Help Manage Stress and Chaos with Breathwork
Breathwork can really help manage the chaos, disappointments and over-stimulation of modern life. For example, my own well of positivity easily dries up when reading the news.
However, when I focus on the breath, clarity moves into my psyche like a fresh breeze on a hot humid day. I just breathed myself the other day into a self-directed hour-long process. I had a sore back for the last 10 days prior. I started to wonder if I had some mechanical problem in my lower spine or if my kidneys were way out of whack.
So I get down and breathe and bang! The feelings of frustration, anger, and sadness start to get activated and shift within 10 minutes. Yet again it shows how much emotional material I held in my lower back region. No more back pain. Gone. Just sat on my backside for three whole days driving to Queensland. Still no back pain. What’s remarkable about Breathwork is that it can shift physical pain within one session – something which I still find incredible.
Breathwork is an effective, holistic approach to relieving back pain by harnessing the power of conscious breathing. Stress, poor posture, and muscle tension often contribute to back pain, and breathwork addresses these root causes. By improving oxygen flow, reducing stress, and promoting relaxation, breathwork can alleviate discomfort and enhance overall well-being.
One popular method is diaphragmatic breathing, which involves deep, slow breaths that engage the diaphragm. This technique helps release tension in the back muscles and improves posture, reducing strain on the spine. It also encourages a natural alignment of the body, which can prevent future pain.
Another effective practice is box breathing, where you inhale, hold, exhale, and pause for equal counts. This rhythm calms the nervous system, reduces stress-induced muscle tightness, and improves focus on physical alignment.
Breathwork also taps into the mind-body connection. Controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, fostering relaxation and reducing chronic pain sensations. Moreover, mindful breathing encourages awareness of body movements, helping individuals identify and adjust habits that may exacerbate back pain.
One of the wonderful things about teaching students to become Breathwork practitioners is the transformation. How much can transform over eight days with a small group of committed students just lifts my heart no end. Why? The simplicity of it. No eternal talk therapy. No complex systems of understanding to be nutted out by our intellect. Just Breathwork (life force), some movement (shake the body up) and sound (full self-expression).
Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB) is a transformative breathwork practice designed to cultivate awareness, emotional release, and holistic well-being. This technique involves continuous, rhythmic breathing without pauses between the inhale and exhale, creating a connected and circular flow of breath. By engaging in this intentional pattern, practitioners can access deep relaxation, release suppressed emotions, and enhance their connection to the present moment.
CCB works by increasing oxygen flow, stimulating the nervous system, and encouraging a shift in mental and physical states. The deep, uninterrupted breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps reduce stress, anxiety, and tension. It also brings greater awareness to the body, enabling the release of stagnant energy and emotional blockages stored in the muscles and tissues.
The practice is often used in therapeutic settings, such as trauma recovery, emotional healing, and personal growth. By consciously connecting with the breath, individuals can unlock subconscious patterns, gain clarity, and foster a sense of inner peace.
So let’s celebrate 2025 as a time for resetting our own internal compass towards our sense of purpose, a time to step into something that helps us on occasion rise above the treadmill of the more mundane aspects of life.
I wish you all an alive and vital 2025 and remember to smell the roses (or other suitably perfumed flowers) as you walk down the path of life.