Although breathing is a natural part of your daily routine, many people have started participating in breathwork. For those with anxiety and stress of any kind, the practice of breathwork can work wonders for their body.
While they all have different methodologies, the five most common types of breathwork share a similar goal of bringing relaxation to practitioners. You can improve your overall mental, physical, and spiritual health through these different breathwork practices.
Knowing about the different types of breathwork that exist can help you decide which one is more suited to your needs. Please keep reading to learn what breathwork is, what it can do for you, and the five most common types.
Article Topics
The 5 Most Common Types of Breathwork
Many different types of breathwork exist depending on what works best for you as an individual. While some people benefit more from longer practices, others do better with shorter practice sessions.
Read on below to learn more about the 5 most common types of breathwork to see which one may resonate with you.
Holotropic Breathwork
Holotropic Breathwork was developed by Dr. Stan Grof and Christina Grof in the 1970s as a form of therapy. The method is designed to help people who are struggling with their emotional well-being and personal growth.
Holotropic sessions can last anywhere from about 20 minutes to an hour or longer depending on the breathwork instructor and your individual needs. The practice includes breathing at a methodical and mostly faster pace to help you to get to a deep meditative state.
This type of breathwork is often done within a group and is led by a certified instructor who specializes in this type of breathwork. During the sessions, there is often music and the emphasis on controlled breathing at a fast pace to get you to a somewhat altered state of mind.
Oftentimes, at the end of the breathwork session, you are led through a drawing of a mandala while discussing the session. This is done as a way to decompress after such an intense session of breathing.
Shamanic Breathwork
Shamanic Breathwork is based on helping you to focus on inner healing and is one of the more unique types of practice. With the common use of tribal music that is used with chanting and setting intentions, the practice can feel more intense.
While many practitioners stick with the origins of Shamanic Breathwork with the tribal music and chants, others alter the methodology slightly with various music to accommodate the variety of students in the classes.
The primary focus of Shamanic Breathwork is to empower practitioners to focus on the self and how to bring themselves back to the lives they were meant to live. Every person who participates in this type of breathwork has an individual experience that can go able bringing healing to their emotional and spiritual well-being.
Rebirthing Breathwork
Rebirthing Breathwork is a type of practice that is also referred to as Conscious Energy Breathing (CEB) and was created by Leonard Orr. the focus of this type of breathwork focuses on various emotions that may be repressed and were caused by various trauma that may have happened at some point in life.
Breathing exercises within Rebirthing Breathwork are designed with circular breathing that is done in a continuous method with no breaks in between. The focus is to bring up repressed memories for working through them.
It is important to note that Rebirthing Breath should only be done under the supervision of a certified instructor that specializes in this method. It is also essential to understand that with this method of breathwork, you will likely experience an emotional release that is brought on by the memories that are conjured up.
Transformational Breathwork
Transformational Breathwork is focused on decreasing or getting rid of trauma that was experienced during your birth. Created by Judith Kravitz in the 1970s, the method consists of you producing loud sounds and stomping your feet and hands at times.
Often thought of as a method that allows for adult temper tantrums, Transformational Breathwork can be done in a group or individually. The practice focuses on breathing exercises while stomping the feet and hands to get certain feedback.
The benefit of Transformational Breathwork is the idea that it helps to build a deep connection with you and your spirituality. You can bring in memories or certain traumas and through breathing and stomping can release them.
Wim Hof
Wim Hof Breathwork was designed by the instructor himself and is extremely unique and intense in its practice. The method is focused on three foundational skills including exposure to cold, constant controlled breathing, and meditation.
The practice is typically done with practitioners immersing themselves in ice water for about three minutes all the while using conscious breathing methods. The method has been known to not only be healing for your mental health but also have physical health benefits as well.
Through this practice, the immune system is strengthened, you develop your strength and weaknesses, therefore, stress is reduced, and as a bonus, inflammation can be decreased with regular participation. Keep in mind that this method should be done under the supervision of a certified instructor.
While many instructors agree that this type of breathwork, with ice baths, is difficult to set up for a class environment, it is well suited to individual sessions. The instructors who use this method should not only be certified but should be well versed in the methodology of the Wim Hof Breathwork method.
Where Can I Learn More About Breathwork?
If you want to learn more about breathwork and the benefits that it can bring to your life, you can visit the best breathwork course article. Jon Paul Crimi is focused on teaching others the benefits of breathwork and how it can transform your life.
Through his personal discovery of breathwork and how it changed his life, he has dedicated his life to helping others. Breathwork, according to Crimi, has a way of helping practitioners work through past traumas and life events to reduce stress and anxiety, build confidence, and move forward instead of living in the past.
Through his teaching methods, he has trained many instructors to not only learn the benefits but to pass on the wisdom of breathwork to many students around the world. His teaching methods are focused on three courses that are designed to give instructors the full breathwork experience.
His three courses consist of:
- Five-Day Emotional Detox
- Basics & One-on-One
- How to Lead Couples and Groups
Conclusion
Overall, breathwork practice is designed to help people overcome trauma, addictions, and many other ailments to get to a place of peace. Through the various methods, practitioners can reduce stress and relax from their busy life.
