What is breathwork?

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Breathwork is a guided practice that uses conscious breathing techniques to support relaxation, self-awareness and emotional wellbeing. By intentionally changing the way you breathe, you can create space to slow down, reconnect with yourself and cultivate a greater sense of balance.

Breathwork is a guided practice that uses conscious breathing techniques to help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and support your emotional wellbeing. It creates intentional space to pause, breathe deeply, and listen to what your mind and body need.

For many Black women, life can involve carrying multiple responsibilities while navigating workplace pressures, family commitments and the emotional impact of injustice and inequality. Breathwork offers a dedicated space to put those demands down, even for a little while.

Through guided breathing, you are invited to release tension, regulate your nervous system, restore your energy and reconnect with yourself in a safe and supportive environment. There is no pressure to perform or achieve only an opportunity to breathe, rest and be present.

No previous experience of breathwork is required. 

Emotional regulation

Breathwork can support you to reduce their stress through aiding relaxation. The practice of breathwork activates engages the parasympathetic nervous system which supports you to reduce your cortisol levels and experience a sense of calm and bring you to the here and now. 

Breathwork is particularly helpful for a busy mind, this stills the mind to support you to be present in the moment, not in the past and not in the future, but here in present moment. This will also be soothing for you, as you reduce your stress and feel a sense of relaxation. 

Emotional regulation can be achieved through breathwork practice and maintained with consistent and conscious breathing practices. This helps you to self sooth and regulate your nervous system, when you experience a challenge in your day, through breathing you can develop resilience and support you to be present in the moment. 

Mental health

Mental clarity is achieved during the session, however you can continue to experience the benefit following the session and with your daily practices to suppor you to still your busy mind, which will support you with your focus.

Self awareness and mindfulness 

Self awareness and mindfulness increase with consistent breathwork practice, the breathwork practice can be calming, soothing, grounding, energic or restorative. This can integrate the mind and body to support you to be present in the moment.

Digestion

Supports with digestion, this can also help with acid reflux, although you will need to seek medical advice to support with this. 

Sleep

Support with better sleep through relaxing breaths that will support you to release the tension in your body. This will support you to have a   deeper restful sleep.

Immune system boost and cleanse the body

Breathwork can boost your immune system through regular breathwork practice, this strengthens the muscles surrounding and including the lungs. This will improve your circulation, as the body has an increase of oxygen that will support with the stimulation of your lymphatic drainage to remove waste and toxins from your body which all work together to improve your immune system.

Pain relief

Managing pain both chronic and acute pain through reducing muscle tension can be achieved through body scanning with tense and release exercises to reduce their muscle tension or interrupt the experience of pain and offer some relief. 

Mental health (anxiety and panic attacks)

If you experiences anxiety can often have rapid and shallow breathing located in their chest, rather than engaging in belly breathing. 

You can engage in slow extended exhalations such as diaphragmatic breathing as this will reduce sympathetic hyperarousal and this will provide a sense of calm and safety for the client.

Depression

If you are experiencing depression, they should seek medical advise, however breathwork can support with energising such as alternate nostril breathing can support them to stabilise their emotions.

Asthma and respiratory conditions

Breathwork can support asthma and respiratory conditions though increasing the CO2 tolerance to reduce asthma and respiratory conditions symptoms.

Hypertension

During the breathwork session slow long breaths can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, this will reduce your heart rate and lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

Trauma 

Breathwork can help you reconnect with your body in a safe, although this can create an emotional release which may be unexpected.

Sleep 

Breathwork can support you to regulate your emotions and thoughts during the day, this can support your practice to create a routine before sleep to relax and achieve a deeper level of sleep and a better quality of sleep. 

Addiction recovery

There are a range of addictions that breathwork can support you with to help with cravings for different conditions and develop your awareness to be present in the moment and reflect on your decisions to change the current situation.

Breathe, restore, reconnect and renew 

This six-week breathwork journey has been created exclusively for Black women, offering a safe, nurturing, and intimate space where rest, self-compassion, healing and sisterhood are at the heart of every session. Together, we will create space to pause, breathe with intention, restore balance, reconnect with ourselves, and embrace renewal with greater calm, clarity, confidence and resilience. 

These sessions are designed to support you in reducing stress, regulating your nervous system, releasing emotional tension, restoring your inner balance and deepening your connection with yourself within a supportive community of Black women.

This programme has been thoughtfully developed and informed by early insights from my PhD research exploring the underrepresentation of Black women in social work management and leadership. While inspired by themes emerging from this work, these breathwork sessions are not part of the PhD research study and participation in the programme does not involve participation in the research.

Session 1: Breathe

Release tension, calm your mind and regulate your breath.

Session 2: Restore

Restore your energy, nervous system and inner balance. 

Session 3:  Reconnect Part 1

Reconnect with your body, your truth, what matters the most. 

Session 4:  Reconnect Part 2

Reconnect with your body, your truth, what matters the most. 

Session 5:  Renew Part 1 

Reconnect with your body, your truth, what matters the most. 

Session 6:  Renew Part 2

Integrate, realign and leave feeling lighter, clearer and empowered.  

During the sessions you will experience:

• A guided breathwork practice suitable for beginners
• Techniques to calm the nervous system and reduce stress
• Time for rest, reflection and relaxation
• Gentle grounding exercises
• A supportive environment shared with other Black women in social work

Potential benefits include:

• Reduced stress and tension
• Increased feelings of calm and relaxation
• Improved emotional wellbeing
• Greater mental clarity and focus
• A stronger sense of connection with yourself
• Space to restore your energy and resilience

What to bring:

• Comfortable clothing
• A yoga mat or blanket to lie on
• A cushion if you would like additional support
• Water
• An open mind