In essence, conscious breathing encompasses techniques directing awareness towards the breathing process. It is deeply rooted in various ancient traditions across the world. One of the earliest mentions of conscious breathing can be found in the Vedas, ancient Hindu texts. The practice of Pranayama, which involves controlling the breath to influence energy and mind, has been integral to yoga and meditation practices. In Taoism, the practice of Qigong emphasises breathwork to align the body, mind, and spirit with the flow of Qi (life energy). Taoist teachings also advocate for conscious breathing to enhance health and longevity. In Buddhist meditation, particularly Vipassana and Zen, mindful breathing is central. The focus on breath helps practitioners stay grounded in the present moment, fostering deep awareness and insight.
In the West, conscious breathing wasn’t widely known until the 19th century when western medical pioneers such as the French Emile Coué promoted the idea of using breath and suggestion for relaxation and self-healing. In the 20th century, the people most closely associated with the birth of modern breathwork are the founders of Holotopic Breathwork and Rebirthing Breathwork. Stanislav and Christine Grof developed Holotropic Breathwork in the 1970s. This involves accelerated breathing with evocative music in a special set or setting. Leonard Orr discovered and developed Rebirthing Breathwork from the 1960s. Rebirthing uses conscious connected breathing – merging the inhale and the exhale – to induce deep relaxation and an expanded state of consciousness to allow unresolved memories and emotions to move through the system, creating more space for peace and joy. There are now numerous off-shoots of these two types of breathing.
Another leader in contemporary conscious breathing was the Ukrainian doctor, Konstantin Buteyko. In the 1950s he worked as a doctor in a tuberculosis hospital . He noticed that the sicker a patient was, the harder and faster their breathing. He tested different breathing patterns on himself and discovered that breathing slowly through his nose reduced his high blood pressure. His personal experience combined with his observations and research in hospital, culminated in the development of the Buteyko method. Buteyko’s methods have been found to be extremely effective for issues such as asthma, snoring, sleep apnea, panic, anxiety, long Covid and more.
In the past ten years, breathwork has gained an enormous amount of attention and enthusiasm through books such as the number one best seller Breath, by James Nestor and through the popularity of Wim Hof, also known as ‘The Iceman’, who combines cold exposure, breathwork and meditation.
Another key player in the world of modern breathing practices is Patrick McKeown, who has developed the methods of Dr Buteyko, having trained with him in the 1990s. Patrick runs the Buteyko Clinic International and has written a number of courses and books about breathing, including the Oxygen Advantage, which focuses on breathing to improve oxygen uptake and improve athletic performance.
Today, many people are recognising the transformative power of the breath. Customised practices can combine a number of different techniques to offer each person an individualised answer to how breathing can support physical, mental and emotional health.
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