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We think so often about food, nutrition, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidants, flavonoids, phytonutrients, and so forth, that we can get to the point where we can overlook one of the most important elements for our bodies — oxygen. To the degree that oxygen is abundantly available and distributed throughout our body’s tissues, we will experience energetic and vibrant health and longevity. To the degree that oxygen is missing, we will experience health problems, liabilities and complications of the body, combined with sensations of feeling bad.
Many times, there will be parts of the body that become hypoxic and deprived of oxygen. The difference between a cell respirating with or without the presence of oxygen is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration. This makes a quantum difference to the mitochondria in our cells, which are responsible for creating ATP which is the literal energy that runs our body and makes us feel energized. The addition of oxygen allows the cell to produce up to 19 times as much ATP energy as it can without oxygen present.
This is one reason why exercise makes us feel so good, because the intense respiration during exercise forces oxygen in through the lungs and forces oxygenation throughout our system. It is possible though to oxygenate your body without exercise, just as it is possible to exercise without breathing and oxygenating the body completely fully.
Although deep breathing and breath work have been around since the origins of humanity, the benefits of this ancient technology have become more studied, scientifically scrutinized and documented in recent years. This allows us to ‘stand on the shoulders’ of previous generations as they pass us the baton of knowledge for us to grow our expansion and longevity to even new heights.
Breath work can include methods of inhaling, exhaling, focusing the mind, and centering awareness of the body. The amazing power of breath work lies in its simplicity, with the ability to practice these techniques virtually anywhere for free.
Potential benefits of breath work can include:
Delivery of more oxygen into the bloodstream
Removal of carbon dioxide from the blood
Increase of alkalinity of the blood
Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system
Increased energy
Support of immune function
Improved circulation
Help with pain management
Strengthening of lungs
Enhancement to mood
Release of toxins by respirating through the lungs
Improvement of sleep
Increase of muscle tone by increasing oxygen to the muscles
Improvement of digestion by increasing blood flow to the intestines
Help with focus, creativity, self-awareness and performance
Help to alleviate stress and cortisol in the body
Help to release old traumas, griefs, and fears
Quicker recovery from physical stress
Can create a psychedelic, spiritual or expansive consciousness experience
There are many different methods out there, schools of thought, and approaches to breath work. I am still learning about all of the modalities that are out there and discovering which ones can be most powerful in terms of transforming the body.
I have really resonated with a certain individual whom you could consider a modern pioneer of breath work, a Dutchman who goes by Wim Hof. This person has accomplished feats like climbing Mount Everest in shorts, running a marathon in the desert with no water, sitting in ice for nearly two hours without a change in body temperature, and being injected with a pathogen without his body experiencing an inflammatory immune response. Wim explains that all of this has been accomplished by using a combination of breathing techniques as well as a focus of awareness of his mind and body to control the cardiovascular system, the nervous system and the immune system.
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