Breathwork and Balance: How Your Breath Impacts Your Body and the Art of True Relaxation

Breathing is the most natural thing we do—so automatic that we rarely stop to think about how it shapes our body and well-being. Yet, it holds immense power to heal, transform, and restore us. What many don’t realize, however, is that the way we breathe directly affects the muscles attached to the ribs, known as accessory breathing muscles, which often end up doing more work than they’re designed to do.

Let me start by saying that breathwork has been one of the most profound tools in my own healing journey. From traditional yogic pranayama to dynamic, psychedelic-inspired techniques, breathing has helped me unlock parts of myself I didn’t even know were there. It’s incredible. But one pivotal moment changed how I view breathwork: I was working with a family member who was deeply dedicated to daily breathwork. While their commitment was inspiring, I discovered that many of their accessory breathing muscles—like the scalenes, pecs, and serratus anterior—were painfully tight and overworked. Their muscles were essentially stuck in "fight mode," unable to relax.

At the same time, I’ve also noticed how unconscious breath-holding plays an equally disruptive role in the body. Breath-holding often happens when the mind becomes entranced—whether we’re lost in thought, scrolling on a phone, or caught up in stress or anxiety. This pattern of holding the breath can create dysfunction in the muscles, leading to rigidity and pain, and it mirrors a state of stagnation in the mind and spirit. When the breath stops, it’s as though time stops with it. Energy ceases to flow, and a sense of disconnect takes root.

The good news? When we can train ourselves to breathe steadily and regularly, without holding the breath, life changes profoundly. A steady breath creates a steady mind. It anchors us in the present moment and reconnects us to our body, our emotions, and our sense of spirit.

How Breath Affects Your Accessory Breathing Muscles

When we breathe deeply, especially during intense practices or stress, accessory breathing muscles work alongside the diaphragm to expand and stabilize the ribcage. These include:

Scalenes (neck): Lift the ribs during inhalation but can cause neck pain when overused.
Pectoralis Major and Minor (chest): Elevate the ribs but often lead to tightness and rounded shoulders.
Serratus Anterior (side of ribs): Expands the ribcage but can become fatigued with shallow or overactive breathing.
Rhomboids (upper back): Assist with stability but get overworked in poor posture.
Quadratus Lumborum (QL) (lower back): Stabilizes the 12th rib but tightens when the diaphragm isn’t doing its job.
Intercostals (between ribs): Allow rib expansion but can grow sore from breath-holding or shallow breathing.

The diaphragm, your primary breathing muscle, should carry the majority of the load. But when breath patterns become shallow, held, or overly forced, the accessory muscles step in to compensate. Over time, this compensation creates patterns of chronic tightness, restricted mobility, and even postural imbalances.

When Breath Becomes Imbalanced

Breathwork is powerful, but without recovery and relaxation, or with improper breath patterns, it can lead to problems:

Excessive Breathing: Intense breathwork without rest can overwork accessory muscles, leading to hypertonic, tender, and fatigued muscles.
Unconscious Breath-Holding: This habitual pattern creates rigidity in the muscles, particularly the scalenes, pecs, and intercostals, leading to dysfunction, pain, and a sense of stagnation in the body and mind.
Shallow Breathing: Relying on chest breathing places strain on the upper body and can contribute to feelings of constriction, both physically and emotionally.

Breath is the flow of life. When we force it excessively or block it entirely, we lose the natural rhythm that keeps us aligned and balanced.

What True Relaxation Feels Like

Relaxation isn’t just collapsing on the couch or zoning out—it’s a skill. It’s about creating space for your body to release tension and your mind to quiet.

Imagine your body as a snow globe. When you’re constantly doing, moving, or pushing—whether it’s through breathwork, work, or stress—the snow swirls chaotically. True relaxation is like setting the snow globe down. Over time, the snow settles, and clarity emerges. That’s the gift of letting go.

Balancing Breathwork with Surrender Practices

To prevent overworking your accessory breathing muscles and to reap the full benefits of breathwork, you must balance intensity with rest. Here are some restorative practices that can help:

Regular Massage: Releases tension in muscles like the QL, scalenes, and pecs.
Restorative Yoga: Poses like supported fish and reclined bound angle gently open the chest and ribcage.
Yoga Nidra: Guides the body into deep relaxation while maintaining awareness.
Epsom Salt Baths: Relax tight muscles and reduce inflammation with magnesium-rich baths.
Sauna or Steam Room: Heat therapies promote muscle relaxation and improve circulation, making it easier for overworked accessory muscles to release tension.

Final Reflections: Balance Is the Key

Breathwork has the potential to transform your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, as it has mine. However, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that balance is everything. Excessive breathing can tax your muscles and overheat your system, while unconscious breath-holding can create stagnation, pain, and disconnection from yourself. Your accessory muscles—those that help you breathe—aren’t meant to carry the full load, and your body needs space to recover and integrate.

If you haven’t explored breathwork yet, you’re truly missing out. It’s life-changing. And if you’re curious about restorative yoga, how to build a steady, mindful breath, or how to balance your breathwork practice with relaxation, I’d love to connect with you! Reach out to me anytime—I’d be thrilled to help you explore these incredible practices and find the balance between effort and ease.

Let your breath guide you, but don’t forget to pause, relax, and let the snow settle. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you. Let’s breathe and restore together!

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Breathwork is one of the simplest yet most transformative practices available to us. By intentionally working with the breath, we can access deep states of healing, emotional release, and spiritual connection. While breathing is automatic, when practiced with intention, it becomes a powerful tool for bypassing the ego mind and reconnecting to the truest, highest part of ourselves—the inner healer.

For anyone curious about exploring breathwork, finding a skilled facilitator or joining a guided class is invaluable. A good guide creates a safe space for you to navigate the depths of your emotions and body, allowing you to fully surrender to the experience and reap its many benefits.

What Breathwork Does to the Mind and Body

Breathwork impacts us on multiple levels, from rewiring the brain’s neurochemicals to releasing stored tension in the body. Its effects are as scientific as they are mystical, bridging the gap between our physical and emotional selves.

Rewiring Neurochemicals

Breathwork directly influences the brain, creating shifts in neurochemistry:

Reduces Cortisol: Controlled breathing reduces stress hormones, helping the body move from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest.”
Boosts Serotonin and Dopamine: Breathwork stimulates the release of these mood-enhancing chemicals, promoting a sense of calm and joy.
Triggers Endorphins: Emotional release during breathwork often floods the body with feel-good endorphins, leading to euphoria and relief.
Enhances Oxygen Flow: By bringing more oxygen to the brain, breathwork sharpens focus, improves cognitive function, and supports overall mental clarity.

Calming the Ego Mind

One of the most remarkable aspects of breathwork is its ability to quiet the Default Mode Network (DMN), the brain’s chatterbox responsible for overthinking and self-referential thoughts. This shift helps bypass the ego—the part of us driven by fear, judgment, and control—and creates space for deeper connection.

In this state, you’re no longer “thinking” about emotions; you’re feeling them. You’re no longer analyzing pain; you’re moving through it. This is where transformation happens—when the breath invites you to meet the part of yourself that knows how to heal.

The Inner Healer: Your Deepest, Highest Self

Your inner healer is the wisest, most intuitive part of you. It’s the part that knows how to release what no longer serves you, how to face what feels overwhelming, and how to guide you back to balance and peace. Breathwork is a direct pathway to this part of yourself.

During a session, your breath creates a bridge between your body and soul, giving you access to emotions, insights, and sensations that may have been buried for years. It’s not uncommon to experience profound clarity, physical release, or even spiritual connection.

My Personal Journey with Breathwork

I’ll never forget my first guided breathwork session with Patricia at The Hub in West Los Angeles. She led us through a three-part breath pattern rooted in David Elliott’s style—two inhales (one into the belly, one into the chest), followed by a full exhale through the mouth.

At the start of the session, Patricia explained, “Your body is wise. It knows where you’re holding tension and what you need to release. The breath will take you there. Just stay with it.” She also mentioned that physical sensations like tingling in the hands and feet, tightness in the jaw, or even “lobster claws” (when the hands clench into a claw-like shape) could arise, often signaling areas where energy was blocked.

At first, I was skeptical. But as I settled into the breath, something extraordinary happened.

Unlocking Grief

About 15 minutes in, I felt a heaviness in my chest—a sensation I hadn’t been aware of before. As I continued to breathe, it grew into a wave of emotion that rose from deep inside me. Suddenly, I was crying—gut-wrenching sobs that seemed to come from a place far beyond my conscious awareness.

This grief wasn’t fresh. It was ancient, raw, and powerful. I hadn’t known it was there, but my body had been holding onto it for years.

As I breathed, my hands tightened into lobster claws, and my jaw felt locked. Patricia had explained these sensations, assuring us they were the body’s way of revealing blockages and moving energy. Trusting the process, I stayed with the breath.

What followed was one of the most profound releases I’ve ever experienced. It wasn’t just a letting go of grief—it was a reclaiming of myself.

From Grief to Bliss

After that session, I committed to regular breathwork practice. At first, each session brought up more layers of emotion—grief, anger, even joy—that I hadn’t fully processed. But over time, something shifted.

The grief became lighter. My body stopped clenching. And one day, as I lay on the mat, the experience transformed into something entirely different: bliss.

The breath that had once unearthed pain now carried me to states of pure peace and joy. It felt as though I was connecting to something bigger than myself—a sense of wholeness and oneness that words can barely describe.

Why You Should Find a Facilitator or Class

If you’re new to breathwork, having a skilled guide is invaluable. Breathwork can be intense, especially when emotions and sensations arise, and a facilitator creates the safety and structure you need to surrender fully to the process.

Why a Facilitator Matters

Safety and Support: A facilitator ensures you feel held and supported, helping you navigate challenging moments.
Guidance: They provide cues and encouragement, helping you stay with the breath and go deeper into the experience.
Integration: After the session, they can help you process and make sense of what you’ve experienced, ensuring lasting impact.

Whether in a private session or a group class, having a guide allows you to relax into the practice, knowing you’re in capable hands.

The Benefits of Breathwork

Breathwork offers benefits for your entire being:

1. Emotional Release

Breathwork allows you to access and release emotions stored in the body, creating space for healing and clarity.

2. Stress Reduction

By calming the nervous system and reducing cortisol, breathwork brings your body into a state of relaxation and balance.

3. Enhanced Mental Clarity

Increased oxygen flow and a quieted mind lead to sharper focus, creativity, and awareness.

4. Spiritual Connection

Many people experience profound spiritual insights or a sense of connection to something greater.

5. Joy and Bliss

With regular practice, breathwork becomes a source of deep peace and joy, carrying you into states of euphoria and lightness.

Your Breath is the Key

Breathwork is more than just a practice—it’s a transformative journey to your truest, most healed self. Each breath invites you to let go of the noise, bypass the ego, and connect with the part of you that knows how to heal and grow. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

Whether you’re seeking emotional release, clarity, or a sense of peace, breathwork is your guide. And with each session, you’re reminded that everything you need is already within you—your breath is the key to unlocking it.

Pro Tips for a Powerful Breathwork Session

Create a Comfortable Space: Choose a quiet, safe spot where you won’t be disturbed. Lie down on a yoga mat or soft surface to fully relax.
Use an Eye Pillow: Blocking out light can help you go deeper into the practice. An eye pillow or scarf works perfectly.
Stay Cozy: Your body temperature can change dramatically during breathwork. Keep a blanket nearby, and consider wearing warm socks to stay comfortable.
Play Music: Breathwork pairs beautifully with music. Check out curated breathwork playlists on Spotify for tracks that match the rhythm and flow of your practice. Music can amplify emotional release and help guide your breath.
Hydrate Before and After: Your body may release a lot during breathwork—emotionally and physically. Drink water to stay grounded and replenished.
End with Quiet Savasana: After your breathwork session, take at least 5–10 minutes to lie still in quiet savasana. This time allows your body to integrate the experience and settle into a state of deep relaxation. It’s a necessary pause to honor the work you’ve done and let the benefits sink in.

Take the First Step

If you’re new to breathwork, start with a short session or join a guided class. Having a facilitator or using a playlist can make the experience feel supportive and structured, especially when emotions arise.

Remember: your breath is your greatest ally. It’s there for you in every moment, ready to guide you toward healing, peace, and connection. Trust it, lean into it, and let it carry you home.

Are you ready to take that first breath?