Inhale Strength, Exhale Pain: Finding Resilience in Breathwork

March 26, 2024 Casey Sigler

Life with Trauma

It’s more than a trending topic.

Research shows us that 70% of people around the globe have suffered from some type of trauma in their lives. Living with the memories of that trauma…whether it was severe, immediately life-altering Trauma or more subtle and prolonged trauma, can shake up our realities and make our daily experiences far more difficult to endure. When we’re living in the constant shadow of hard memories, we’re unable to move forward and fully recover.

Trauma breathwork helps us communicate with our nervous systems, ground ourselves, and find the freedom to heal.

The beautiful thing is, just as our bodies can carry our emotional pain, we have the power to tell our bodies to release that pain. Trauma breathwork helps us communicate with our nervous systems, ground ourselves, and find the freedom to heal from what’s happened to us in the past.

Finding Your Breath

Even though we breathe 20,000 times a day, we’re rarely aware of any of those inhales and exhales (unless we have a cold). Trauma breathing exercises give us the opportunity to quiet our bodies, become aware of our inner dialogue, and reset our nervous systems through cleansing, healing breaths. When we consciously allow ourselves to let go of the pent-up tension within us, it serves as a powerful release for the emotions we have repressed to enable our daily functioning. This process of emotional release has the power to shift us from a state of mere survival mode to a truly thriving existence.

These trauma breathwork techniques are great ways to start your own healing journey.

1. Wim Hof Breathwork

This method of breathwork uses deep breaths to invite oxygen into our system, change our heart rate, and broaden our windows of tolerance for stress and difficulty.

Find a comfortable position on the ground and close your eyes.
Take several deep breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, focusing on expanding your belly with each inhale.
Take 40 quick, “burst” breaths.
As you finish your final exhale, breathe in deeply and hold for as long as you can.
With the next breath, take in one large inhale focusing on the expansion of your rib cage and belly, and hold for 15 seconds.
Repeat these steps 4 times consecutively

This process of emotional release has the power to shift us from a state of mere survival mode to a truly thriving existence.

2. Biodynamic Breathwork

While this technique is a little more involved, it’s proven to help us deal with trauma and depression, assist with attention deficiency, and helps us cope with our emotional pain.

Part 1: Stand with your feet hip distance apart and your knees slightly bent

Begin breathing in and out of your mouth
As your breathe, find and follow random movement in your face and jaw
Allow your limbs and pelvis to move, keeping the movement headed in a downwards position
If you notice any tingling or trembling, move through the sensation

Part 2: Now sit on the floor in the comfortable position

Continue moving randomly throughout your body, and aim the movement up

Part 3: Finally, lay on your side with your legs bent and your hand under your head

Visualize movement moving from the inner part of your being to the outside
Follow that visualization while moving your body in an unwinding motion
While laying flat on your back, move your pelvis in a patternless motion
Find stillness whenever you’re ready

Practicing breathwork is a wonderfully simple, personal, and creative step towards restoring your mind, body, and emotions after trauma. Making it part of your daily routine will bring new energy and insight as your move towards wholeness.

Put It Into Practice

Give yourself permission to feel compassion for yourself.

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Sit comfortably on the ground, close your eyes, place one hand over your heart and one hand on your abdomen. Breathe in deeply. Remember that you are loved, cared for, and valued. Think of a time you felt truly supported. Inhale deeply and exhale into a smile. Repeat this as many times you wish, focusing on the warm, healing pressure of your hands on your body. You have everything you need to heal.

Hope & Healing