The Ultimate Guide to Why to Get Into Breathwork

Introduction: The Breath You've Been Ignoring

Most of us go through life without ever paying attention to our breath. We breathe in and out, thousands of times a day, but rarely stop to notice the power it holds. Yet breath is the one constant we're born with and the last thing we release when we die. In between, it quietly shapes every moment of our physical, mental, and emotional experience.

Your breath is the one thing that is truly yours — from the moment you’re born until the moment you die.

For me, breathwork didn't arrive as a passing trend. It was something that just clicked the first time I heard about it. I couldn't explain why, but it resonated. My real turning point came during my second Ayahuasca retreat. I entered the ceremony carrying stress and anxiety about work and life, and emerged with two words that felt like keys handed to me: surrender and breathe. (Read my post on surrender)

From that moment, I knew breath wasn't just biology — it was a doorway. A way of aligning with life itself. (Here’s how breathwork taught me to listen to my body).

Soon after, I enrolled in a breathwork course on Mindvalley, led by Niraj Naik, the founder of SOMA Breath. What started as curiosity grew into a daily practice. I now begin every morning with SOMA's Awakening 3 session — a full hour of rhythm, music, and breath holds. It's intense, sometimes surreal, but it has become as essential to me as my morning coffee once was.

The biggest shift breathwork has brought me is the realisation that it's not just a practice for relaxation. It's a form of meditation. When you focus fully on your breath, you stop being carried away by the endless tide of thoughts. You return to presence. And over time, you discover something profound: while material things come and go, your breath is the one thing that is truly yours.

That's why I see breathwork as more than a wellness trend. It's a way of harmonising your inner world so your outer world can follow. In this guide, I'll explore why breathwork matters, what science and spirituality have to say about it, and why it has become one of the most powerful practices in my own life.

The Science of Breathwork

At first glance, breathwork might seem like little more than controlled inhaling and exhaling. But underneath the simplicity lies a set of profound physiological effects that modern science is only beginning to fully understand.

Breathwork directly interacts with the autonomic nervous system — the unconscious system that regulates heart rate, stress hormones, and digestion. By shifting the rhythm and depth of your breathing, you can flip the switch between the "fight-or-flight" sympathetic state and the "rest-and-digest" parasympathetic state. In practice, this means you can calm anxiety, sharpen focus, or even boost energy simply by changing the way you breathe.

When you hold your breath, CO₂ levels in the blood rise. This gentle stressor increases oxygen delivery to the brain and activates a state of heightened focus and clarity. That's why, during breath holds, many people notice their thoughts quieten, their body still, and subtle tingling sensations in the fingers, toes, and face — a sign of oxygen shifting in the bloodstream.

Breathwork isn’t just relaxation; it’s meditation in motion.

I've experienced this myself. In long SOMA Breath sessions, the early breath holds often bring tingling in my extremities, and later in the hour, I can feel my whole body buzzing. It's both relaxing and enlivening at the same time. Throughout most of the session, my heart rate feels in coherence with my breath — steady, rhythmic, and calming. Only right at the end, after the final breath hold, when I breathe back in, does my heart rate suddenly accelerate. Research suggests this spike may be due to the sudden reintroduction of oxygen and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system after a prolonged hold — essentially a reset that floods the body with energy. For me, it's a consistent pattern, and instead of making me anxious, it feels like part of the body's natural response.

The mind responds just as powerfully. While breathwork is a form of meditation, I find it often easier than sitting in silence. The rhythm of the music, the sensation of the body, and the guidance of the voiceover all anchor me into the present moment. Sometimes insights and ideas even surface mid-session — as if the act of breathing clears space for creativity to flow.

And then there's the emotional shift. Science shows that controlled breathing can reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and increase serotonin and dopamine, the feel-good chemicals. For me, the result is consistent: no matter what state I begin in, I finish grounded, lighter, and more at peace. When combined with an edible, the sensations can become almost euphoric — an experience that feels as much spiritual as it is physical.

Put simply, breathwork is a bridge between mind and body. By learning to control the breath, you gain a lever to regulate your entire inner world.

The Spiritual Dimension

If science explains how breathwork works, spirituality helps us explore why it matters on a deeper level. Across cultures, the breath has always been seen as more than oxygen — it is spirit in motion. In Sanskrit, prana means both breath and life force. In Hebrew, ruach is breath, wind, and spirit. The ancients understood something we are rediscovering today: your breath is the bridge between body, mind, and soul.

For me, the spiritual side of breathwork has unfolded gradually. Early on, I noticed that after long sessions, the tingling in my hands and feet would spread through my entire body until it felt like I was dissolving into a cloud of energy. At that point, I no longer felt like a body sitting in a chair. Instead, I was simply awareness — weightless, formless, connected. It's hard to describe, but the boundaries between "me" and "everything else" seemed to soften.

This experience of dissolving isn't just poetic; it mirrors what many traditions point to — the dissolving of the ego, a temporary loosening of the identity we cling to, and a glimpse into the space where consciousness itself resides.

Breathwork has also become a thread connecting my other spiritual explorations. During one Ayahuasca journey, I felt like I had forgotten how to breathe and thought I was dying. In the panic, a message came through with startling clarity: "Breathe." That moment etched into me the truth that the breath is the ultimate anchor — both in ceremony and in life.

Kabbalah, too, has given me tools for grounding in the present, for pausing before reacting, for saying "what a pleasure" instead of resisting. Breath is what makes those practices possible — it's what carries me back to presence when the mind wants to rush ahead.

I don't come to spirituality lightly. I spent most of my life as a staunch atheist, sceptical of religion and anything that couldn't be proven with evidence. But breathwork has cracked something open in me. Alongside Ayahuasca, it has led me to believe that consciousness isn't something the brain produces — it's fundamental, the source itself.

And that, ultimately, is what breathwork gives me: a way to step out of ego and into Source. Not as a doctrine or belief system, but as a felt experience of connecting to something larger than myself.

Why People Get Into Breathwork (The Core Benefits)

People come to breathwork for many reasons — to relieve stress, to improve health, to seek spiritual insight. But at the heart of it all, breathwork offers something universal: a way to come back to yourself.

1. Meditation Made Accessible

For many, meditation can feel daunting. Sitting still for an hour in silence while the mind races can be frustrating. Breathwork changes that. The rhythm of the breath, the sensation in the body, the music and guided voiceovers (if you're doing SOMA Breathwork) all work together to occupy the mind and anchor attention.

For me, this has been the single biggest benefit. Breathwork became my entry point into a consistent meditation practice. It lowered the barrier. Instead of struggling to sit in silence, I could engage my senses — breath, sound, body — and drop into presence. After an hour of SOMA Breath, I often follow with ten minutes of traditional meditation (using the Waking Up app by Sam Harris), and I find I can go much deeper because the breathwork has already quieted the mind.

2. A Daily Anchor for an Examined Life

Breathwork has also become the way I choose to start my days. It reminds me that I don't want to drift through life unconsciously. I want to live what Socrates called "an examined life" — one where I actively reflect, connect, and grow.

Every morning, my practice reminds me: I am more than my thoughts, my work, or my stresses. I am awareness itself, choosing how to live. Breathwork connects me to that intention, and everything else flows from there — meditation, Kabbalah, Ayahuasca, and even other spiritual teachings I've explored. They all form a thread, and the breath is where it all begins.

3. Emotional Balance and Resilience

On a practical level, breathwork helps me manage anxiety and emotions in daily life. It's easier to respond rather than react. Easier to pause before anger, to stay grounded when stress builds, to hold perspective in family or work situations.

Science explains this in terms of the nervous system — the breath regulates cortisol and helps bring the body back into balance. But the experience is simple: I walk away from every session feeling calmer, clearer, and more capable of meeting life with equanimity.

4. Better Sleep, More Energy

I've had periods in life where sleep was a real struggle. Breathwork has helped shift that. These days, I can sleep six hours a night and still feel restored. My Oura ring data backs that up — showing deep and REM sleep improvements when I keep my practice consistent. Starting the day with breathwork seems to tune my system so that rest later comes more easily.

5. A Gateway to Spiritual Growth

And then there's the spiritual side. Each session carries a subtle reminder that there's more to life than the surface level. Breathwork is meditation, yes, but also connection — to self, to Source, to consciousness itself. It's a practice that not only strengthens the mind and body, but opens the heart.

My Personal Reasons for Practising Breathwork

If you asked me flat-out why I practice breathwork every single day, my gut answer is simple: it's how I choose to live an examined life.

Breathwork gives me a way to step back from the noise of my mind, drop the ego for a while, and reconnect with the bigger questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What really matters? I don't expect answers carved in stone, but asking the questions changes how I move through life. It helps me navigate with more perspective, lightness, and carefreeness. Sometimes I even enter a session with a specific question, and somewhere in the rhythm of breath holds and stillness, the answer surfaces on its own.

Breathwork has also become the anchor of my daily routine. My days now begin early — often around 3 or 4 a.m. I spend an hour clearing my inbox and planning, then move into an hour of SOMA Breath, followed by an hour of exercise. That rhythm, built around breathwork, has changed everything. It's consistent. It's grounding. It's something I genuinely look forward to, so much so that when I fall asleep at night, I often find myself already anticipating the breathwork I'll do the next morning.

It doesn't stop there. My wife and I even end the day with a short SOMA session together — about 12 minutes of guided breathing that helps us wind down and fall asleep. It's become both personal and shared, something that supports my health and deepens my relationships.

It’s not just something I do; it’s part of who I am becoming.

For me, breathwork is both a tool and a path. As a tool, it's something I can draw on anytime — a few conscious breaths to reset, calm down, or shift my state. But it's also a path, a journey of deepening practice. The longer I've stayed with my one-hour sessions, the more my capacity has grown — holding my breath longer, focusing more deeply, experiencing new states of awareness. It's a practice that evolves with me, keeping me both grounded and open.

This is why I don't see breathwork as optional anymore. It's not just something I do; it's part of who I am becoming.

Different Paths into Breathwork

There are countless styles and techniques of breathwork — far more than I could list here. What follows is just a handful of practices I've personally explored (and one I'd like to try), alongside the one that has become my daily path:

• Box Breathing — Popular in stress management and even used by Navy SEALs, this involves equal-length inhales, holds, exhales, and holds (e.g., 4–4–4–4). It's simple, calming, and easy to practice anytime.
• Wim Hof Method — A powerful, energising style combining deep rhythmic breathing, breath retention, and cold exposure. I found this particularly good for building resilience and energy. (Learn more)
• Alternate Nostril Breathing — A yogic practice said to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, bringing calm and clarity.
• SOMA Breath — The practice I return to every day. The music, rhythm, and guided voiceovers create an immersive experience that keeps me engaged while helping me focus. It feels like meditation, energy work, and creativity all rolled into one. I personally love the sessions made available by Yulia Blanca on sonicspheres.com.
• Breathonics App Sessions — Shorter guided exercises I've enjoyed, which provide accessible variations for different needs. (Explore IOS App)
• Holotropic Breathwork — Something I haven't yet tried but would love to experience in the future, as it's known for its deep, transformational potential.

This list is by no means exhaustive — in fact, it barely scratches the surface compared to the countless breathwork paths out there.

Where to Begin as a Beginner

If you're new to breathwork, I wouldn't suggest jumping straight into a one-hour session. Technique matters, and the basics — like breathing into your belly, engaging your moolabandha (root lock), or chanting AUM correctly — make a big difference.

That's why guided programs are so helpful. SOMA Breath offers a 21-Day Awakening Protocol that ramps up gradually:

• The first 7 days: shorter, 20-minute sessions
• The next 7 days: medium, 45-minute practices
• The final 7 days: a full one-hour journey

It's structured, safe, and incredibly rewarding. By the end, you not only feel comfortable with the techniques but often find yourself looking forward to each session.

Other good starting points:

• The SOMA Breath app, with starter sessions and guided practices
• The Wim Hof app, which has excellent introductory modules
• Free YouTube videos from experienced practitioners (though be selective about quality)

The most important advice I'd give to anyone starting out is: learn the basics properly. Posture, nasal breathing, diaphragmatic expansion — these small details shape your entire experience. Once you're confident with technique, you can explore longer sessions and different styles with much more ease and safety.

How to Get Started Safely

Breathwork is powerful, and like anything powerful, it needs to be approached with respect. While it's generally safe for most people, there are some important guidelines that can make the difference between a positive experience and a painful one.

Learn the Basics First

Before diving into intense practices, it's crucial to learn the fundamentals of proper breathing:

• Diaphragmatic breathing (not shallow chest breathing)
• Engaging the root lock (moolabandha) and other energetic locks safely
• Maintaining good posture (sitting upright or lying comfortably)

Apps like SOMA Breath are excellent for teaching these foundations step by step. Skipping technique can make the experience less effective at best and unsafe at worst.

Timing and Environment

• Practice on an empty stomach — avoid starting just after a meal
• Create a safe, quiet space where you won't be disturbed
• Choose your position wisely — Sitting or lying down are both fine. Personally, I sit in a chair because old injuries make floor sitting uncomfortable, and it allows me to hold the energy lock more easily

The Risks of Overdoing It

Like any discipline, breathwork can be pushed too far. I learned this the hard way. In my early days with SOMA's Awakening 3 practice, I went at it too hard and too often. On several occasions, I blacked out during the final breath holds and woke up on the floor with a bump on my head. Once, after deciding to practice lying down to avoid falling, I overdid it again and injured my back badly enough to need chiropractic care for weeks.

That was a wake-up call. Since then, I've learned to recognise when I'm pushing too hard and to stay especially alert during the final holds. Breathwork isn't about straining or proving anything — it's about awareness. Respect your limits.

Who Should Be Extra Cautious

While breathwork is beneficial for most people, certain conditions require extra care or medical consultation:

• Pregnancy
• Cardiovascular conditions
• Epilepsy or seizure disorders
• Recent surgery or injuries
• Severe mental health conditions (always work with a qualified practitioner)

Start Small, Build Gradually

If you're nervous about starting, take baby steps. SOMA's 21-Day Awakening Protocol is designed to ease you in: starting with 20-minute sessions, then 45, then an hour. You can stay at any level as long as you want. Even five minutes of box breathing can be powerful.

There's no rush. There are thousands of styles of breathwork out there, and I've probably explored less than 1% myself. My daily practice is with SOMA Breath because it resonates with me — but your path may be different, and that's perfectly okay.

The key is simple: respect the breath, respect your body, and let your practice grow at its own pace.

The Ripple Effect of Breathwork

One of the most powerful things about breathwork is that its effects don't end when the session does. The way you breathe for an hour in the morning can shape how you live for the rest of the day.

For me, it's hard to separate breathwork from all the other changes I've made in recent years — Ayahuasca, Kabbalah, daily affirmations, delving into content related to the nature of consciousness, even curating my feeds to show me content that expands my perspective. It all happened around the same time. Breathwork is one piece of that larger puzzle — but it's a significant one.

The biggest shift has been in how I handle stress. My circumstances haven't suddenly become easier. Work still brings challenges and plenty of reasons to feel anxious. But where I once would have lain awake at night worrying, I now sleep soundly. Where I once carried stress in my body and mind, I now feel a baseline of calm. Breathwork has been a big part of that change — helping me reset, ground, and face things from a steadier place.

Breathwork doesn’t erase challenges, but it changes how you meet them.

It's also touched my relationships. I'm more present and centered with my family. Breathwork isn't something I keep to myself; I share it with loved ones, and we even practice short sessions together. That has created a subtle but beautiful sense of connection.

But the biggest ripple is in work, because that's where most of my stress originates. Breathwork doesn't erase the challenges, but it changes how I meet them. It helps me hold perspective, stay calmer under pressure, and keep my mindset aligned with growth rather than fear. And that, in turn, shapes how I lead, how I make decisions, and how I show up for others.

Breathwork is not the whole story of my transformation, but it is the steady rhythm that keeps everything else in sync.

Conclusion: Every Breath Is a Choice

If you take one thing away from this guide, let it be this: if you haven't tried breathwork, try it.

The barrier to entry couldn't be lower. Whether you have five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour, or an hour, you can weave it into your day. It doesn't matter how busy you are or whether you "believe" in meditation — breathwork gives you the benefits of meditation without demanding you sit in silence or wrestle with your thoughts. It's accessible, practical, and profoundly effective.

For me, breathwork has been a practice of personal transformation. But it's not just for seekers, yogis, or spiritual explorers. It's for anyone with lungs. Anyone who wants to live with less stress, more clarity, and deeper connection to themselves and their lives.

One of the most interesting insights I've had is noticing how the breath is like our thoughts. Breathing happens unconsciously, but it can also be brought under conscious control. In the same way, thoughts stream constantly in the background of our minds. Left unattended, they run unconsciously. But if we bring awareness to them, we can choose which to keep, which to release, and how to direct them. That's the heart of meditation — and breathwork is one of the most powerful tools to bridge the two.

So, why get into breathwork? Because every breath is a chance to come back to yourself. To choose awareness over autopilot. To shift your state, to open your mind, to connect with something deeper.

Every breath is a chance to come back to yourself.

All it takes is a few conscious breaths to start. The rest unfolds naturally.

Ready to begin? Start with just five minutes today. Sit comfortably, breathe in for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Repeat. Notice how you feel before and after. That simple shift? That's the power of breath.