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Beyond Breath. Science and spirituality behind transformational breathwork

Apr 16, 2025

Historical roots of transformational breathwork

Transformational breathwork is a fantastic practice with deep roots in ancient traditions from all over the world. You can find it in yogic pranayama from India and even in shamanic breathing rituals practiced by various indigenous cultures. These ancient societies intuitively understood something that modern science is just starting to catch up with – the incredible impact our breath has on our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

Today, transformational breathwork uses intentional breathing patterns that help activate powerful healing processes within us, paving the way for improved health and balance in our lives.

Breathwork has been part of human history for thousands of years. In yoga, pranayama focuses on using breath to cultivate life force, or prana. Meanwhile, shamanic cultures have embraced rhythmic breathing to enter altered states of consciousness for spiritual journeys and healing ceremonies. It’s amazing how this timeless practice continues to resonate with so many of us today!

Stanislav Grof and Holotropic Breathwork

In modern times, we can see a wonderful revival of a practice known as "Holotropic Breathwork," which was brought back into the spotlight by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof in the 1970s. Grof first stumbled upon the incredible potential of breathwork while exploring altered states of consciousness and experimenting with psychedelic therapy. Over time, he crafted a unique breathing technique that combines guided breathing, uplifting music, and bodywork, all designed to help people achieve significant emotional and spiritual breakthroughs.

Today, many popular styles of transformational breathwork are inspired by Grof’s Holotropic method. They focus on powerful breathing patterns and supportive integration practices, all aimed at promoting deep inner healing and personal growth.

Neuroscience behind breathwork

Neuroscience provides compelling explanations for what occurs during breathwork by observing changes in brainwave states. Brainwaves are electrical patterns within the brain, measurable with EEG technology, categorized mainly into Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta, and Gamma. Most of our waking lives in Beta and Alpha states. Beta is all about being alert and thinking logically, helping us manage our day-to-day lives and solve problems. However, if we're stuck in this state for too long, it can lead to stress. On the other hand, Alpha waves are associated with relaxation and feeling more at ease!

When brainwave frequencies slow down into Theta, we access profound creativity, enhanced intuition, and deep subconscious exploration. The sense of time and space often shifts dramatically here. Delta states, typically accessed in deep relaxation or sleep, allow profound healing at a cellular level; participants often describe feeling a deep sense of renewal and profound rest. In contrast, the heightened Gamma states bring “aha moments,” clarity, unity consciousness, and spiritual revelations, often experienced as moments of profound interconnectedness and insight.

Breath and nervous system regulation

Our breath plays a crucial role in influencing our body’s state, acting as a powerful signal that can either promote relaxation or stimulate activation. The way we breathe - whether it is slow and deep or fast and shallow - can dynamically affect our physical and mental well-being. For instance, slower and deeper breaths are typically associated with a calming effect, helping to reduce stress and induce a sense of peace. On the other hand, quicker and shallower breathing patterns may trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, leading to increased alertness and energy.

Understanding and harnessing the connection between our breath and body can empower us to manage stress levels and emotional states effectively.

At its core, transformational breathwork involves conscious manipulation of the breath, typically through rhythmic and connected breathing patterns. Unlike our regular, shallow breathing, transformational breathwork encourages deep, diaphragmatic breaths that oxygenate the body thoroughly. One of the most significant benefits of transformational breathwork is its ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Known as the body's "rest and digest" system, this activation reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, enhances digestion, and promotes overall calmness and wellbeing. Regular practice of transformational breathwork helps shift our baseline from a stress-driven sympathetic state, which is all too common in our fast-paced modern life, to one of sustained peace and resilience.

Our nervous system plays a central role in how we experience life, profoundly influencing our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It consists of two primary branches: the sympathetic ("fight or flight") and parasympathetic ("rest and digest") nervous systems. The sympathetic state is activated during stress or perceived danger, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels, preparing us to respond to immediate threats. Conversely, the parasympathetic state promotes relaxation, healing, and recovery, helping to lower stress hormones, improve digestion, and restore emotional balance. Chronic stress or unresolved emotional experiences can trap the nervous system in a perpetual sympathetic state, causing physical tension, emotional distress, and cognitive dysfunction.

Breathwork helps release these stuck emotional responses by shifting our nervous system into a healing parasympathetic state, facilitating emotional release and restoring a healthy, balanced internal environment.

Energetic and spiritual dimensions

Beyond the scientific, measurable effects lies a beautifully intertwined energetic and spiritual dimension. Breathwork harmonizes our body's subtle energy systems - commonly known as chakras. Each breath session has the potential to clear blockages, allowing energy to flow freely through these centers. From grounding us in our root chakra to opening our hearts and connecting us to higher wisdom through our crown chakra, breathwork is a powerful energetic recalibration tool.

From a spiritual perspective, ancient yogis and shamans deeply recognized the profound influence of breath on our energetic bodies. Yogic traditions utilize specific breath practices (pranayama) to either activate or calm the energy within the body, enhancing spiritual awareness and internal balance. Shamans, across diverse indigenous cultures, harnessed rhythmic breathwork to enter altered states, journey spiritually, commune with ancestral energies, and facilitate healing ceremonies. They intuitively knew breath could act as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds, grounding practitioners in their bodies while simultaneously expanding consciousness into higher dimensions.

Integrating Breathwork with NLP, Therapy and Coaching

The integration of breathwork with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and various therapeutic or coaching methodologies can be truly profound. NLP often emphasizes understanding and reshaping the stories we tell ourselves - our mental narratives. However, breathwork complements and deepens this work by allowing us to experience our inner worlds without immediately attaching a narrative.

Through the breath, we directly engage with our body, nervous system, emotional layers, and subconscious mind, creating space for deeper insight and transformation. This direct experience can reveal subconscious patterns and emotions that might remain hidden or distorted if only approached cognitively.

It is important to note that NLP, therapy or coaching, play a crucial role in integrating these powerful experiences, helping address any unresolved emotions, open wounds, or unanswered questions that can emerge from deep breathwork sessions.

Ultimately, transformational breathwork is an extraordinary bridge connecting science and spirituality, body and mind, conscious thought and subconscious belief. Embracing breathwork as a regular practice offers us an intimate journey into self-awareness, healing, and profound personal growth.