Breathwork vs Meditation: Can’t focus during meditation? Try breathwork
Key Takeaway Points
- Both breathwork & meditation help with focus and concentration, but they go about it in different ways.
- Breathwork uses its direct connection with the nervous system to trigger a calming response.
- Breathwork is great for a fast calming response, can be done anytime anywhere, and can be easier to learn.
- Meditation works by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Meditation is useful to build our ability to concentrate and focus over time.
When it comes to finding focus and stillness, there are many paths that one can take. Breathwork and meditation are both practices that can help to improve focus and concentration. But which is better breathwork vs meditation? For some people, meditation can be difficult to maintain focus during. If you find yourself struggling to focus during meditation, breathwork may be a better option for you. Breathwork is a practice that involves controlled breathing, and it has been shown to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety.
On the other hand, meditation can help us to build our ability to focus in the long run, if you can hang in there. Meditation has been proven to help increase our capacity for focus, and also to help us manage stress. It isn’t always easy, but it can have big rewards in the end.
Both techniques help with focus and concentration, but they go about it in different ways. Breathwork helps us to focus by taking advantage of its direct connection to our autonomic nervous system, while meditation helps us to focus by building our brain’s ability to concentrate over time.
What is the difference between meditation and breathwork?
Breathwork is a powerful, direct way to hack the body’s nervous system. Breathwork can be easier to incorporate into your day than sitting still for a longer time meditating because many breathwork techniques can be practiced anytime or anywhere. It is also great for those days when we are feeling fatigued or mentally stressed, or those times when we just need a quick rescue technique to get through a stressful moment.
Meditation is a way of training the mind to focus, and it uses different techniques to achieve that goal. There is a vast array of ways to meditate, from sitting still with eyes closed to walking and chanting. Meditation can be done for longer periods than breathwork, and it can be done in groups or on your own.
One benefit of breathwork over meditation is that breathwork takes advantage of breathing’s direct connection to our autonomic nervous system. Often when we are extremely upset or stressed we can’t calm down our mind with meditation because our body has already gone into fight or flight mode. This is where breathwork has the advantage in providing stress relief when we are in crisis mode.
What is breathwork?
So, what is breathwork? Breathwork, also known as yoga breathing or pranayama, is simply learning techniques to control our breathing. Breathwork techniques modify the depth at which you breathe, how frequently you breathe, the rhythm of your breath, and your overall breathing patterns.
There are many different types of breathwork, but all involve paying attention to your breathing pattern and making adjustments as needed. For example, you might focus on deep belly breathing or count each inhale and exhale. The goal is to find a rhythm that works for you and helps you relax.