How Breathwork Benefits My Sophrology Practice

Written by Laura CLEKA

• What is breathwork?

“Breathwork” refers to the practice of controlled breathing techniques to improve well-being. It comprises a wide variety of breathing methods aimed at different purposes (spirituality, medecine, etc.), without a common framework. Some of those techniques are ancestral, like Pranayama in yoga or Qi gong, which enhance the circulation of vital energy in the body.

In the 1960s, the rise of public interest in alternative medicine led to new breathwork techniques in the West. In this context, Leonard Orr developed Rebirthing breathwork, which is based on connected and continuous breathing, with no pauses between inhalation and exhalation. Then, Stanislav Grof created holotropic breathwork, which used hyperventilation to reach altered states of consciousness.

• How does breathwork help reduce anxiety?

  
  

The autonomic nervous system, which controls the vital functions of the body, regulates breathing. To help the body adapt to an action or stress, the sympathetic nervous branch activates and produces a global “stimulating effect.” In parallel, the parasympathetic nervous branch helps the body to rest with a “calming effect.” Inhalation arouses the sympathetic nervous system, and exhalation stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. That’s why extended exhalation breathing exercises (4-6 breathing) are often classified as calming.

Slow breathing methods, like box breathing, naturally activate the parasympathetic nervous system. They induce a resting state, which translates into a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, faster digestion, better mental clarity, etc. With training, it becomes easier to induce a lasting resting state in the body. Breathwork enables you to calm the nervous system on your own, directly impacting physical, mental, and emotional states. It is a powerful inner resource to reduce stress and anxiety, which are responsible for dysfunctional breathing patterns such as rapid, shallow, or irregular breaths.

• How Does Breathwork Complement My Sophrology Practice?

During individual sessions, it is common to observe that clients with anxiety struggle to breathe through the nose, practice belly breathing, and hold their breath. These issues are at the center of my breathwork practice, which helps to regulate the nervous system. This allows clients to restore healthier breathing patterns. Sessions don’t involve connected and continuous breathing or hyperventilation designed to release emotion or trauma.

Exercises may involve techniques from Pranayama, Zen, or even sophrology. In my sophrology practice, breathwork is a complementary approach. Indeed, I propose breathwork exercises for clients who are too activated during sophrology sessions. In fact, breathwork sessions can be part of a sophrology program if the client has difficulty coordinating breath, movement, and thought.

Bibliography

• Lalande, L., Bambling, M., King, R. et al. Breathwork: An Additional Treatment Option for Depression and Anxiety?. J Contemp Psychother 42, 113–119 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-011-9180-6

• Banushi, B., Brendle, M., Ragnhildstveit, A., Murphy, T., Moore, C., Egberts, J., & Robison, R. (2023). Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review. Brain Sciences, 13(2), 256. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020256

• Fincham, G.W., Strauss, C., Montero-Marin, J. et al. Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Sci Rep 13, 432 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y

• Clergue Vaures, A. (2023). Respire et déploie ta puissance - Le breathwork au service des femmes. Jouvence.

  
  
  
  

  Citation

  Laura CLEKA. “How Breathwork Benefits My Sophrology Practice” Aramante, 21 July 2026, https://www.aramante.com/en/post/how-breathwork-benefits-my-sophrology-practice.