Conscious breathing: why it has a positive effect on your immune system
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- December 26, 2024
Deliberately altering your breathing patterns has been proven to reduce stress, enhance focus, and even strengthen your immune system.
Breathe in, breathe out, and repeat.
Inhale through your nose for a count of five. Hold your breath for five counts. Exhale slowly through your nose for five counts.
How do you feel? More relaxed? Calmer? Perhaps even more awake?
The impact of conscious breathing on your immune system
Breathing is something we rarely think about, yet it plays a crucial role in our well-being. Although breathwork has long been a central component of meditation and yoga practices, conscious breathing is now emerging as a discipline of its own. From personalized breathing sessions to apps like Calm and Headspace, and curated Spotify playlists for breathwork – when was the last time you truly paid attention to your breath?
Intentional breathwork offers immediate benefits for the body, mind, and emotions. Studies show that it also provides long-term advantages, including reshaping and strengthening the neural pathways that connect breathing to the brain’s emotion regulation centres.
But what exactly is conscious breathing?
“Conscious breathing means being aware of when you inhale and exhale,” explains Burnout Advisor and Clinical Hypnotherapist Charlene Gisèle. “Most people aren’t aware of their breathing patterns, nor do they breathe consciously. We’re taught in basic science classes that our lungs absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, but the deeper mechanics of breathing, such as the role of the diaphragm and the lymphatic flow triggered by deep breaths, are unknown to most.”
How does conscious breathing benefit the immune system?
From a scientific perspective, controlled breathing helps regulate our stress response. When we’re under stress, our immune system becomes weakened because stress lowers the body’s levels of lymphocytes (white blood cells that help fight off infection).
Lower lymphocyte levels make us more vulnerable to illnesses like colds and other infections.
In essence, more stress = a weaker immune system. However, controlled breathing can counteract this, taking us out of the “fight or flight” mode and restoring balance.
“Breathing is vital for regulating the lymphatic system, which is responsible for detoxifying the body by transporting lymph fluid, filled with infection-fighting white blood cells, throughout the body,” says Charlene. “Just like the heart circulates blood, deep, conscious breathing helps move lymph fluid, enhancing immunity.”
Regular and consistent breathwork can be a form of preventative healthcare. “Breathwork is directly tied to lymphatic flow, which is in turn linked to immunity,” explains Charlene. “Our immune system is our defence mechanism against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.”
Conscious breathing exercises to support your immune system
Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing
Breathing from your diaphragm helps to activate this important muscle and promotes better lymph flow, says Charlene. “While this may initially feel tiring, over time, it will become easier and feel more natural. For best results, practice for five to ten minutes, three to four times a day.”
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your head resting on a pillow.
- Place another pillow under your knees for added support.
- Put one hand on your chest and the other just below your rib cage to feel the diaphragm movement.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your stomach press into your hand.
- Keep your upper hand as still as possible.
- Exhale gently through pursed lips, tightening your stomach muscles while keeping your upper hand still.
- To increase the challenge, place a book on your abdomen to deepen the exercise.
Charlène suggests; “Once you master belly breathing while lying down, you can try it sitting in a chair and eventually practice it during daily activities.”
Written By Charlene Gisèle, Burnout Advisor and Clinical Hypnotherapist
If you’re looking for more guidance, Charlène’s coaching services and podcast can help you maintain your wellbeing.
For more information, visit charlenegisele.com, where you can sign up for her weekly wellbeing newsletter and tune into her latest podcast episodes.
Photo by Angelina Sarycheva on Unsplash
