Dangers of Breathwork

Summary

An overview of Breathwork/pranayama benefits and precautions

As we have learned before, there are 2 categories of breathing practices.

  1. Strong, deep, breathing techniques will activate the Sympathetic nervous system and activate the mind and nervous system.
    This is good for activating, resetting and unblocking of mind, nervous system and emotional system. This has to be followed by a calm breathing and meditation session.

 

Precautions for these types of breathing techniques are the following, not for those, or only do it gently that suffer from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent surgery on the torso

  • Recent brain surgery

  • Suffering from psychosis or recent trauma

  • When pregnant for longer than 3 months

Out of precaution advise that if people have any serious health conditions, they should always consult a medical professional before doing a session.

When doing strong breathing techniques there should be done at least a 1,5-hour gap after one’s last meal. The best is to have a 2 – 3 hour gap after the last meal. When one really wants to go deeper with yogic practices, pranayama should be done on an empty stomach.

Slow, calm & gentle breathing techniques will activate the Parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest).

This is great for deep relaxation, healing, and meditation. These slow gentle techniques will harmonize mind, body and soul and are good for everyone.

Precautions:

None

Breath-holding precautions:

Don’t do breath-holding when you suffer from:

  • Heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Suffer from HBP

  • When pregnant

After a round of strong breathing practices, never hold the breath in after full inhalation. This can cause fainting or even serious brain damage (brain stroke)! 

Breathing technique benefits and precautions

Gentle Yogic breathing | 3 step breathing

Benefits

  • Gain control over breathing system

  • Open up and strengthen the breathing system

  • Oxygenating the body

  • Great preparation for meditation 

  • Training the mind to become focused

Precautions

When doing it for more than 7 deep breaths: Standard precautions for strong breathing apply.

Strong Yogic breathing | full, deep breathing

Benefits

  • Open up the energy system and consciousness

  • Increase blood flow

  • Open up and strengthen the breathing system

  • Stimulates all systems in the body (metabolism, cardio vesicular system, nervous system, etc)

  • Develop commitment and will power

  • Unblock and reset the mind and emotional system

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently, when suffering from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent brain surgery

  • A recent operation in the torso

  • Suffering from psychosis or recent trauma

  • When pregnant for longer than 4 months

ChidShakti pranayama | energy & consciousness awakening breathing

Benefits

  • Open up the energy system and consciousness

  • increase blood flow

  • Detoxification of body and energy system

  • stimulates all systems in the body (metabolism, cardio vesicular system, nervous system, etc)

  • Set your intention and realize it in the coming weeks

  • Develop commitment and will power

  • Trains the mind to become focused

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently that suffer from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • A recent operation in the torso

  • Had recent brain surgery

  • When pregnant for longer than 5 months

Anulom Vilom pranayama | alternate nostril breathing

Benefits

  • Balances & harmonizes the nervous system snd energy system

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

  • Centers and focuses the awareness

  • Clears the mind

Precautions

None

Nadi Shodhana pranayama | energy channel purification breath

Benefits

  • Balances & harmonizes the nervous system snd energy system

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

  • Centers and focuses the awareness

  • Clears the mind

Precautions

None

Kapalbhati pranayama | skull cleansing breath

Benefits

  • Open up the energy system and consciousness

  • Clears respiratory system

  • Increase blood flow around the internal organs

  • Stimulate lower energy systems to rise to higher energy systems

  • Stimulates all systems in the body (metabolism, cardio vesicular system, nervous system, etc)

  • Burns excess fat and toxins from the body

  • Brings clarity to the mind

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently, when suffering from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent brain surgery

  • A recent operation in the torso

  • Suffering from psychosis or recent trauma

  • When pregnant

Bhastrika pranayama | breath of fire

Benefits

  • Open up the energy system and consciousness

  • Clears respiratory system

  • Increase blood flow around the internal organs

  • Stimulate lower energy systems to rise to higher energy systems

  • Stimulates all systems in the body (metabolism, cardio vesicular system, nervous system, etc)

  • Burns excess fat and toxins from the body

  • Brings clarity to the mind

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently, when suffering from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent brain surgery

  • A recent operation in the torso

  • Suffering from psychosis or recent trauma

  • When pregnant

Ujjayi pranayama | victorious breath

Benefits

  • Helps to become more aware of the breath

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

  • More O2 absorption in the blood

  • Induces a state of meditation

  • Clears and centers the mind

Precautions

None

Kaki Mudra pranayama | crow’s beak breath

Benefits

  • Open up the energy system and consciousness

  • Clears respiratory system

  • Increase Self-awareness

  • Aids self-healing

  • Induces a state of deep relaxation

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently, when suffering from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent brain surgery

  • A recent operation in the torso

Pranava pranayama  | universal energy breathing

Benefits

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

  • Induces a state of meditation

  • Clears and centers the mind

  • Opens 3rd eye 

  • Aids to the realization of one “True Self”

Precautions

None

Bahya pranayama | expelling breath

Benefits

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

  • Induces a state of meditation

  • Clears and centers the mind

  • Opens 3rd eye 

  • Aids to the realization of one “True Self”

Precautions

None

Bhramari pranayama | bees breath

Benefits

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

  • Induces a state of meditation

  • Clears and centers the mind

  • Opens 3rd eye 

  • Aids to the realization of one “True Self”

Precautions

Can be scary if people suffer from anxiety. However, for some people, it has proven to be helpful.

Udgeeth pranayama | chanting of Ohm

Benefits

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system

  • Induces a state of meditation

  • Clears and centers the mind

  • Opens 3rd eye 

  • Aids to the realization of one “True Self”

Precautions

None

Vritti Pranayama | Ratio bounded breathing

Vritti Pranayama is a type of breathing technique in which you breathe in certain ratios. The ratios are usually shown like this: In:Hold:Out:Hold.
For example ratio of  4:2:6:1 would be: 4 seconds breathing In: 2 seconds Holding the breath: 6 seconds breathing Out: 1 second Holding the breath.

Or 2:1:3 can be 6 seconds In: 3 seconds Holding the breath: 9 seconds breathing out: No breath retention on the exhale.

There are 2 types of Vritti Pranayama:  SamaVritti Pranayama and VisamaVritti Pranayama. Sama means same or equal. Visama means irregular or unequal.

Sama Vritti Pranayama (equal ratio) like 1:1:1 or 1:1:1:1

Benefits

When done gently it

  • Harmonizes and calms all systems in the body and mind

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently, when suffering from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent brain surgery

  • A recent operation in the torso

  • Suffering from psychosis or recent trauma

  • When pregnant for longer than 4 months

Visama Vritti Pranayama (irregular ratio) like 2:1:3 or 1:4:2:1 (there can be numerous different ratios made)

The kind of benefits will depend on what kind of ratio one uses. Generally speaking, one can say:

  • Breathing out longer than breathing in is calming and soothing (when breathing calm of course)

  • Breathing in longer than breathing out is energizing and activating (which in a lot of cases, not a good thing because you make the mind more active)

Other breathwork practices:

Box Breathing/Square breathing (breathing ratio of 1:1:1:1) and Triangular breathing  (breathing ratio of 1:1:1) is another name for Sama Vritti Pranayama.

Wim Hof Breathing/ Strong Yogic breathing | full, deep yogic breathing

This is basically Strong Yogic Breathing with strong inhalation through the nose and relaxed exhalation through mouth combined with breath-holding (Kumbhaka)

Benefits

  • Open up the energy system and consciousness

  • Increase blood flow

  • Stimulates all systems in the body (metabolism, cardio vesicular system, nervous system, etc)

  • Develop commitment and will power

  • Unblock and reset the mind and emotional system

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently, when suffering from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent brain surgery

  • A recent operation in the torso

  • Suffering from psychosis or recent trauma

  • When pregnant for longer than 4 months

Holotropic Breathing | controlled breathing patterns for a longer period

Developed by psychiatrists Stanislav and Christina Grof in the 1970s to achieve altered states of consciousness (without using drugs) as a potential therapeutic tool. Holotropic breathwork involves controlling and quickening breathing patterns to influence your mental, emotional, and physical states.

Benefits

  • Open up the energy system and consciousness

  • Emotional and trauma release

  • Increase blood flow

  • Stimulates all systems in the body (metabolism, cardio vesicular system, nervous system, etc)

  • Develop commitment and will power

  • Unblock and reset the mind and emotional system

Precautions

Not for those, or only do it gently, when suffering from:

  • Serious heart problems

  • Epileptic attacks

  • Serious HBP

  • Recent brain surgery

  • A recent operation in the torso

  • Suffering from psychosis or recent trauma

  • When pregnant

Rebirthing-breathwork | controlled breathing patterns for longer period of time

Controlled deep breathing practices to go into a state of trance to go back to the memory of the moment you were conceived.

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Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system & Human Stress Response