Why do I find breathwork boring?

Why do I find breathwork boring?

• You’ve been told to try some deep breaths when you’re stressed and you’re not sure it helped that much.

• Maybe a therapist or coach told you to do some breathwork practice for anxiety. You tried it but forgot to carry it on.

• You’ve been to yoga and you enjoy doing some pranayama once a week after the postures – but daily? When do you find the time?

• Oh, and you watched some Wim Hoff stuff and you know you should be trying this but you are loathe for it to be another thing you start and cannot commit to.

I get it. I’m the same and I’m a breathwork coach!

I forget to do breathwork practice too. However, I am lucky because I understand what a super power it is for me when I really need it.

As soon as I start to feel stressed or anxious, I have a word with myself and put a sound bath on as I change my breathing. Changing our breath to deeper diaphragmatic breathing with longer exhalations than inhalations tells the amygdala’s to stand down and that all is well. You see the way we breathe has a direct communication to the fight/flight older part of the brain. We can bypass the pre frontal cortex. We can use the breath to show our nervous system that we are safe.

I also know from experience that it is best to continue doing breathwork for some days to maximise the benefits.

Doing new things alone takes motivation. So don’t do it alone. You can find all sorts of breathwork videos online from basic breathwork for stress to dynamic kundalini practice. (A note of caution on doing dynamic breathwork however if you have any medical conditions such as eye conditions, heart issues, low blood pressure or epilepsy. Always seek medical advice if you are unsure.) Having a voice instructing us is good for people who have trouble concentrating or are very anxious and dysregulated. A calm human voice alone can help us regulate and get ourselves back into our window of tolerance.

If you find breathwork boring but like singing or chanting – do that instead. It’s still controlling the breath and it’s easier to remain focused. Join a choir or a Buddhist chanting group for example. Cardio exercise usually involves some control of the breath so this counts too.

I did some chanting before I went into theatre for my back surgery. I was the last one to go down that day and I was getting very nervous. The nurses were laughing as they went past the side room that I was in as they heard me doing a kundalini chant for protection. I was doing arm movements along with the chant to keep me focused on the practice. It helped my nerves and my lung capacity ahead of the anaesthetic. I didn’t care what they thought.

The reason it might feel like work is because we are coming off autopilot and trying to focus the mind on something it usually doesn’t have to focus on. The mind often wants to fly off somewhere else. (It’s just breathing - why do I have to give this my attention when MAFS is on the telly?)

If you’ve spent your life not noticing your breath it can be hard to begin tuning into it. This can make people more aware of the anxious sensations that they are so desperately trying to get rid of. The heart beating fast, that tightness in the chest, that feeling that you cannot get enough air into the lungs.

But here’s the interesting thing. When we move towards uncomfortable sensations in the body instead of resisting them, they often subside more easily. It’s like surfing a wave instead of going against it (and you cannot stop a wave).

That’s the curious paradox.

Noticing and acceptance are the first and most important steps to changing anything and indeed in changing ourselves.

So maybe speak it out loud or to an empathic other. “As I breathe in, I notice there’s a tightness in my chest and there’s not much room in my lungs and I dislike this feeling.”

Then maybe, “And I dislike focusing on my chest area but I’m going to stick with it for a while to see what happens.”

After this, perhaps “If I had to describe the sensation – it feels like there is a band around my chest.”

Then an intention of, “I’m going to relax inside this band as best I can.” And, “I’m going to breathe into that area and notice that I can still breathe and it’s easier the more I relax.”

So we are not visualising removing the band, we are staying with it to see if anything changes. This works with other sensations and emotions too.

I think that learning different breathwork practices for calming or activating the nervous system may help with motivation. Just doing box (square) breathing every day is unlikely to cut it!

It is better to have a range of breathwork practices in your tool box to call upon for sleep, stress, low energy, restoration or overthinking to keep your interest in conscious breathing for nervous system regulation. (Now I know why my sister and I often sang ourselves to sleep as youngsters. We were lulling ourselves into a soporific state.)

You will undoubtably have ones that are your default practices, your go to breaths when you feel the need. I do, and singing is one of them.

Unfortunately, we may find breathwork boring because we were not introduced to it at a young age. Brushing your teeth is boring but most of us learnt the importance of doing it daily to prevent decay.

Cultures or faith groups, who invite a short daily practice of yoga, tai chi, martial arts or chanting have a great advantage. So, if you learn some breathwork – teach it to and practice with your children to help them take an interest in this natural resource that we all have. They will thank you for it later on.

Doing movement with breathwork makes it more fun and it is a work out for your whole body as well as your lungs. Doing movement with the breath also helps us to remain focused. When your mind wanders (and it will) this is normal. Be kind to yourself and carry on.

Breathwork isn’t for everyone. I worked with someone who once said they hated breathing. I said “that’s unfortunate as we breathe about 21,000 times a day on average.” The comedian Steve Martin once said “I’ve got to keep breathing. It’ll be my worst business mistake if I don’t.”

It may help to see breathwork as an investment in your longevity, mental and physical health. Cultivating gratitude towards your lungs is an act of mindfulness and compassion.

Namaste