Therapeutic Breathwork

Therapeutic breathwork has become an important component of many healthcare and psychotherapeutic interventions, as well as being an essential aspect of yoga practices based in ancient wisdom traditions. Despite growing popularity of integrating breathing practices into healthcare and yoga therapeutics, many healthcare providers and yoga professionals lack depth of knowledge about the biomechanics, biochemistry, and psychophysiology of breathing. This dearth of wisdom can result in breathing practices based on prevailing myths and misconceptions about breath and breathing, and often leads to one-size-fits-all approaches to breathwork that can be detrimental for particular clients or contexts. Therapeutic Breathwork: Clinical Science and Practice in Healthcare and Yoga offers a different approach: it translates respiratory science and ancient wisdom into practical guidance for therapeutic breathwork that is individually tailored and person-centered. This book encourages a four-part process of understanding the challenges of the person being served, carefully assessing context and root causes of presented challenges, co-creating clear goals and optimistic motivation, and offering breath, breathing, and breathwork practices that are optimally designed based on this understanding of each breather’s context and personhood.