During the pandemic, I made an investment in my health by becoming a patient of The UltraWellness Center, a functional medicine clinic founded by Dr. Mark Hyman. I was experiencing high blood pressure for the first time in my life and felt like I had a constant weight sitting on my chest. We can all agree the pandemic was stressful, but I thought I was handling it well and was actually patting myself on the back for managing everything and everyone so well. I mean rather than getting kids ready to go to school and driving them there, they were at home where I got to see them all day, make sure they were eating clean, healthy meals and getting outside on the trampoline for some exercise. I made sure we were practicing safety by cleaning groceries before they entered the house, making sure that I was staying on top of my responsibilities as a corporate executive, making sure my very busy husband was eating throughout the day as he went from online meeting to online meeting for up to 14 hours a day. I was running and working out (masked) daily. I was really firing on all cylinders, as they say, and oddly, I did not interpret this as stress because we were at home managing. However, my gut and my blood pressure suggested something more was going on.
The clinic ran bloodwork, and a few weeks later, I sat down with the practitioner to go through my diagnosis. As it turned out, my cortisol levels were sky-high, and my DHEA-S levels were also elevated — both clear markers of stress. We talked through what was happening in my life at that time, and then he made a simple, unexpected recommendation: "Learn to breathe."
At first, this sounded almost preposterous. How could something as basic as breathing help when I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders? But as we dug deeper, it made perfect sense. When we're feeling overwhelmed, overtired, or overcommitted, and dealing with things beyond our control, we often don't realize that we shorten our breath—without even noticing.
How Stress Affects Your Breath and Health
When we're stressed, our bodies go into “fight or flight” mode, and this triggers a cascade of physiological responses, including shallow, rapid breathing. This is a survival mechanism, but when it's happening constantly, it takes a toll on your body. Shallow breathing decreases the amount of oxygen getting to your brain and muscles, which can lead to fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and even a weakened immune system.
In fact, research shows that during periods of stress, people tend to breathe quickly and shallowly, limiting oxygen intake and increasing carbon dioxide levels in the body. This imbalance can lead to increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and an overload of stress hormones like cortisol. Over time, this can contribute to a range of health problems, from heart disease to impaired cognitive function.
The Power of Breathwork for Longevity
Breathwork, on the other hand, is a practice that encourages deep, controlled breathing, which can reverse these negative effects. By consciously regulating your breath, you can reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, and improve oxygen delivery to your brain and body. This not only enhances physical health but also supports brain function, improving focus, learning, and mental clarity.
Studies have shown that deep, slow breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s "rest and digest" mode. This helps reduce the production of stress hormones and allows the body to repair and recover, which is essential for long-term health and longevity.
Breathwork can help in:
How Breathwork Enhances Learning
When you breathe deeply and steadily, you not only relax your body but also create optimal conditions for your brain to absorb and retain information. Oxygen is fuel for the brain, and when your breathing is shallow, your brain isn’t getting the oxygen it needs to function at its best. Deep breathing exercises can help activate brain regions responsible for attention and memory.
In a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found that mindful breathing significantly improved participants’ ability to focus and process new information. The practice of mindful breathwork has been shown to boost neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections, which is essential for learning and memory retention. So, whether you're trying to learn something new or stay sharp in everyday life, breathwork could be a powerful tool to enhance your brainpower.
Step-by-Step: Try Box Breathing
If you’re ready to give breathwork a try, a great place to start is with Box Breathing. This simple, effective technique can calm your nervous system, help you focus, and bring your mind and body into a state of balance. Here’s how you can do it:
Repeat this for 5-10 minutes; some people visualize drawing a box as they breathe in, hold, breathe out, and hold, mentally drawing a line going up, over, down, and back. However you practice this breath, over time Box Breathing can help lower your stress, improve your focus, and enhance your overall sense of well-being.
Final Thoughts
Breathing is one of the simplest, most accessible ways to boost your health and longevity. We often overlook it because it's something we do without thinking, but intentional, mindful breathing practices like Box Breathing can have a profound impact on both your physical and mental well-being. From reducing stress and improving cognitive function to supporting heart health, breathwork is a tool you can use anytime, anywhere.
So next time you're feeling overwhelmed or scattered, pause and take a breath. It might just be the key to living a longer, healthier, and more focused life.
Start today: Give Box Breathing a try for just five minutes and notice the difference it makes. Sometimes, the most powerful tools for health and longevity are the simplest ones.
Have a Happy, Healthy Day!
-Lauren Ramsey, Founder, PaceWell
References
- Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566-571.
- Brown, R. P., & Gerbarg, P. L. (2009). Yoga breathing, meditation, and longevity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1172, 54-62.
- Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.
- Tang, Y.-Y., Ma, Y., Wang, J., Fan, Y., Feng, S., Lu, Q., & Posner, M. I. (2007). Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(43), 17152-17156.
