Therapeutic Breathing: Resources for Healthcare Professionals (and the Rest of Us)

Studying therapeutic ways of breathing, and experimenting with the breath, can unlock a potent form of self-care to promote wellness and support healing.

Breathing methods offer the most affordable and most widely available form of self-care that can improve quality of life for both patient and practitioner. The requirements to participate are simple: a state of full consciousness and the ability to breathe.

Breathing techniques have been used throughout the ages as a self-care method for maintaining wellness and to aid in healing from illness or injury, as part of an integral plan of care. The use of simple breath techniques in healthcare settings is supported by research studies as an effective means for aiding relief of symptoms from a wide variety of medical maladies. Promotion of healthy self-care practices such as therapeutic breathing could save the United States billions of dollars in health care expenditures each year.

Fingar, a nursing faculty member and nationally board-certified holistic nurse, has gathered a variety of resources to stimulate thinking and inspire the reader to action. Benefits derived from methods of conscious breathing include: anxiety relief; general improvement in physical symptoms; general improvement in pain levels; feelings of increased energy and well-being; and even feelings of transcendence and spiritual awakening.