Benefits of Breathwork

Breathwork acts as a nervous system regulator. By breathing in specific patterns we can activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which is our rest and digest friend. By consciously activating this part of our nervous system we tell our whole being that we are safe which cultivates feelings of calmness and wellness. We reduce cortisol in the body again which is a cause of stress. By creating the space to breath in we can slow down our mind and reduce anxious thoughts and feelings. Being in nature also has a big effect on our nervous system. We evolved over thousands of years seeing trees and plants and living in natural settings. Our bodies and minds crave the familiarity of the natural world that we are born from and by being in nature and taking the time to connect we can sooth our nervous system, bringing us out of our anxious minds and into the steadiness of our animal bodies.

By consciously choosing to activate our parasympathetic nervous system we drop into the body more. If we are experiencing chronic stress and anxiety our cortisol levels will be heightened and thus our sympathetic nervous system will be activated which is our fight, flight freeze response. When in our fight, flight freeze response our minds don't tend to do well with critical thinking as we evolved these kinds of responses in order to stay alive when in danger. Therefore, when we chose to move out of this chronic stressed space into consciously activating our parasympathetic nervous system our mind becomes sharper as we regain control of more of our executive functioning and ability to think critically.

By engaging in conscious breathing techniques we are effectively taking our lungs to the gym. Our diaphragm is a muscle that sits underneath the ribcage and draws air into the lungs as we breath in. This muscle, if used incorrectly will not be as strong as it should be andwill therefore not be as effective in drawing air into the lungs. A breathwork "workout" will strenghten not just your diaphgram but the muscles around your rib cage and ultimately begin to open up your chest and lungs increasing the volume of air they can hold making each breath you take more efficient and full of that sweet sweet life giving Oxygen.

Slow and deep breathing can help slow heart rate and dilate blood vessels. This in turn helps with circulation. Our breathing has a physiological effect on us, meaning the way we breath affects how our bodies perform. In regards to blood pressure, if we breath fast and short breaths, our heart beat tends to follow, beating fast and increasing blood pressure. When consciously breathing slowly and deeply we can slow our heart rate thus reducing our blood pressure and overall improving circulation. This reduces the risk of cardiac related diseases

Breathwork is a pathway to self understanding and development. When engaging in this mindful practice we can become aware of unhelpful thought loops and behavioural patterns that we may be ready to let go of. We can then choose to actively work on these behaviours once they have come to light and we understand them more through awareness. Then it becomes a choice to change. By committing to your own personal practice of breathwork, or turning up to a session every week you are creating the neural pathways that promote healthy behaviours and good self care hygiene

With every inhalation, oxygen enters our bodies, nourishing our blood, lymph fluid, and even aiding in the removal of toxins. Conversely, each exhale carries away carbon dioxide and other waste products, further cleansing our system.

It's astonishing to realize that many of us are unintentionally "under-breathing," failing to take deep breaths regularly. There is a huge significance of breathing in detoxifying the body and enhancing both physical and mental function.

Our lungs serve as the pumps of the lymphatic system. Engaging in effective breathing exercises can eliminate obstructions and stagnant energy while oxygenating deep tissues, organs, and glands throughout our entire body. This powerful practice is arguably the most effective detoxification method available to all humans.

By taking deep breaths, we promote better blood flow, elevate oxygen levels, and enhance the body's ability to expel toxins. Moreover, oxygenated blood optimizes the functioning of vital organs, including our immune system. Research even demonstrates that having toxin-free blood can bolster our defences against infection-causing germs, ultimately strengthening our immunity.

When breathing unconsciously we can tend to breath inefficiently. So by breathing short breaths we are not getting a full lung full of air and do not cycle the oxygen and carbon dioxide in us. By breathing in fully and doing breathing exercises we can ensure that we get a good amount of oxygen into the blood and therefore energy gets to each of the millions of cells in our body. This means we can be efficient in our use of oxygen, making the most of each breath and increasing our energy levels. Being outside and in nature also elevates our energy levels as our senses are stimulated and more of the body is "online"

An incredible effect of breathworks more activating practices can create a stronger and more effective immune system making you more resilient to illness. By consciously choosing to use an activating breath - that is an active and strong inhale at a steady pace it activates the sympathetic nervous system. This increases the heart rate and begins to activate that fight, flight freeze response mentioned before. Why could this be a good thing? Isn't the goal to de-activate this stress response? By consciously activating the sympathetic nervous system we are mimicking what happens when we are in a dangerous or stressful situation. The difference is we then consciously regulate our bodies back down to baseline. In doing so we increase the level of white blood cells circulating in our body and if practiced regularly it can boost the amount of these defenders in our blood stream making us more resilient to disease. Many studies have been done to show how breathwork exercises can be used to help fight off infection and reduce the symptoms
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034215/

Breathwork is a somatic experience meaning to do with the body. Using our mind we can store emotions that are too overwhelming or that we reject in our bodies which can then manifest in unconscious behaviours or physical symptoms. It is very common in western society for us to have some level of emotional repression. Breathwork bypasses the mind and opens up emotional pathways of the body and allows for any repressed or stuck emotions to come out, to be processed and moved through just as nature intended for our emotions. The strong emotional responses and trauma release tend to happen from activating breathwork practices not the restful relaxing practices. This is because in the activating practices we are increasing the energy in the body, and e-motions are energy in motion. Tapping into the limbic system in a safe space has been shown to benefit people and help to process difficult feelings and past traumas. The facilitators at Native Roots are trauma informed practitioners extremely attentive to individuals needs during all sessions