DO YOU EVEN breathe on purpose?
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, our base physiological needs include breathing, food, water, shelter, clothing, and sleep. We are rarely without clothing and could get by with just a few scraps if we needed. Shelter isn’t guaranteed, but it is visible and tangible. People are even trading in their homes to seek shelter in automobiles while they travel the world. We notice when sleep is missing, and we often make choices that work against it. Food is abundant, but we can survive weeks without eating. Water is in every cell of our body, our second priority, and we can make it a few days without it. Each breath we take delivers life to our cells. Breathing is our most basic need; it happens without thinking, and we take it for granted. Try going without it, and we’re lucky if more than a few minutes pass.
“Aside from maintaining basic life functions, breath is one of our most powerful tools for transforming ourselves: burning up toxins, releasing stored emotions, changing body structure, and changing consciousness. Without breath, we could not speak, for air is the force behind our voice. We could not metabolize our food without oxygen. Our brain could not think. Breathing is a grossly underestimated source of life-giving, healing, and purifying energy.” (1)
We voluntarily seek out all our other needs, but how often do we intentionally seek out breath? We do not have to go looking for it, so chances are we do not even think twice. Our body adjusts to what we are unconsciously doing and seeks only the oxygen it needs. How are we living our lives? Most of us sit in a car to drive to work, sit at a desk to work, sit in the car to get back home, and then sit on a couch to unwind. Our sedentary lifestyle is subconsciously wiring our bodies to tell us we don’t need as much oxygen to exist. Less oxygen to the brain, less oxygen to circulate to the extremities, and less oxygen for our body's organs to repair and reset. Other limiting factors that can hinder our oxygen levels include smoking, altitude, age, and medical conditions with the lungs and circulation.
To improve circulation and the amount of oxygen carried through our blood, we need to become intentional with our breathing. We cannot monitor each breath we take to ensure we fill our lungs fully, but focused breathwork can push the envelope of our lungs and oxygen saturation. Breathwork is defined by Merriam-Webster as conscious, controlled breathing done especially for relaxation, meditation, or therapeutic purposes. When we take a moment to sit and breathe deeply, intentionally filling our lungs with more air, our bodies immediately begin to feel the effects. A recent study of pilots (Steinman et al., 2024) revealed that guided slow breathing (6 breaths a minute) raised oxygen saturation by 7 to 10 percent over spontaneous breathing. (2) Our inner physiology changes when we take on the practice of breathwork.
My first introduction to breathwork involved practicing taking deep breaths. No rhythm, no end goal, just breathing deeply. I did not practice regularly because it was a new and unfamiliar activity. I only took the opportunity when it sporadically crossed my mind. In the spring of 2024, I joined a men’s group, The Alliance. At the beginning of each meeting, we do collective breathwork, particularly Wim Hof-style breathing. At first, I was resistant. It forced me to become still and feel what was going on within. Thoughts, feelings, and sensations arose, and I was unsure how to process them all. With a little more patience and practice, I began to look forward to the weekly work.
Breathwork is a practice that improves my quality of life in a mental, physical and emotional way. Physically, focused breathing lowers my heart rate, delivers more oxygen through my body, and balances my normal state of shallow breathing. Mentally, it helps me reduce anxiety and stress, increase mental clarity and focus, and reduce stress and anxiety in the moments it starts to pile on. Emotionally, it has allowed me to regulate the emotions that come into play and get to the mental clarity needed to get to the root of the issue. The effects of breathwork bring a temporary state of change to my body, inducing a state of peace and calmness.
What if we could breathe more proactively? Most of us tend to focus on our breath reactively. We become stressed or panicked or see someone else in that state we tend to calm the person down by saying, “Just breathe.” When we implement and practice intentional breathwork, the changes will be noticeable in our daily lives. Less stress, better handling of stressful situations, and an overall higher sense of calmness in our day. Three ways breathwork can be implemented daily:
1. When switching from one part of your day to the next (i.e., sitting in your car before walking into work or going home after work).
2. Schedule 5 – 10 minutes every hour or every other hour at work. Consider it an exchange for a smoke break.
3. Situational. When you wake up, before bed, whenever a tough conversation or situation is on the horizon, take the time to regulate beforehand.
There are many variations, levels, and ways to try for yourself. I encourage you to research and try a few out to see what works. I will be creating guided videos on my YouTube page, so give it a follow and explore as they pop up! Click HERE
1. Judith, A. (2004). Wheels of life: A user's guide to the chakra system (2nd ed.). Llewellyn Publications.
2. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0302564
