong physical experience during the session.
Some studies also suggest that Breathwork supports the activation of the immune system. The stress that the method causes in the body stimulates anti-inflammatory mechanisms. This could help to strengthen the body’s defences against infections and optimize the immune system as a whole.
People who practise Breathwork regularly often report improved physical stamina and mental clarity. The change in blood flow, oxygen supply and hormonal release brought about by the breathing process helps the body and mind to function more optimally.
Other benefits associated with the Breathwork practice are:
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