Microdosing, when used as a stand-alone plan, has several benefits. These include improved mental health, increased focus and creativity, and decreased pain perception. People often report feeling that adding microdosing to other elements has a synergistic effect, which means that the whole effect of various substances or activities is greater than the sum effect of each one taken alone. The advantages of microdosing can be increased when combined with other methods one of which is breathwork. Let’s take a look at how these two synergize and enhance each other effects!
The history of breathwork dates back thousands of years to ancient Chinese, Indian, and Japanese traditions. Breath-focused meditations from Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, Christianity, Shamanism, and other martial arts are included in these age-old traditions.
The focus on breath regulation in contemporary breathwork approaches is largely derived from pranayama, the fourth of yoga’s eight limbs. Breath control is emphasized by the Sanskrit term pranayama, which combines the terms “prana,” meaning life energy, and “ayama,” which means control. Similarly, the Taoist term “qi” (or “chi”) literally means “breath,” “air,” or “gas,” but it also refers to life force.
To simplify things, breathwork is intentionally and mindfully changing your breathing habits. In contrast to physiological processes like heart rate, which is largely controlled by our autonomic nervous system, we have the capacity to actively manage our breathing. By controlling our breathing, we can modify the neurological system’s state to better serve our needs at the moment.
In this context, you can think of your breath as your neurological system’s remote control. Just like when you select a music playlist, you can choose a breathing pattern that corresponds to a particular emotional state, and the emotional channel will change to reflect that. This can particularly be effective when microdosing.
You can become more aware of and connected to the present moment by practicing breathwork. Stronger ties to the present moment and increased awareness throughout the day are two typical benefits of microdosing that people have noticed. One of the best ways to fully engage in the present moment is to simply focus on your breath at that moment. You can further strengthen the increased awareness that microdosing already facilitates by starting your microdosing regimen with a breath awareness meditation or by setting aside intentional times throughout the day to focus on your breath.
Your objectives for microdosing can be strengthened by breathwork. It’s common to think of microdosing psychedelics as a “non-specific amplifier,” which means it might magnify existing feelings, thoughts, or emotions. Establishing intentions to direct the process may be necessary for successful microdosing experiences. We can strengthen or magnify our intentions by selecting breathing patterns that support them. Breathwork techniques can support and improve any aim you choose for your microdosing program, whether it is to build presence, focus, vitality, creativity, or compassion.
Diaphragmatic breathing is a breathwork technique that uses the diaphragm, stomach, and abdomen. It is sometimes referred to as belly breathing or abdominal breathing. It involves engaging your abdominal muscles to stimulate your diaphragm’s movement during breathing, which expands your lungs to hold more air.
This approach is more than just physical, it is an instrument for achieving inner peace. Diaphragmic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a calm and collected mental state. It serves as a self-control aid that is especially helpful for people who are experiencing anxiety attacks. The idea that diaphragmatic breathing improves mood, and concentration, and lowers cortisol levels in the blood, is also supported by scientific research.
Alternate nostril breathing is a breath control exercise commonly practiced during yoga or meditation sessions. According to the theory behind alternate nostril breathing, inhaling through the right nostril stimulates activity in the left hemisphere of the brain, while breathing through the left nostril promotes activity in the right. While the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for language and reasoning, the right hemisphere controls emotions and creativity. When combined with microdosing it may further improve creativity and rise of new ideas.
A contemporary technique, holotropic breathwork helps people heal themselves and find a sense of completeness. It was created by Stanislav and Christina Grof in 1975 with the intention of assisting practitioners in entering altered states of consciousness for therapeutic purposes without taking any psychoactive substances. It is mostly used as a worldwide spiritual practice that helps people overcome bad emotions and connect with higher consciousness.
By accessing perinatal and transpersonal realms that naturally guide the experience, this breathwork technique empowers the practitioner’s inherent healing intelligence instead of depending on outside guidance. You can improve the overall holotropic experience by microdosing. If a person decides to explore this approach, they should record everything in a microdosing journal, since the experience might be different compared to regular microdosing.
Breathwork and microdosing together have the potential to be a potent catalyst for positive changes and personal growth. But even in the absence of microdosing, focusing on your current breath is a powerful way to bring yourself into the present. The rhythm of your breathing is, in fact, the most instantaneous, life-affirming, and inescapable thing there is.
Use one of the easy methods mentioned before to begin your day with a breath-aware meditation to maximize the advantages of your microdosing journey. The increased awareness that microdosing already promotes is just further enhanced by this approach.
Did you know that microdosing can sometimes make you yawn? Check our article on Why Does Psilocybin Make You Yawn and how you can prevent it.
