Breathwork

Breathwork in its many incarnations has been used in several traditions and for millennia as a path to reach different states of consciousness.

A growing body of research is showing how practicing high-ventilation and slow-paced breathwork can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, while also influencing self-awareness, emotion regulation, and the way we relate to our inner experience.

In this view, breathwork can be understood as a way of using the breath to modulate both body and mind, opening access to states of greater arousal, altered consciousness, or deeper regulation.

When harnessed in therapy, these practices can create the conditions for meaningful psychological change, helping you approach stress, trauma-related symptoms, and emotionally significant material in a more direct and grounded way.

  • Practices in which breathing becomes faster and/or deeper than usual, so that ventilation rises above the normal range.

    These practices can be associated with strong bodily sensations, heightened arousal, and, in some forms, marked changes in subjective experience and consciousness.

    When used in a therapeutic context, it may help bring emotionally significant material closer to awareness and may open a space for exploration, release and meaningful change.

  • Practices in which breathing is deliberately slowed and regulated.

    In this view, slowing the breath is generally associated with greater parasympathetic activity, increased heart rate variability, and a state that is commonly interpreted as reduced stress.

    When used in therapy, SPB can help create stability, calm, and a more grounded contact with one’s inner experience.