Breathwork, by a certified breathwork instructor

As told in the Harvard Business Review, when U.S. Marine Corp Officer Jake D.’s vehicle drove over an explosive device in Afghanistan, he looked down to see his legs almost completely severed below the knee. At that moment, he remembered a breathing exercise he had learned in a book for young officers. Thanks to that exercise, he was able to stay calm enough to check on his men, give orders to call for help, tourniquet his own legs, and remember to prop them up before falling unconscious. Later, he was told that had he not done so, he would have bled to death.

If a simple breathing exercise could help Jake under such extreme duress, similar techniques can certainly help the rest of us with our more common workplace stresses.

Do you suffer from aches, pains, poor sleep, headaches, body stiffness or just plain fatigue? Your breathing patterns may be to blame.

Every day we are exposed to stressors that subconsciously cause us to change our breathing patterns. Our breath often becomes rapid and shallow, causing chemical changes in the blood as our body prepares for a fight or flight. Heart rate and blood pressure elevates as our blood becomes more acidic.

Scientific research regarding the benefits of breathwork abound. The National Institute of Health recently concluded that breathwork has direct and positive effects on the central nervous system, cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Additionally, research has shown that diaphragmatic breathing can improve cognitive performance, and reduce negative physiological consequence of stress. Research emerges daily on the profound effects Breathwork can have on folks with Long Covid, COPD, Type II diabetes, Hypertension, and PTSD.

I received my Certification as a Breathwork Instructor under the tutelage of Michael Bijker.