Breathwork vs. Meditation, How to Break a Habit, and 5-min Flow

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Breathwork vs. Meditation: Which is better?

While there are tons of research on the benefits of meditation, there appears to be less on breathwork exercises. However one randomized study examined the benefits of three different breathwork practices lasting 5-min each compared to mindfulness meditation of the same duration. If you don’t want to read about the study, here are its takeaways:

• A daily 5-minute breathwork and mindfulness meditation helps improve mood and reduce anxiety

• Breathwork improves mood and physiological arousal more than mindfulness meditation

• Cyclic sighing is most effective at improving mood and reducing respiratory rate

The study occurred over the course of one month to ensure adequate results. The three types of breathwork studied were:

1. Cyclic breathing, which emphasizes longer exhalations

2. Box breathing, which focuses on equal inhales, exhales, and holds (explained in this article)

3. Cyclic hyperventilation with retention, which is a really nerdy way of saying “longer inhales, shorter exhales”

The hypothesis of the study was that different emotional and cognitive states influence the depth and frequency of breathing, which in turn (re)influences one’s emotional and cognitive states. What this means in English is that when we’re angry, anxious, scared, our breathing shallows and we breathe more often; when we feel safe, our breathing deepens, and we relax more between breaths.

No kidding.

But you might not have known that a dedicated breathing practice can also help:

• increase feelings of peacefulness

• improve reaction time and problem solving

• decrease anxiety

• reduce rumination and unwanted thoughts

• improve interoception

Results of the study showed the breathwork group showed greater changes in positive affect using cyclic breathing than the meditation group, evidenced by a lower respiratory rate.

However…

Self-care is a very personal pursuit, so do whatever works for you.

Trying To Break A Bad Habit?

Don’t. Instead of trying to break the habit for a more favorable one, replace it with another. Research shows that replacing an unwanted habit with a favorable one is more likely to garner success than simply grinding your teeth as you will away the undesirable. One way to think of doing this is using when/then thinking. If I find myself unnecessarily snacking all the time, then I might try this: “When I want to snack, then I’ll chew gum instead and see if my hunger goes away.”

Tip: Start small. Don’t get overzealous and tell yourself you’re going to wake up at 5am every morning and go to the gym if you haven’t’ worked out all year—or ever.

Instead, stair step your efforts (no pun intended).

For example, if the thought of getting up and going to the gym to sweat is just overwhelming for you at 5am (because it is 5am), then just set a goal of getting out of bed. Move around. In his book the Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod talked about 5-min flow (I think it was this book), where you get up and just move for five minutes. Do jumping jacks, leg swings, trunk twists, arm circles…whatever you have to do for just five minutes. You’ll be amazed how good you feel.

Quote for the day:

“The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master.” – Buddhist saying

Thoughts? Comments? Leave them below.