The Boring (but necessary) Part of Breathwork: Why Consistency Beats Novelty
Committing to staying with one practice, is not sexy or exciting at all. But the impact and compounding value it brings is next to none. I did it not because I needed to prove I could do it. But because I was sick of always searching for breathwork practices to do (guided) and always being disappointed when they weren’t exactly what I needed. This way of practice has truly changed my relationship with my breath, transformed what was a so-so regulation practice into a powerful tool, and it has influenced how I practice and teach to this day.
A few weeks ago I started this list with the first 5…
If you haven’t read the first 5 yet, start here.
more things that happened:
6. I learnt self-autonomy and authority. This included how to start adapting the practice to suit what I needed in the moment. Every day was different - some days I’d decide to practice seated, some laying down, some with the full technique, or some with a gentler approach that had been offered as well. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to adapt as I needed, if I didn’t know what was coming next.
7. I began to build such a deep self-awareness of my breath that I could catch myself in the very first seconds of anxiety, and downregulate before it spun out of control. This is powerful, and a total flex if I don’t say so myself.
8. I learnt how to be ok even in amongst the discomfort (of life!). There were techniques that felt super uncomfortable in the beginning, but over time became easeful and useful. Learning how to do hard things, and be ok when things are hard, is a verrry important life skill - and one that breathwork can gently teach you.
9. I found a way to connect more deeply with others, nature, and the cosmos (sorry, woo woo girlie coming out here!). In ancient yogic texts the breath is the carrier of prana (life force energy) and the connecting link between ‘inside’ (inner self) and ‘outside’ (the whole universe!). Once you start tapping into this, the simplest thing as a gentle moment of present breath becomes so much more profound.
10. I grew my capacity for self-kindness and patience. Each day was different, some days the practices felt great, some days it felt not-so. Leaning into the ebb and flow of how my body responds to things day to day (and to be ok with that!), was a huge lesson that I now take with me into the gym, in yoga, freediving, daily productivity cycles, etc.
Without a consistent breath practice I would have continued on the path of trying new things all the time and never sticking to one thing to see if it works or not. I would have avoided learning my body and breath in such a deeper way, deeply connecting to self and earth, and my window of tolerance and resilience would still be quite narrow.
With so much attention-grabbing information at our fingertips, it’s so easy to consume content and try alllll the different things (because we’re always told it’s the next best thing or this is the one that will finally work etc etc.). Without triggering the overwhelm (again) and getting bombarded with all the options possible, you can get personalised support over which will actually work best for you.
Start your consistent practice today, with free guidance on which practice will suit you best →