Breathwork: (re)learning to breathe

You probably feel tired, tense, or stressed at times. But did you know that breathing is directly linked to our emotions? Taking the time to breathe properly can calm your body and mind in just a few minutes. However, breathing correctly is not as easy as it sounds. Regulating your breathing frequency can be learned, and provides immediate and lasting benefits. Antoine Lecoq, Director of the Cures Marines Hotel & Spa Trouville MGallery Collection , explains the role of controlled breathing in our daily well-being.

What is breathwork?

Breathwork is a branch of medicine that focuses on the study of the human respiratory system. It focuses on the respiratory tract, which includes the nose, throat, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.

Its aim is to understand how these organs function, as well as the diseases that can affect them. By examining the various aspects of breathing, breathwork seeks to diagnose, treat, and prevent respiratory disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. By understanding breathwork, we can gain a greater appreciation of the impact of respiratory health on our overall well-being.

We generally breathe unconsciously around 20,000 times a day. Breathing well is as important as eating well, and it plays an active role in our mental, physical, and energetic balance.

“Around 95% of people breathe badly. Their breathing is influenced by their emotions, stress, and an intense pace of life.”

Why take part in breathwork sessions with a coach?

Participating in breathwork sessions with a coach can offer many benefits for respiratory and general health. Firstly, a breathwork coach can teach specific breathing techniques that promote more efficient, deeper breathing. These techniques can help improve lung capacity, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep quality.

What’s more, a respiratory coach provides bespoke guidance to help treat respiratory disorders such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and sleep apnea. They can recommend specific breathing exercises and monitor progress over time.

Breathwork sessions with a coach can also be motivating and inspiring. The coach can encourage regular practice and a healthy lifestyle, which will have a positive impact on overall health in the long term.

Breathwork in France: workshops to help you learn to breathe again

The Cures Marines Hotel & Spa Trouville MGallery Collection offers four types of breathing sessions. Practiced indoors, in a heated seawater pool, or on the beach, these sessions are integrated into a treatment program or offered à la carte, helping to restore emotional balance.

Four courses for including breathwork in your daily life

1. 1. The “Respirologie Terre Mer” module: 1. lasting 45 minutes, this session is practiced indoors. This module enables you to become aware of your breathing and rediscover your unconscious breathing spaces. You will learn to breathe well in all areas of your body , including the upper rib cage and lower ribs.

Working in pairs, each participant is invited to rediscover the benefits of natural, low, deep abdominal breathing, which provides better oxygenation for the whole body.

Five minutes of concentration is all it takes to lower your heart rate (which rises when you are stressed) and quickly soothe your body and mind. As you will see, more coherent, stable breathing encourages the brain to secrete relaxing hormones and improves blood circulation. The better oxygenated body then regains vitality. People who breathe well have warm hands all year round.

This awareness of breathing makes it easier to adopt better habits such as controlled belly breathing throughout the day (at the office, while relaxing, in the car, while exercising, etc.).

“Breathing better helps to free your diaphragm, which is often tense and knotted...”

1. 1. The “Air Bubble” module: 1. carried out in a heated seawater pool. While lying down, you are invited to close your eyes (temporarily losing your space-time bearings) and engage in belly breathing to let your body relax completely. The combination of relaxing breathing exercises and the properties of seawater enables you to let go of everything.

2. 2. The “Energy Breathwork” module: 2. this module is designed to energize the body while releasing pent-up emotions. The session takes place on the beach, with each participant breathing in and out dynamically to awaken and stimulate their internal energy. In order to gain awareness of the direct link between breathing and emotions (joy, fear, sadness, anger), each participant is then encouraged to mimic, and therefore feel, the type of breathing associated with each emotion. Practiced with total freedom, these exercises facilitate emotional release.

“Sea air encourages respiratory exchanges and allows the body to better assimilate oxygen.”

1. 1. The “Dream Relaxation” module:1. an1. 1. invitation to meditative initiation, in a virtual reality setting designed to encourage relaxation. Immersion in this soothing environment encourages us to abandon the analytical thinking in which we often find ourselves trapped, and instead focus on the present. The aim is to condition the brain by observing certain details of the scenery and listening to the music. This conscious contemplation facilitates the immersion in a meditative state. In addition to providing immediate well-being, this type of meditation also fosters physical and mental recovery.

The Cures Marines Hotel & Spa Trouville MGallery Collection also offers bespoke coaching for special situations (such as preparation for sporting events, public speaking, or exams). Controlled breathing makes it easier to manage stress before and during the key moment, while increasing performance levels. It provides breath, power, and self-confidence.

“We work on the four complementary areas of stimulation, concentration, relaxation, and expression.”

As a source of immediate well-being, these breathwork sessions are adapted to everyone. They provide practical tips on how to breathe better and feel better, for longer, in everyday life.

What are the most common respiratory exercises?

Common breathwork exercises aim to strengthen the respiratory muscles, improve lung capacity, and promote deeper, more efficient breathing. Here are just a few examples:

● Diaphragmatic breathing: inhale deeply through the nose, expanding the belly rather than the chest. Then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat several times to train the diaphragm to function optimally.

● Controlled breathing: gently inhale for a set period (count to four, for example) and then exhale for the same length of time. This helps to regulate breathing rhythm and reduce stress.

● Lung ventilation exercises: these involve breathing deeply to fill the lungs completely, then emptying them completely. This can be done using techniques such as segmental breathing, where you inhale in stages to reach different parts of the lungs.

● Controlled coughing exercises: useful for clearing secretions from the respiratory tract and preventing infections. The coach can teach you techniques for coughing effectively while protecting the respiratory tract.

Regular practice of these exercises can improve respiratory health, strengthen breathing muscles, and promote more efficient, relaxed breathing. The easiest way to start is by taking classes with a coach to learn the basics, before continuing your practice at home!

The importance of respiratory health

Respiratory health plays a crucial role in our general well-being. A healthy respiratory system ensures an adequate supply of oxygen to every cell in our body, essential for energy production and organ function. Efficient breathing also enables the elimination of carbon dioxide, a by-product of cellular metabolism.

Maintaining good respiratory health is also vital for disease prevention. A weakened or compromised respiratory system can make a person more susceptible to respiratory infections such as influenza and pneumonia. Chronic respiratory problems such as asthma or bronchitis can also reduce quality of life and limit daily activities.

Respiratory health is also closely linked to cardiovascular health. Inefficient breathing can lead to a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood, which can put additional strain on the heart and blood vessels. By understanding the importance of respiratory health, we can take proactive steps to maintain a healthy respiratory system and promote our overall well-being.