Breathwork for Mental Health

Breathwork is a popular and varied field for both mental and physical well-being, with some practices dating back thousands of years. While some breathing exercises for mental health are combined with physical exercises or cold water therapy, others focus solely on the breath.

Much research supports breathwork for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and other mental health benefits. But it’s important to note that people with cardiovascular conditions should explore these options carefully.

This article will explain what you need to know about the breathwork field, how breathwork therapy benefits mental health, and provide advice for getting started. It will cover:

• What breathwork is and the main types that are practiced today
• Clinical evidence for the effectiveness of breathwork on improving mental health
• How breathwork is thought to reduce stress by stimulating the nervous system
• Beginning breathwork and safety concerns

What is Breathwork?

Breathwork is the name for a broad range of techniques and approaches that play with and regulate the breath for therapeutic outcomes. Breathwork has been around for thousands of years and has emerged in many different cultures around the world. For example:^[1]

• The Chinese breathwork practice known as Qigong
• Indian yogic breathing, also known as pranayama
• And more recently, the Wim Hof Method

Each approach varies in its intensity and desired outcome. You might use breathwork to enter a state of deep relaxation, to become energized, or to experience an altered state of consciousness.^[2] Many treat breathwork as a form of lifestyle psychiatry, using it as a key component of a healthy lifestyle.

Types of Breathwork

Breathwork is the name for a broad range of techniques and approaches that play with and regulate the breath for therapeutic outcomes. Breathwork has been around for thousands of years and has emerged in many different cultures around the world. For example:^[1]

• The Chinese breathwork practice known as Qigong
• Indian yogic breathing, also known as pranayama
• And more recently, the Wim Hof Method

Each approach varies in its intensity and desired outcome. You might use breathwork to enter a state of deep relaxation, to become energized, or to experience an altered state of consciousness.^[2] Many treat breathwork as a form of lifestyle psychiatry, using it as a key component of a healthy lifestyle.

Types of Breathwork

As mentioned, there are numerous types of breathwork around the world, each with its own style and focus. Here’s some detail about the main ones you’ll encounter:

Clinical Mental Health Benefits of Breathwork

Many people strongly believe in the power of breath. Scientifically, we know that slowing our breath (such as to six breaths a minute) can induce relaxation and reduce stress levels. Furthermore, we can improve blood circulation to every part of the body by fully expanding our diaphragms.^[1]

In addition, more specific research has been conducted into the particular types of breathwork listed in this article. Here’s what we know:

Mental Health Benefits of the Wim Hof Method

Research into the benefits of the Wim Hof Method finds that most participants report benefits to both their physical and mental health, such as increased mood, energy, and mental focus. People also report improvements in stress, tiredness, anxiety, depression, insomnia, arthritis, back pain, and chronic pain.^[8]

Deep Breathing Health Benefits

Deep breathing research finds that techniques can significantly reduce stress hormones, like cortisol, an effect that is increased when practicing deep breathing over a long period of time.^[4]

Furthermore, for people with stress and anxiety disorders (who tend to breathe faster and more erratically), long-term breathwork and meditation can reduce quick breathing. This suggests that breathwork could be helpful for people who experience panic attacks.^[9]

Scientific Evidence for Pranayama

In terms of pranayama, studies find several positive health benefits, including stress relief, improved respiratory and cardiovascular function, enhanced cognitive performance, better sleep, and less fatigue.^[5]

Mental Health Impact of Qigong

Similarly, Qigong is found to have many physical health benefits and is particularly ideal for older populations because of its low impact.^[7] For mental health effects, there is good evidence to demonstrate Qigong’s effectiveness at reducing stress, anxiety, and depression; however, more research is needed to determine if it can treat specific conditions.^[10]

While there’s a great deal of evidence to suggest breathwork can be powerful for mental well-being, it shouldn’t necessarily replace medical or therapeutic care in every case. If you’ve been in therapy or on medication for a number of years, speak to your doctor or therapist about alternative treatments. They’ll be able to support you in developing an integrated treatment plan.

How to Begin With Breathwork

Before diving into an intense breathwork activity, it’s a good idea to just become aware of how you tend to breathe throughout the day. From there, try to breathe through your nose most of the time.^[1] Also, keep an eye on whether you’re shallow breathing – whereby you breathe a small amount of air into your lungs using your chest, not your diaphragm. 

You might like to start with something simple, like box breathing, instead of activities that involve intentional hyperventilation. These more intense types of breathwork should be carried out in a safe and guided environment with experienced practitioners.^[2]

Breathing techniques for stress can be simple at home, or you could attend specific classes in your local area. Some practitioners offer online classes via video call, but these might feel less safe as you’ll still be on your own. When attending classes (particularly those which promise consciousness-altering experiences or trauma healing through breathwork), always tell the practitioner that you’re a beginner.

Is Breathwork Always Safe?

Mindfulness breathing exercises for depression, stress, and general well-being are typically safe for most people. More intense breathwork activities may be unsuitable for some people with cardiovascular issues, such as those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or who have experienced strokes.^[1]

Mission Connection: Integrating Natural Approaches

If you’re someone who wants a natural approach, we can easily incorporate that into your treatment plan here at Mission Connection. Whether you want to learn stress reduction breathing methods, integrate light therapy, or engage in yoga therapy, your treatment will be personalized. 

We operate from multiple facilities across the US, as well as offering online therapy, and treat a wide range of mental health conditions. Browse our therapies or take a self-test today to learn more.