In Short
The easy and accurate answer is everyone. That said, everyone for different reasons. For some, it will be to make progress toward a healthier state. For others, it will be to leverage a skill or strength. And for others still, the work will be to solidly root oneself in being.
The defining criteria.
Be interested, and playfully curious. It’s that simple.
…toward a healthier state
Breath work can be used to improve:
- Neck and back pain, along with movement pattern dysfunction
- Persistent pain and recurrent musculoskeletal injury (or lack of progress)
- Pelvic pain and dysfunction
- Any condition that has a connection to anxiety (hint: most do)
- Chronic and even occasional shortness of breath
- Concussion symptoms
- Digestive issues
- Postural dysfunction
- Response to COVID-19
…leverage a strength
- Improve immune system function
- Improve sports performance by elevating tolerance to CO2 and improving hematocrit, as well as endogenous levels of erythropoietin (EPO)
- Experience deeper states of stillness and insight
What is Breath Work
Breath work is a broad term to describe any practice that improves the biomechanics, the biochemical, or the psychophysiological aspects of breathing. This can include practices that improve awareness of the breath or practices that use hyperventilation or hypoventilation to reset breathing behavior. Want to learn more? Check out this BYT blog on the Landscape of Breathwork.
The BYT approach
BYT uses a three-phase approach to guiding breath work. We use capnography to monitor carbon dioxide levels to remove the guess work throughout the process.
Phase 1: Gain the incredibly valuable skill of improving chemistry and physiology, at will, through the breath. Capnography feedback and home practice are key to this phase.
Phase 2: Make the skills from Phase 1 part of daily living.
Phase 3 Ninja-fy the work from Phase 1 & 2. This phase is designed for those wanting to improve athletic performance or go deeper in self-discovery meditative practices. This phase is an optional stop on the path back to the profoundness of Phase 1.
Screening Tools You Can Try Today
While we use technology to monitor carbon dioxide to help navigate toward the most valuable breath practices, we also appreciate these three open-source tools to guide the section on the best breath practices. Check them out below. If all three of these tools indicate the same phase of learning (1, 2, or 3), you can be sure that phase is a great place to start. Register on the Breathe Your Truth website to gain access to the practice tools for all three phases. In the meantime, collect data on yourself with these three tools:
Contact us if we can help navigate this process. info@breatheyourtruth.com
