Not Just Some Hippy Sh**!

Many years ago I might've dismissed breathwork as such, but now I'm totally converted. This is something everybody should be doing. I was of the firm belief that stress could be managed through physical exercise alone. I was badly mistaken.

In 2019, my working day would often consist of a flight to a different city every day — early starts, late nights, racking up the air miles — the Bigfoot of carbon footprints. Planes, trains and automobiles, I thought, could be offset, with treadmills, cross trainers and weights benches. How wrong I was. The mind didn't quieten, the stress didn't subside. I turned to, and became reliant on, alcohol to sleep. Of course, the slippery slope of burnout ensued. At one moment, I walked through the streets of Copenhagen and burst into tears, and had no logical reason as to why. I was happy, or thought I was. Before I knew it, I had a Danish psychiatrist trying to pump me full of anti-depressants. For whatever reason, still unbeknown to me, I was resistant to it. There had to be another way. My analytical mind wasn't able to rationalise my uncontrollable emotions, but surely it could find a way to get me out of this hole. The research and experimentation began.

Acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal remedies, massage, meditation, CBD, journaling, change in diet, cold water swimming: you name it, I tried it. Ultimately, it was the method that had the most profound effect that stuck. That was breathwork. I'm now a fully fledged pulmonaut. Psychedelics are once again being used for the clinical treatment of mental illnesses, with advocates like Professor David Nutt and Dr Robin Carhart-Harris. Breathwork was like taking psychedelic drugs without taking psychedelic drugs.

It was the Wim Hof Method that got me started, but as my interest grew and a desire for a deeper understanding began, I found SOMA Breath. The combination of music, rhythmical breathing and tweaking of ancient pranayama techniques was powerful. Very powerful. Coming from a biomedical engineering background, I wanted to understand the science behind these techniques. My training with SOMA Breath gave some very detailed and well researched information on the psychological and physiological wonders that were occurring. Here are my top five.

1. Neuroplasticity: You can affect your brainwave activity and actually change the shape of your brain. Activity in the Default Mode Network — the monkey mind — is reduced immediately. Over time, the amygdala — the part of the brain responsible for fear, anxiety and stress — shrinks, and the hippocampus — the region responsible for memory and learning — increases in size. Mind blowing stuff.

2. Hormones & Neurotransmitters: Oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, are released, greatly impacting your mood, making you feel much more upbeat and generally more on-the-ball. Chronic activation of fight or flight hormones is reduced, leading to better long-term health.

3. Stem Cells: The human body's capacity for regeneration and repair is significantly aided by stem cells, which can differentiate into many different cell types. Stem cells thrive in high CO₂ environments. Breathwork supports their proliferation by creating higher concentrations of CO₂ in the blood through intermittent hypoxia. Efficient stem cell differentiation can actually slow down or even reverse ageing, meaning you can hold off on the hair dye and botox for a few more years.

4. The Bohr Effect, Oxidative Stress and Blood pH: The Bohr Effect explains how CO₂ levels influence oxygen delivery to tissues, which is optimised through breathwork. Unconscious, erratic breathing can lead to oxidative stress, resembling the rusting process in metals. Breathwork manages oxygen and CO₂ levels, reducing the risk of oxidative stress, maintaining optimal blood pH.

5. Cerebrospinal Fluid & Brain Health: Breathwork influences the movement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), essential for clearing out ‘brain gunk’. Different breathing patterns can greatly impact CSF flow, suggesting a link between breathwork practices and neurological health.

It worked for me; it can work for you too. I'd suggest, however, that you don't wait until you desperately need it like I did. Prevention is better than cure. Add breathwork to your daily routine now.