Breath Breathwork to Combat Anxiety in Midlife
When we go through midlife, we often have to deal with a lot of emotions and loss. This can lead to anxiety and panic attacks. If you have never had a panic attack or suffered from anxiety, it may make you feel even more lost and hopeless. However, practicing breathwork can help tremendously in regulating your emotions and feelings during this turbulent time.
What is Breathwork?
Breathwork can be defined as any type of breathing technique or breathing exercises. When you do breathwork, you change your breathing pattern and if you do this on a regular basis, it can greatly help to improve your mental, physical and spiritual well-being. It involves you breathing in a conscious and systematic way and will leave you energized and relaxed afterwards. BreathWork is good if you find meditation difficult.
Types of Breathwork
There are many types of breathwork you can do. Here are some:
- Shamanic Breathwork
- Transformational Breath
- Clarity Breathwork
- Rebirthing
- Holotropic Breathwork
Lots of mindful apps have guides on breathwork, and you can also find recordings on YouTube. If you’re new at breathwork, it’s advisable to find a breathwork practitioner to help you get started, especially with the more difficult types.
If you however can’t find a practitioner, there are some simple exercises you can do at home. Here are some examples:
- Box breathing – you breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, breathe out for four counts and hold for four counts.
- Pursed lip breathing – fill your lungs and abdomen with air through your nose, purse your lips like when you’re blowing on hot food and exhale slowly. You should exhale slower than you inhaled.
There are some other exercises you can also do to deepen your breath, but make sure to consult a healthcare provider before embarking on other types of breathwork. However, the advantages of breathwork are numerous and is a great way to help you when you feel anxious or feel panicky about your midlife journey.
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