Six Benefits of Practicing Breathwork Three Times a Day
A Quick Overview of What and Why
Prior to becoming a certified Yoga Breathing Coach® through a program with Yoga Teachers College, I thought that breathing exercises were something you only did to calm down or during a meditation session.
I quickly found out that I was wrong!
What I learned during my training is the importance of practicing at least three times a day and the many benefits of a regular practice.
There are many wonderful and effective breathwork practices available and there is something out there for everyone. I sought out my training with this program because they have an accessible, science-based approach that resonates with my values and what I want to share with my audience and clients.
In my opinion, in order to make something part of your daily routine, it needs to be easy to understand and perform and produce results. I also believe you should be able to understand what it is helping you to do and why.
I won’t be going deep into the science in this article since this is intended to be an overview only. I do spend time on the science behind the exercises with my private coaching clients, but I’ll link a couple of previous articles that get more into that at the end to give you a glimpse.
Six Benefits of Breathwork
The following are the six benefits of a yoga breathing practice that many people are searching for when looking to improve their well-being:
Relieve stress
Reduce anxiety
Improve mental focus
Boost digestion
Improve sleep
Balance your energy
Relieving stress and reducing anxiety is often what brings people to a breath practice in the first place. This was certainly true in my case. However, the other four benefits listed are worth enjoying as well.
In fact, if we look at all six of them as a whole, you can see that they all support each other.
For example, improved sleep can help balance your energy, which in turn, can help relieve stress and anxiety and vice versa.
Reduced stress can improve mental focus, and so on. They are all interconnected!
It’s important to note that you can experience some of these benefits in a single session, but to truly embody the benefits it’s key to develop a consistent practice. Ideally, three times per day on a daily basis.
The Times of Day to Practice and Why
The great thing about this type of practice is that the exercises are easy to learn and master, and they only take a few minutes at a time. So you’re not looking at trying to carve out 15-30 minutes three times a day. Five minutes or less a session is plenty!
So when should you practice each day and why?
Morning to Up-regulate (Energy)
Exercises like Breath of Fire help generate energy in the body. These exercises are performed using a high breath per minute rate (30-60bpm) and stimulate your sympathetic nervous system (i.e. fight or flight) response to increase energy. These are best done on an empty stomach upon waking or prior to a workout.
Afternoon to Regulate (Reset/Rebalance)
Exercises like Balanced Breathing help to regulate or rebalance your nervous system. These are wonderful exercises because they can give you a boost (up-regulate) or calm you (down-regulate) depending on your needs.
They help to restore the balance between your sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous systems. While typically done in the afternoon, these can be done at any time of the day.
Evening to Down-regulate (Relax)
Exercises like Boxed Breath help relax the body and mind. They down-regulate your nervous system through a slower rate of breath which stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). This type of exercise is excellent as a part of a regular bedtime routine but is also good after a meal.
Summary
There is more to a breathwork practice than easing stress and anxiety. It also doesn’t need to be difficult or time-consuming or be part of anything spiritual. With a consistent daily practice, you can build upon the many benefits it offers.
In addition, when you begin to learn how the exercises do what they do (the science) they become more accessible to you and you’ll begin to learn what your body needs at any given time and which exercise to use. Understanding the ‘why’ is key to removing any mystery behind the practice.
While these are easy to learn, I highly recommend that you learn how to do them safely and properly from a professionally trained coach as you would any other type of new wellness program.
Disclaimer: This is article is not intended to provide medical advice or treat any condition. While these exercises are generally safe and effective for most people, there can be contraindications. It is important to consult with your medical professional before embarking on a new practice like this. Never perform these exercises in water or while driving.
For more on breathwork practices these may be of interest to you:
This Balanced Breathing Exercise Can Help Rebalance Your Nervous System
Need More Focus and Calm? Try this 5 Finger Mindfulness Breathing Exercise
Curious about other simple ways to ease stress? Take my free quiz!
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