Breathwork & Pranayama
The Core of breathwork is to improve mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Whether Pranayama or different sequences. It will facilitate different reactions. Whether cooling down, heating up, relaxing, releasing trauma. It can be used differently for an array of results, dependent on what we seek from a session.
Breathwork & Pranayama
![](https://shonaglen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Shona_Welless_websitedesign-Website-1.png)
PRACTICE BREATHWORK TO:
Aid positive self-development
Boost immunity
Process emotions, heal emotional pain and trauma
Develop or increase self
Awareness
Enrich creativity
Improve personal and professional relationships
Increase confidence, self-image, and self-esteem
Increase joy and happiness
Overcome addictions
Reduce stress and anxiety levels
Release negative thoughts
Breathwork is used to help to improve a wide range of issues including:
Anger issues
Anxiety
Chronic pain
Depression
Emotional effects of illness
Grief
Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
![](https://shonaglen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Shona_Welless_websitedesign-Website-1.png)
Frequently asked questions
Here is a list of questions I am asked frequently.
If you can’t find an answer to your question here please contact me and I’ll be very happy to help you.
- Puraka, or inhalation.
- Kumbhaka, or retention.
- Rechaka, or exhalation.
- Inhalation (Pooraka)
- Exhalation (Rechaka)
- Internal Breath Retention (Antar Kumbhaka)
- External Breath Retention (Bahir Kumbhaka)
Pranayama helps bring serenity to our mental nerves as it increases oxygen supply in the body. This means that blood circulation increases and helps the mind to relieve stress. 4. Those suffering with high blood pressure problems, Pranayama is an ideal practice for them.
The millenarian breathing exercises from Yoga, commonly called Pranayamas, are known to induce meditative states, reduce stress, and increase lung capacity. However, the physiological mechanisms by which these practices modulate the human nervous system still need to be unveiled.
Patients with heart failure, or those who feel breathless after minimal exertion should not do pranayama.
Pranayama should not be practiced immediately after meals. You can do pranayama at least three hours after meals. Remember a heavy meal will take much longer to get digested. For example if you do pranayama in evening, eat a healthy lunch which gets digested by the time you start pranayama.
Pranayama increases oxygen level in your body. The pranayama boost up your body metabolism and therefore it is recommended to have at least 30 mins break before you eating anything heavy. Also Pranayama energies your body, it takes a little time to calm down your blood pressure to normal.
You feel light-headed and dizzy when doing pranayama because you are exhaling the carbon dioxide out of your body faster than it can be produced. This causes constriction of your blood vessels supplying blood to various parts of your body including your brain. Therefore you are starving your brain of oxygen rich blood.
Nadi Shodhana – The alternate nostril breathing technique balances the subtle life energy of the body, calms the mind and increases vitality. It is a highly recommended Pranayama for combating depression and emotional imbalance.