What Is Breathwork?
Breathwork is one of the most promising tools for mental, physical, and emotional health. It’s accessible, neutral, and efficient. From what we’ve seen in teaching breathwork to more than 10,000 people — and through our ongoing collaboration with the University Hospital Basel — it has the power to transform lives.
At its core, the term breathwork refers to a variety of breathing techniques that intentionally alter the way we breathe in order to influence our physiological, mental, and emotional states.
Ancient Roots
The idea isn’t new. Across cultures, people have used breathwork as a bridge between body and mind — for healing, clarity, and even spiritual growth. In yoga, it is called Prāṇāyāma — the expansion and regulation of life force. Tibetan monks practiced Tummo — a powerful method to generate inner heat and resilience. And in yogic tradition, techniques like Sama Vṛtti — equal-ratio or “box breathing” — have long been used to calm the mind and steady attention.
From Tradition to Science
In recent decades, modern history has added its own layer. Since the 1970s, approaches like Holotropic Breathwork (Stanislav & Christina Grof), Rebirthing (Leonard Orr), and later the Wim Hof Method have brought breathing into mainstream awareness. Today, modern science confirms what these traditions always suggested: breathwork directly affects the nervous system, stress and anxiety regulation, focus, and even physical performance.
The Foundation: Nose Breathing
And yet, breathwork is not only about the powerful, energizing methods you often see online. Its true foundation lies in slow, light, deep nasal breathing. This simple practice restores balance, lowers stress and anxiety, strengthens resilience, and supports overall wellbeing in daily life. From that foundation, more dynamic techniques can be layered in with clear intention — whether to release stored emotions, cultivate energy, or deepen self-awareness. With safe and professional guidance, breathwork becomes not just a tool for regulation, but a pathway into non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSCs) — opening the door to profound clarity, catharsis, and transformation.
Why It Matters Today
At keur, we view breathwork as a neutral and universal practice. It is not bound to a single tradition but draws on many — from yoga and Buddhism to modern psychology and neuroscience. It is this diversity that makes breathwork such a universal practice — one that can meet anyone, wherever they are, regardless of background or belief.
In the context of modern life, where pressure and pace often dominate, breathwork emerges as a practical, evidence-based, and deeply human method of reconnection. It serves as a reminder that meaningful change can begin with something as simple — and as profound — as the way we breathe.
For those wishing to explore further, our online studio offers a carefully curated space to begin this journey — gently, at your own pace, and in your own environment.
