Breathwork practices in Bournemouth is becoming more easily accessible as the popularity of this form of meditation increases.
You’re able to complete breathing exercises with practitioners in areas all over Bournemouth, such as Ferndown, Canford Cliffs, Ringwood and Poole.
Once you incorporate breathwork into your daily or weekly schedule, you’ll start to notice changes in your body, from better breathing, lower blood pressure and a healthier heart.
Did you know, 50% of toxins in the body will be released through deep breathing?
We will also delve into what breathwork does for your body, and how it effects your wellbeing. There are multiple different types of breathwork exercises that you can perform, some of which require a bit more practice, however, this can be achieved through one of the qualified breathwork teachers in this article.
If you’re interested in pursuing breathwork in the Bournemouth area, we have outlined all the available locations that can be utilised for a successful breathwork session, as well as inform you on the specialised breathwork teachers in the Dorset area.
What is breathwork?
Breathwork is a certain technique that helps a person change their breathing pattern. This is used to help improve someone’s mental and physical state. It focuses solely on how an individual inhales and exhales. There are many different breathwork exercises you can perform that will help you relieve stress, and improve your emotional state.
What happens during breathwork?
During a breathwork exercise, you’re forcing your breathing to slow down. This is a way of telling your brain that everything is going to be okay.
Your body will then respond by relaxing. Breathing deeply will diminish the ‘flight or fight’ stress response by neutralizing the stress hormone; adrenaline, in your body.
(Did you know; when you rest, you’ll breathe an estimate of 12 litres of air per minute. During high intensity exercising, this will increase to 150 litres, with professional athletes reaching a high amount of 220 litres).
Breathwork is a way to rid the body and nervous system from emotional stress. During a breathing technique, you disconnect from your thoughts and connect to your heart.
What are the different types of breathwork exercises?
One of the most common breathwork techniques is the ‘deep abdominal breathing’. This involves taking long deep breaths. The aim of this exercise to breathe so deeply that your chest and stomach expand. As soon as you exhale, your chest will relax. Deep breathing is one of the breathwork exercises that will initialise your body to relax.
The other breathwork exercises are;
1. 4,7,8 exercise
In this breathwork exercise, you count as you inhale and exhale as a way to calm your mind down. Breathe in for four, keep your breath in for seven beats and exhale while counting to eight.
When you take an extended amount of time to breathe out, it will force you to empty the air out of your lungs.
2. Nostril breathing
This breathing involves alternating between pressing down on your right and left nostril. You will breathe in while one of your nostrils are closed, followed by holding your breath when you swap over.
This technique is used to find balance between your mind and body.
3. Fire breathing
An advanced technique, this exercise requires a person to engage their core when they exhale only as a way to release the air out of your body.
After some practice, this is a good method to give yourself a feeling of ‘steadiness’.
4. Holotropic technique
This breathing exercise will require an instructor when you first learn how to master it. It involves no pause between your inhales and exhales.
The aim of this technique is to full your body with oxygen and regenerate your cells.
Breathwork places in Bournemouth
Depending on what area you’re located in, Bournemouth has ample breathwork institutions where you can go for a breathing class or one-on-one with a certified breathwork instructor. The regions where you can find a Health and Wellness therapist includes Ringwood, Canford Cliffs, Bournemouth and Ferndown.
Each location will have their own bespoke features, such as the environment in which the the teacher will conduct the class in, or the use of meditation music.
Breathwork Ringwood
With access to the Ringwood forest and Moors Valley, breathwork meditation is popular within nature. Breathing exercises in a forest will heighten your senses and improve the feeling of relaxation.
Trees converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, practising breathwork in this location will help you improve the amount of oxygen that reaches your lungs.
Breathwork Canford Cliffs
With Canford Cliffs being midway between Bournemouth and Poole, you’re close enough to reach the beach, or make use of Branksome’s Park wood area which gives you access to a woodland area on the way to Branksome beach.
Breathwork in Canford Cliffs will either make use of a studio, the woodlands or on the beach. Breathwork on the beach is extremely beneficial as ‘ocean air’ is known to help reduce breathing symptoms such as asthma. This is due to the salt, iodine and magnesium that is in sea air.
Breathwork in Ferndown
Ferndown Leisure Centre holds classes specific to breathwork exercises. It can be incorporated into a yoga class, and will be taught by an instructor.
Ferndown forest is also available for use for a more serene class.
Breathwork Bournemouth Central
Bournemouth central is popular for its many beaches. Breathwork classes, or a one-on-one is often conduced near the sea air.
A studio session is also available with a breath coach, such as Karolina Mikulicz who is based in Bournemouth, and offers private sessions only.
She also has a Facebook Page where you can join her own breathwork practices over a live event.
Breathwork teachers in Bournemouth
You won’t have any trouble finding a breathwork’s teacher in Bournemouth. There are ample different life coaches that practice breathwork, yoga instructors that focus on breathing techniques as well as mindfulness coaches. Each teacher will have their own unique skills and experiences to guide you in exercises that work best for you.
If you’re closer to the Ferndown/Wimborne area, Debbie Williams is a holistic wellbeing life coach and transformational healer.
In the Poole area, Sharon Marie King specialises in breathwork, mindfulness as well as being a qualified NLP (natural language processing) practitioner.
For breathwork through yoga (connecting with your mind and body), Leanne offers a class that consists of breathing exercises, meditation and yoga.
Eirene Gold is a breathwork, sound and massage therapist as well as well as a crystal healer at Awake Holistic Therapies Poole.
Here, you will be able to focus on your physical, emotional ans mental wellbeing.
If you want to check out all the different yoga classes available in Bournemouth, you can look at Yogahub.
Sam Jones is a breathwork and physical trainer in central Bournemouth. He uses combined methods of conscious breathing and specific movements to help improve an individuals health. You can find some of Sam’s breathwork collections via InsightTimer.
You can also check out his Facebook page to stay up to date with his planned sessions that you’ll be able to attend.
What are the benefits of breathwork?
There are many added benefits from adding breathwork exercises into your daily routine. Consistently working on your breathing technique will help improve your central nervous system. Have you noticed how you stop taking full breaths when you’re stressed? This impacts the amount of oxygen that enters your bloodstream.
This is why a person can sometimes feel faint. Breathwork will help improve your mood, act as an anti-inflammatory, and help process emotions.
Actively working on your breathing techniques have been known to help improve;
- Anger
- Depression and anxiety
- Grief
- Trauma and post traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic pain
Some of the important benefits that come from breathwork include;
1. Helps improve energy levels
Because breathwork exercises will increase the amount of oxygen in the blood, it will increase a persons energy levels.
Did you know, the amount of oxygen that we allow into our cells will determine how much energy we will have?.
2. Better self-awareness and more presence
During breathing exercises, you’ll slow down your brainwaves from thinking and ‘doing’. This will create a dream-like state of being, where you will be in the ‘present’ moment.
3. Improved self-love
Through the use of nostril and deep breathing, you will begin to feel a deeper connection with yourself. Breathwork has been know to help create a deeper connection with own selves through the vibration of breathwork.
4. Better sleep
Because breathwork helps calm the nervous system, it will reduce the effects from stimulants, such as looking at a screen or caffeine.
Breathing techniques quieten the mind and reduce stress which will aid in being able to fall asleep quicker.
5. Helps release trauma
When we don’t process our negative emotions, they will be stored in the body, and over time, impact your physical well-being.
Although verbal therapy is good to acknowledge the traumas that have caused these emotions, it does not always release them.
With breathwork, you’ll be able to unblock and release any built up trauma in your body.
6. Reduces pain
When a person has constant chronic pain, you’ll try and prevent yourself from feeling anything. This can be done in the form of pain killers.
However, when we distance ourselves from our body, we’re stopping our ability to heal on our own. Breathwork will reconnect you, and help release good hormones, such as endorphins.
Deep breathing will reduce pain because it changes the acidity levels of your body. When this becomes more alkaline, it neutralises pain. It relaxes the muscles, and stops us from staying tense.
7. Decreases toxins in the body
Did you know, over 50% of toxins that are in your body, is supposed to be released through breathing? This is mainly carbon dioxide, which gets removed when you expand your diaphragm.
During this breathing exercise, you will massage your lymphatic system which will initiate toxin release. This will help strengthen your lungs.
Are there negative effects to breathwork?
When you’re new to breathwork, it can sometimes be extremely overwhelming, specifically if you focus on performing the more advanced techniques. An example of this is hyperventilating during an exercise. Hyperventilation is when your breathing becomes rapid, and you can start to feel out of breath.
There are a few disadvantages to breathwork that can occur, however, after some practice the exercises will become second nature to you, and you will be able to experience the benefits.
Some of the negative effects that can occur during breathwork are;
- Dizziness
- Tingling sensations
- Change in regular heartbeat
- Muscle spasms
If you already suffer with a slow heart rate or cardiovascular concerns, you ay need to refrain from slow breath exercises.
It’s important to ensure you practice your breathwork technique in the right surroundings. Too much noise will interfere with your focus during the exercise. You won’t be able to have an effective session if your external surroundings distract you.
How often should you practice breathwork?
Breathwork exercises are safe to do everyday. It will depend on how often you want to incorporate the practice into your everyday life. Some individuals will complete their breathing exercises a couple of days a week, or even every fortnight.
It is, however, recommended to do breathwork daily to reap its benefits.
Each practice can range between 20 minutes to an hour, but will depend on each persons needs, and how much time you allow.
FAQ
Is breathwork the same as meditation?
Although breathwork is form of meditation, it focuses on a different outcome. Breathing techniques are used to heal and transform ourselves, whereas, meditation is done to bring oneself into the present moment, to relax and have mental clarity.
Is breathwork scientifically proven?
Breathwork has been scientifically proven to aid in improved functionality of a persons heart, immune system and brain.
Is breathwork healthy?
Breathwork is healthy because it helps reduce a persons stress levels, as well as blood pressure. With some of the advanced practices, you can release past trauma and built up negative emotions from your body.
Conclusion
Breathwork done regularly has many added benefits to a persons physical health, as well as mental. It reduces stress and helps improve your self-awareness.
Once you incorporate breathing exercises into your daily life, and stay consistent, you will start to notice a change in your energy levels, sleeping patterns and moods.
Breathwork in Bournemouth is fast becoming one of the most popular forms of therapy, and is available either through a life coach, yoga instructor or psychologist.
You’ll be able to practice breathwork through a group class or a private lesson in Ferndown, Poole or Bournemouth.
(Quiz Question; how many litres of air do you breathe during heavy exercise?). Submit your answer with the use of the comments box below.