Breathwork for Mental Health

Breathwork is now a commonly used modality in mental health counseling, therapy, and other healing practices. Popularized by its sister practices yoga and meditation, breathwork is a natural way to reduce anxiety, stress, depression, panic, and even grief. More and more individuals are giving daily breathwork practices a try before attempting to manage these symptoms with medication therapies.

What is breathwork?

Breathwork is not just simple breathing- breathwork is a focused, intentional breath that is repeated several times depending on the targeted goal. Although you are physically using your body while participating in breathwork, this is also a mental exercise.

How does breathwork improve emotional symptoms I may be experiencing?

Breathwork gently pushes you toward tapping into your parasympathetic nervous system, or the “rest and digest” function of the body. In our modern world, we are constantly on the go, stimulated, and on guard. Living in this state keeps us in “fight, flight, or freeze” mode, disconnecting from our bodies and focusing on survival. Living in a constant vigilant or hypervigilant state can create havoc on the body, leading to burnout. Breathwork brings us back to our bodies, helping us get in touch with what we are truly feeling, mentally, emotionally, and even physically.

How do I know if breathwork would be helpful for me?

Before participating in a breathwork session, talk to your primary care doctor. Certain breathwork practices are contraindicated for specific physical ailments such as COPD, individuals with pacemakers, or individuals who are being treated for serious cardiac diseases. The effects of breathwork on mental health have the green light from your doctor, connect with a breathwork practitioner to explore which types of breathwork may be a good fit for you.

Are you interested in exploring breathwork as a part of your therapy journey? We are here to help. We have therapists that are trained in breathwork practices that can incorporate breathwork into your talk therapy sessions. Email us at hello@serenemindpsych.com or give us a call at 813.321.8280 to set up an intake appointment to see if one of our therapists can aid you in your healing journey.