THE LIFE CHANGING
POWER OF THE BREATH
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BREATHWORK
BY CAMILA CASTILLO
breathetowellness.com
WHAT IS
BREATHWORK?
Breathwork is any type of
breathing exercise or
technique used to bring
awareness to the breathing
pattern and intentionally alter
it. The practices are intended
to improve mental, emotional,
physical, and spiritual well-
being.
The first thing we do when
we’re born is take a breath,
and that’s what oxygenates
the body’s systems and
kickstarts their functions. We
continue breathing all day,
every day for the rest of our
lives; we’re breathing through
everything we do.
Our breathing cycle is maliable
and breathwork aims to target
the nervous system to create a
pattern that is expansive,
rejuvenating, and calming.
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
Breathwork is like an active Once you’re aware of the
meditation, meditation being a content in your mind, you can
powerful tool used to regulate begin to identify where your
the nervous system and focus is and redirect if if it’s not
cultivate a foundation of inner on a beneficial path. You can
peace, become the observer of
yourself, and start reorganizing
How many times have you sat your energy and life trajectory.
down to meditate, prepared to
quiet your mind, only to find Meditation needs the BREATH, to
that your thoughts won’t let up? bypass the active mind and
connect directly to the nervous
What we don’t usually system. By taking intentional
understand is that this mental breaths, you override the
activity is revealing to you the executive function of your brain
process and quality of your and allow your nervous system
thoughts and emotions. The to regulate.
noise that shows up when we try
to quiet the mind Through a consistent
breathwork practice, the mind
relaxes and filters, and the body
learns to exist in its optimal
state of connection, health and
The quality of your vitality.
breath reflects the The breath is the most direct
and easily accessible tool we
quality of your life. can use to heal trauma, cultivate
safety and inner peace, calm
anxiety, replace addiction, and
activate integral wellness.
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BENEFITS OF
BREATHWORK
The benefits of proper breathing
span deep into the physiology and
anatomy of the human body, as well
into the psyche and emotional
aspects.
Deep and controlled breathing can:
-Decrease stress levels, and increase
the level of calm
-Provide pain relief
-Detoxify the body as the breath
releases carbon monoxide
-Cleanse up to 70% of the body’s
toxins
-Improve immunity
-Increase energy
-Lower blood pressure
-Improve digestion
-Support correct posture
-Relieve symptoms of PTSD and
anxiety
Memories and emotions are
held within the body’s cells.
Conscious breathing helps to
release what’s built up and
stagnant to promote healing.
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SIGNS YOUR
BODY NEEDS
MORE BREATH
Multiple symptoms can be
present at once or can vary in
how and when they show up.
-Anxiety and depression
-Panic attacks
-Insomnia
-Nightmares
-Digestive issues
-Emotional eating
-Fatigue after a full night's rest
-Mood swings/hyper-sensitive
to environment
-Brain fog and lack of clarity
-Tightness in chest/heart
problems
-Chronic muscle tension
-Low mood and vitality
-Addictions and cravings
constantly steer your
decision making
-Headaches and migraines
-Weakened immune system
-Lack of emotional availability
to yourself or others
-Lack of motivation
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SELF REFLECTION
How’s your natural breathing pattern?
Take a moment to observe how you breathe. Is your breathing
shallow, deep, labored, do you stop breathing and then gasp for
air? Write down what you notice.
What symptoms do you notice in yourself?
Are there any factors from the list of symptoms that you notice in
your day to day? What is inspiring you to incorporate more
Breathwork into your life?
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BUILDING YOUR PRACTICE
Breathwork is such a powerful Of course, creating intentional
healing and coping skill because moments to utilize your tools is
of its easy accessibility and an effective way to set the tone
immediate benefits. As for your day, hit the reset at any
mentioned before, it is a form of point throughout, and release
active meditation, meaning you any accumulated stress from
don’t have to necessarily have the day before bed.
to be in a perfectly curated
place or moment to practice. Breathwork is the perfect way to
ease into and stay engaged in
You can do breathing exercises meditation, or prayer, and is an
in your car, in line at the grocery invaluable additional to any
store, in the school pick up line, mindfulness practice.
at work, or while scrolling on
your phone. The beauty of the While we all have the ability to
mechanism is that its built in tap into the healing and
and learning to use it to our grounding power of the breath,
benefit marks the difference we often lack the knowledge of
between surviving and thriving. how to use this innate
mechanism to our advantage.
The first step is simply having
awareness around how you’re
breathing and beginning to
observe your patterns. When we
The deeper we bring awareness to the breath it
gives us insight to what feels
breathe, the more good to us and what doesn’t feel
good. It can show us where our
vitality we access. safe zone is, help to identify our
boundaries, and diffuse the
impact of trauma.
.
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SELF REFLECTION
What happens to your breath when you feel certain emotions?
How does your breathing pattern change when feeling anxious?
Sad? Angry? Stressed? Happy? Calm? In love?
What about when you are around specific people or in different
situations? What happens when memories pop up?
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GETTING STARTED
Regardless of age, culture, gender,
lifestyle, we all have access to the breath
and anyone can benefit from a conscious
Breathwork practice.
Whether it be 10-15 minutes in the
morning or at night, or a longer daily
practice of 45-60 minutes, building a
consist practice is key to claiming the
full spectrum of benefits that conscious
Breathwork offers.
There is no one size fits all formula, and
gaining the knowledge of different
techniques but will help cultivate greater
awareness of what the body needs and
how to tend to those needs.
Breathwork consists of different
techniques, intervals, holds and locks,
and as you explore them, you’ll notice
subtle shifts in energy and temperature.
Certain thoughts or emotions can arise
and it’s important to become the
observer of these things, staying present
and not judging what comes up.
It may feel uncomfortable at times, since
you are expanding beyond your comfort
zone and what your body is used to. This
practice is healing and will begin by
purging anything that isn’t serving your
highest good. Over time your body will
adapt to accommodate more oxygen,
balance and regulation.
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BREATHWORK BASICS
While the practice of Breathwork can range from
relatively simple to more complex and timely
techniques, there are a few things to keep in mind to
optimize the benefits.
✼ TIPS
While some practitioners recommend never
breathing through the mouth, there are many
times when mouth breathing can be beneficial
and soothing. Don’t become too rigid in trying to
follow a technique perfectly - follow your body’s
signals and learn to give your body what it’s
asking you for.
Some practices will be more focused on
breathing into the lungs and diaphragm, while
others will guide you to breathe into your
abdomen. Get comfortable with various
techniques to create better body control and
oxygenation.
Focus on the exhale! We tend to stay in a chronic
state of over-inhalation which contributes to
more anxiety and stress. A deeper exhale
reaches the nervous system and provides better
balance and more benefits.
✼ HOW + WHEN
Breathwork is subtle, making it an easy practice
to incorporate into our daily life - at the office, in
school, while driving, in the grocery store line,
etc. Make sure to use the tools during every day
moments, and also dedicate to a concentrated
daily practice, of anywhere from 10-60 minutes
in a quiet and uninterrupted space. First thing in
the morning or before bed are ideal times.
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✼ FORM
For a more alert/energizing or quick practice,
sitting up comfortably with a straight spine and
relaxed shoulders is great positioning.
For a longer meditative practice, or one where
the intention is to fully relax the nervous system,
laying down is perfect. Having support
underneath the knees from a pillow to take
pressure off the low back can be more
comfortable for some. Laying on the firm ground
on a mat or blanket, or on the bed or couch, too.
The more firm the surface, the less likely you’ll be
to fall asleep during the practice.
✼ TECHNIQUE
Try to learn as much as possible, but be flexible
in your practice. What your body needs can vary
day to day, and it’s important to be able to tune
into your unique physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual states and learn to meet those needs.
Some days may call for a quick reset technique,
while other times you may need a longer
restorative or healing practice. Over time, you’ll
get really good at being more observant of
yourself if you work on a consistent and flexible
practice.
Deep breaths regulate the
body’s stress responses by
sending cues of safety to the
vagus nerve and leading us
out of survival mode.
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TECHNIQUES
CIRCULAR BREATH:
Visualize a circle in your mind’s eye. Breathing in and out
through the nose, synchronize half of the circle with your
inhalation, and the other half with your exhalation.
There is a continuous flow between breaths, and the
inhalation connects with the exhalation, and the
exhalation with the inhalation. Feel your lungs and
diaphragm expanding and contracting, and repeat this
pattern for 5 minutes, or 8+ rounds.
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INFINITY BREATH:
Breathing in and out through the nose, this technique
takes the circular breathing one step further. Visualize an
infinity symbol, like the figure 8, and synchronize your
inhalation with one of the circles, and your exhalation with
the other circle.
In this technique, we notice also the space between
breaths, where the cool air of the inhalation meets the
warm air of the exhalation, in the center of the infinity
symbol.
Repeat this pattern 8+ times, or set a timer for 3+
minutes.
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DIAMOND BREATH:
Breathing in and out through the nose, this practice
involves placing locks on the various parts of the
breathing cycle. Visualize a diamond and sync each part
of the breathing cycle with a side of the diamond.
Inhaling for a 4 count, hold the breath for a 4 count,
exhale for a 4 count, and hold the breath in the
emptiness for a 4 count.
HOLD INHALE
HOLD
EXHALE
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CONSISTENCY IS KEY
As with anything new, practice and
discipline are fundamental to
creating habits. The best way to start
on this path of wellness and healing
is by simply bringing awareness to
your breath as often as possible.
Each time you bring awareness to
your inhalation or exhalation or the
state of your breath, and you expand
it, you begin to reset the nervous
system. This built in mechanism will
begin to work immediately, and
overtime the nervous system will get
used to a new normal - calmer, less
agitated, and regulated.
Once you’ve become more aware of
your breathing patterns, it’ll be
easier to carve out time during your
day to create a consistent practice.
You can create a morning or
nighttime practice, and watch how
your life begins to transform around
it. You’ll gain greater emotional
awareness, insight into your physical
symptoms, heightened spiritual
connectedness.
Breath is life, and by inviting more in,
the benefits are limitless. Breathe
into your greatness.
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