Breathwork Courses for Asthma & The Benefits of Breathwork for Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by inflammation of the airways, which results in wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing. While there are various treatments available for asthma, breathwork has emerged as an effective complementary therapy that can help manage the symptoms of this condition. In this article, we will explore the benefits of breathwork for asthma and how it works.

What is breathwork?

Breathwork is a term used to describe a range of breathing techniques and practices that are designed to enhance physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. These techniques can involve conscious breathing exercises, controlled breathing patterns, and techniques that focus on regulating the breath to promote relaxation and stress relief. Breathwork can be used for various purposes, including relaxation, stress reduction, meditation, and even as a complementary therapy for various medical conditions.

How does breathwork courses help with asthma?

Breathwork courses can help people with asthma by improving their breathing patterns, reducing stress and anxiety, and promoting relaxation. People with asthma often experience shortness of breath, which can cause anxiety and stress. These emotions can exacerbate asthma symptoms, leading to more severe breathing difficulties. By practicing breathwork, individuals can learn to control their breathing and reduce stress and anxiety, which can, in turn, help manage asthma symptoms.

One of the keyways that breathwork courses can help with asthma is by improving lung function. When individuals practice breathwork, they can learn to take slower, deeper breaths, which can increase oxygen intake and improve overall lung function. This can help reduce asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath, and improve overall respiratory health.

Breathwork courses can also help individuals with asthma learn to manage their symptoms more effectively. By practicing breathwork regularly, individuals can become more attuned to their breathing patterns and learn to recognize early signs of an asthma attack. This can help them take action before their symptoms become severe, potentially reducing the need for emergency medical intervention.

Benefits of breathwork courses for asthma

• There are several benefits of breathwork for people with asthma, including:
• Improved lung function: Breathwork can help improve lung function by increasing oxygen intake and promoting deeper, more controlled breathing.
• Reduced stress and anxiety: Breathwork can help reduce stress and anxiety, which can exacerbate asthma symptoms.
• Enhanced relaxation: Breathwork can promote relaxation and reduce tension, which can help reduce asthma symptoms.
• Increased awareness: Practicing breathwork regularly can help individuals become more aware of their breathing patterns and learn to recognize early signs of an asthma attack.
• Complementary therapy: Breathwork can be used as a complementary therapy alongside traditional asthma treatments to help manage symptoms more effectively.

6 Breathing Exercises To Help With Asthma

Diaphragmatic Breathing

The muscle with a dome shape below your lungs that aids in breathing is called the diaphragm. You learn how to breathe from the area surrounding your diaphragm rather than from your chest when you practise diaphragmatic breathing. By slowing your breathing and strengthening your diaphragm, you can lessen the amount of oxygen your body needs.

To practice diaphragmatic breathing:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and a pillow under your knees or sit up straight in a chair.
2. Place one hand flat on your upper chest and the other hand on your stomach.
3. Breathe in slowly through your nose. The hand on your stomach should move, while the one on your chest remains still.
4. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips.
5. Keep practicing this technique until you’re able to breathe in and out without your chest moving.

Nasal Breathing

According to certain research, mouth breathing is associated with more severe asthma symptoms. The benefit of nasal breathing is that it warms and humidifies the air, which can lessen asthma symptoms.

The Papworth Method

Since the 1960s, there has been a Papworth method. It combines several breathing techniques with relaxation training methods. It teaches you how to breathe through your nose and from your diaphragm gently and consistently.

Also, you learn stress management techniques to prevent respiratory problems. According to research, using this strategy can reduce asthmatic patients' respiratory difficulties and enhance their quality of life.

Buteyko Breathing

Buteyko breathing is named after its creator, Konstantin Buteyko, a Ukrainian doctor who developed the technique during the 1950s. The idea behind it is that people tend to hyperventilate — to breathe faster and more deeply than necessary. Rapid breathing can increase symptoms like shortness of breath in people with asthma.

Buteyko breathing uses a series of exercises to teach you how to breathe slower and deeper. Studies evaluating its effectiveness have shown mixed results. Buteyko may improve asthma symptoms and reduce the need for medication, though it doesn’t seem to improve lung function.

Pursed Lip Breathing

Pursed lip breathing is a technique used to relieve shortness of breath. To practice it, you first breathe in slowly through your nose with your mouth closed. Then, you purse your lips as if you were about to whistle. Finally, you breathe out through your pursed lips to a count of four.

Yoga Breathing

Yoga is an exercise program that combines movement with deep breathing. A few small studies have found that using the same type of controlled deep breathing as in yoga may help improve asthma symptoms and lung function.

Should You Try Breathing Exercises & Breathwork Courses

You might be able to regulate your asthma symptoms more effectively if you learn these breathing techniques and frequently put them into practise. You might be able to need less asthma medication as a result of them. Even the most successful breathing exercises, however, cannot take the place of your asthma medication totally.

You can try a free breathwork course for asthma in the UK with the Breath Sensei. Practice your free breathwork course & then move on to the more advanced breathwork courses & see how breathwork can help reduce your asthma symptoms & help you.

In conclusion, breathwork courses can be a powerful tool for individuals with asthma, helping them to manage their symptoms more effectively, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall respiratory health. If you have asthma and are looking for complementary therapies to help manage your symptoms, consider incorporating breathwork courses & exercises into your routine.