The Power of Breath: Transforming Anger, Frustration, Grief
Emotions like anger, frustration, and grief are intense and can often get trapped in our bodies, leading to physical tension and chronic stress. Whether it’s tightness in your chest, a knot in your stomach, or tension in your shoulders, these emotions manifest physically, leaving us feeling stuck.
Breathwork offers a powerful way to release these pent-up emotions. By consciously working with your breath, you can process and let go of the emotional weight you've been carrying, creating space for peace and clarity.
How Emotions Get Trapped in the Body
When we experience strong emotions, our bodies react physically. Muscles tighten, heart rate increases, and our breath becomes shallow. Over time, if these emotions aren’t processed, they can become lodged in the body, contributing to chronic tension, fatigue, and even illness. Anger might show up as tightness in the jaw or clenched fists, while grief can weigh heavily on the chest, making it harder to breathe deeply.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotions are closely linked to the flow of energy, or Qi, through the body’s meridians—energetic pathways that connect the organs. Imagine the meridians as rivers, and the organs as lakes. When energy flows freely, we feel healthy and balanced. However, when external factors like stress or unprocessed emotions interfere, these meridians can become blocked or stagnant, causing disruptions in the flow of Qi.
Blockages in the meridians can manifest as physical tension, illness, or intense emotional sensations, sometimes even feeling as though you might implode. By addressing these blockages, with for example our breath, we can restore balance and release the emotional weight that’s been trapped in the body.
We get better at what we practice. And over many years, we’ve trained the cells in our bodies to expect and process emotional molecules to do their chemical work. For example, if you frequently feel jealous, insecure, angry, or stuck in a victim mindset, the body doesn’t just process these chemicals—it actually grows to expect them.
Breathwork as a Tool for Emotional Release
Breathwork is a practice that engages the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the body and mind, but it can also regulate the sympathetic nervous system—helping us find a healthy balance between the two. By using specific breathing techniques, like deep diaphragmatic breathing or conscious connected breathing, we can release tension stored in the body. As we focus on the breath, the emotional charge connected to anger, frustration, or grief begins to dissipate. Each exhale offers an opportunity to let go of what no longer serves us, creating space for emotional healing and an inner softening.
The chemical part of emotions lasts only up to 90 seconds. After that, we take those emotions up to the brain, where they can start to spiral. Breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness can help us practice awareness, land in the present moment, and access deeper levels of consciousness—both consciously and subconsciously—to break these patterns.
Creating New Energy Pathways
Every time you shift your behavior by choosing a new response, you’re redirecting your body’s chemistry. It can be challenging at first, yes—but just like a path through the forest, the more often you walk it, the clearer it becomes.
Your conscious choice breaks the chemical continuity. You’re creating a new inner path.
Breathing Techniques to Try
Diaphragmatic Breathing: A foundational breathwork practice that helps relax the body and reduce tension.
4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale for 8. This technique calms the nervous system and releases frustration.
Transformational Breathwork: This deeper practice uses a continuous circular breathing technique to clear out emotional blockages and bring a sense of peace. Upcoming breathwork sessions here
Breathing technique for instant calm: This is a simple, quick tool to create instant calm, take the edge off or relief anxiety.
Breathe with kids: Kids are creative! This breathing exercise will calm you both.
The Path to Peace - for you and the ones around you
Through breathwork, you can unlock the healing power of your breath to process and release emotions. Over time, you'll feel lighter, more balanced, and at peace. Whether you're dealing with anger, frustration, or grief, breathwork is a tool that can guide you toward emotional freedom and physical relief. And when opening up to shift your energy, this will create the right ripples for others too.
