Page 78 - What Doctors Don't Tell You - AU-NZ (February-March 2020)

TIVES
Breathwork has helped me so
much; my mission is to help
as many people as I can
Researchintobreathwork
While various breathing modalities have
been around for centuries, medical research
into conscious breathing and other such
transformational breathwork therapies is still in its
infancy. No clinical studies have been carried out on
Breath4Life, but there have been studies on other
breathwork modalities, particularly in the area of
mental health and wellbeing.
Researchers have suggested that Holotropic
Breathwork can support psychotherapy, particularly
1
in reducing avoidance behaviors, and that it “can
induce very beneficial temperament changes,
which can have positive effects on development
of character, measured as an increase in self-
2
awareness.” Transformational Breath has
been shown to improve anxiety, depression and
wellbeing and reduce physiological measures of
anxiety among performers. 3
Trials have also demonstrated that breath
work can improve physical health. In a study
by researchers at Radboud University in the
4
Netherlands, 12 individuals trained in breathing
techniques, meditation and exposure to cold had
an increased ability to resist infection and fight
inflammation. The researchers considered that
the breathing techniques were mainly responsible
for the results and concluded that the study had
“important implications” for the treatment of
diseases that involve excessive inflammation,
especially autoimmune diseases. 4
Another modality, Breath Therapy (a mind-body
therapy integrating body awareness, breathing,
meditation and movement), was linked to a
significant improvement in pain and disability among
patients with chronic lower back pain, comparable to
high-quality, extended physical therapy. 5
REFERENCES
1 Altern Complement Med, 2007; 13: 771–6
2 J Altern Complement Med, 2015; 21: 796–803
3 International Symposium on Performance Science, 2017
4 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2014; 111: 7379–84
5 Altern Ther Health Med, 2005; 11: 44–52
78 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020
Matthew is particularly keen to get the word about
this technique out to men, who typically suppress their
emotions more than women. “Clients who are soldiers
and have had PTSD could not believe the difference it
made. If I was to ask soldiers to think about emotions, the
first word that might come up would be ‘vulnerability.’
“In a session, they can have what is almost a two-hour
panic attack because of dealing with all the emotions
that they were never able to feel while fighting in the
field. A number say they came back from war a different
person from who they were before.
“They say, ‘I never thought I would come back to
myself again,’ but they have worked through the trauma,
dealing with the fear they never felt. It’s the same with
firemen who have to run into a burning house to get
someone out. They don’t feel fear, they suppress it,
and during these sessions they have had incredible
experiences of release.”
Most people have breathwork sessions, which last
up to two hours, once a month (see page 79). This
leaves time to notice and integrate the changes and
More information: then for new things to bubble up. Significant results
Matthew Donnachie: might be observed after one session, but for many, more
www.innerbalancelife. profound changes take place over time.
co.uk “It took me five to six years to deal with my core
The International issues,” says Matthew, who now radiates positivity and
Breathwork Foundation, happiness. “I now consider myself one of the world’s
which collects and luckiest men. Everything works, life is easy, I don’t
disseminates information
about breathwork and have negative situations anymore. If something comes
up, I don’t panic, I think ‘What can I do to help this?’
conscious breathing Breathwork has helped me so much; my mission is to
research: www.
ibfbreathwork.org.uk help as many people as I can.”
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