25/05/2026
Breath therapy
What is it?
Also called breath work, breath therapy incorporates a variety of techniques to help us breathe in a freer, more natural & healthier way. Breath therapy not only supports our overall health & well-being, it can also be used to help specific physical & emotionally problems. It's based on the principle that most adults tend to breathe in unnatural, constricted ways & that such breathing has a negative influence on almost every aspect of our lives. Learning proper, unrestricted breathing is a natural way to achieve better health.
How does it work?
Proper breathing supports our healthin many ways. It efficiently oxygenates tissues & energizes the body, calms & balances the nervous system, cleanses our internal organs, improves lymphatic circulation, removes toxins from body's cells & helps release our negative emotions & experiences.
Breath therapy works by helping our breathing find its natural harmony & co-ordination in relation to the changing demands of our lives. Although there are many approaches to breath therapy, one of the most fundamental is breath awareness. Through breath awareness techniques, you learn to observe the restrictions & imbalances in your breathing. Without this awareness, many breathing therapy techniques fall far short of their potential & may even aggravate a problem.
Another important approach is focused breathing, in which you consciously "direct" each breath into a particular part of the body for healing. Then you, also have controlled breathing (called pranayama in yoga), here, different breathing techniques, including fast breaths & breath-holding, are used not only to assist physical, mental & emotional health, but also to aid in spiritual development.
In addition, there are a variety of breathing therapy approaches that are used in combination with other healing modalities. In movement-supported breathing, you move in ways that can stimulate new, healthier patterns of breathing & in touch-supported breathing, you use touch or pressure to help focus your breaths & reduce any restrictions or tension that inhibit your breaths. In posture-supported breathing, you use certain postures to expand your breaths & support fuller breathing. In sound-supported breathing, you utter sounds that can help lengthen your exhalations, strengthen your diaphragm & release unnecessary tension.
The best way to learn is to find a competent breath therapist, teacher or coach. There are also many good alternative practitioners who use therapy as part of their treatment in programs. You can add years to your life just by breathing correctly.
