{"id":89854,"date":"2024-02-20T07:34:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T12:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=89854"},"modified":"2024-02-20T07:34:50","modified_gmt":"2024-02-20T12:34:50","slug":"people-are-paying-hundreds-or-thousands-to-learn-how-to-breathe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=89854","title":{"rendered":"People Are Paying Hundreds, or Thousands, to Learn How to Breathe"},"content":{"rendered":"
Vivian Rosenthal charges US$400 an hour to coach clients on something that most should have mastered at birth: breathing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But you probably aren\u2019t breathing quite as effectively and efficiently as you could, according to experts like Rosenthal, founder of Frequency, a New York City-based breathwork studio. In a stressed-out world full of shallow breathers with divided attention, she\u2019s part of a booming industry of wellness practitioners bringing people back to one of their most primal functions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cIf you are a human in 2024, chances are you\u2019re dealing with stress, anxiety, insomnia, actively working on trauma, or PTSD, and that a somatic body practice could help,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Welcome to the year of the breath\u2014whether the technique is kundalini, pranayama, or holotropic\u2014the message is the same: just breathe (with a breath coach).<\/p>\n
A Magic Wellness Bullet<\/strong><\/p>\n
For the uninitiated, \u201cbreathwork is an active and energizing form of meditation that allows the conscious mind to relax and taps into the subconscious mind, which is ideally done by laying on the back and is a three-part breath all in and out through the mouth,\u201d says Dr. Sarah Rothman, a Maui-based naturopathic doctor and a breathwork facilitator.<\/p>\n
Regular breathwork\u2014part of a broader spectrum of \u201csomatic\u201d exercises\u2014can address so many of our modern ailments, experts say. \u201cThere are more scientific studies that show us the importance of breathing properly for our respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive systems, and to manage sleep deprivation,\u201d says Cinthya Molina, a clinical psychologist at SHA Spain. (Molina says some of the specialists at SHA Spain have a master\u2019s degree specifically in breathing.)<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s no mystery then why the wellness world is looking to level-up their somatic offerings, expanding far beyond basic inhales and exhales. People are paying hundreds of dollars to learn the \u201cright\u201d way to breathe. There \u201care many forms of breath practices,\u201d but what is ideal, Rothman says, is \u201cbreathing through the nose because it brings us deep into the parasympathetic nervous system.\u201d Pranayama, a three-part breathwork that is more mouth focused, she says, \u201ccan be life changing for depression, anxiety, trauma, sleep, immune function, and chronic pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Auberge, the California-based hospitality company that has partnerships with popular health brands like the Well and Onda, \u201cmost of their therapists are trained in breathwork,\u201d says Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, vice president of well-being at Auberge Resorts Collection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe incredible demand for somatic therapists, particularly breathwork, is undeniable and as a wellness practitioner,\u201d she says, adding that she expects the trend to gain more momentum over the coming decade.Breathwork programming at Auberge properties, where rooms typically start in the four figures, have included everything from \u201cbreathing for joy\u201d to \u201cbreathing for hormonal health.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Breathing, Like Sleeping, Is Now a Commodity\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
Raj Goyle, a 48-year-old technology CEO and entrepreneur who isa private client of Rosenthal\u2019s, says breathwork \u201cimmensely\u201d helped him handle the grief of losing his father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we all spent more time on breathwork, meditation and reflection, the world might well be a better place,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
MORE: <\/strong>Chef Alain Verzeroli on a Surprise Michelin Star, a Little-Known Hobby, and Other Favorite Things<\/p>\n
But breathing properly doesn\u2019t come cheap, particularly when you call in the experts. At SHA Spain, the rebalance and energize program starts at US$2,600 (not including the room) and includes facilitated sessions focused on \u201cproper breathing techniques\u201d and using \u201cthe breath to uncover emotions.\u201d\u00a0 But that could be a small price to pay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosenthal says she\u2019s witnessed miracles through breathwork. \u201cI\u2019ve seen people overcome disabling trauma and PTSD. And I have seen people with severe panic disorders find relief and those with insomnia learn to sleep again, just by literally learning to breathe deeply,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In that way, breathwork is a close cousin of another darling of the wellness industry: sleep, which has also become a highly valued commodity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Rosewood London\u2019s wellness center, where about half the clientele is local, \u201cpeople are prioritizing sleep more than ever,\u201d says Ricardo Dos Inocentes, the hotel\u2019s spa director. Breathwork is part of their \u201cantidote sleep treatment,\u201d a US$400 experience, that includes guided breathing to induce sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne in three people in the United Kingdom,\u201d Dos Inocentes points out, \u201csuffer from poor quality sleep,\u201d citing research published by the Mental Health Foundation, a U.K.-based nonprofit focused on mental health.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not all breathing exercises have to cost hundreds of dollars, however. Sacha Bell, 35, vice president of media relations at Rachel Harrison communications in New York City, started a breathwork practice after listening to an interview with breathing coach James Dowler. She decided to join a session of Dowler\u2019s on Instagram Live during the pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI immediately felt its effect on my body,\u201d Bell says. \u201cI\u2019ve always experienced anxiety and as a consequence, I am well aware of how it can affect the breath.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n