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Breathing is something we all do every day without even thinking about it. But have you ever paused to consider the power of your breath? It turns out that the way we breathe can have a profound impact on our physical and emotional well-being.
Jasmine Marie, a passionate advocate for breathwork, has dedicated her life to teaching people how to harness the power of their breath to live healthier, more balanced lives.
This article explores Jasmine Marie’s approach to breathwork and how it can transform your mental and physical health. 
Who is Jasmine Marie?
Jasmine Marie is a breathwork practitioner and wellness advocate known for her work in promoting the healing power of breath. She’s the founder of Black Girls Breathing, an inclusive wellness platform aimed at helping women of color manage their mental health through guided breathwork practices.
Through her work, Jasmine has empowered countless individuals to use breath as a tool for emotional release, physical relaxation, and mental clarity.
What sets Jasmine apart is her mission to make breathwork accessible to marginalized communities, particularly Black women, who often face systemic racism, gender inequality, and socioeconomic barriers. Her work emphasizes the connection between breath, body, and emotional well-being, helping people cope with stress, trauma, and anxiety in a holistic way.
The Science Behind Breathwork
Breathwork, the practice of consciously controlling your breathing, can influence the body’s autonomic nervous system, which regulates your stress responses.
When you’re stressed, your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the “fight or flight” response) kicks in. Your breathing becomes shallow and rapid, signaling to your brain that you’re in danger, even if the “danger” is just a looming work deadline. Over time, this chronic stress can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.
On the other side, deep, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, i.e., the body’s “rest and digest” response. This helps calm your mind, lower your heart rate, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation.
Breathwork essentially teaches you how to shift from a state of stress to one of calmness and presence, simply by changing how you breathe.
The Physical Benefits of Breathwork
1. Improved Lung Capacity
Breathwork exercises encourage deeper, fuller breaths, which can improve lung function and capacity over time. This is especially beneficial for people with respiratory conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
2. Enhanced Energy Levels
Shallow breathing limits the amount of oxygen that enters your bloodstream, which can leave you feeling fatigued. By practicing breathwork, you increase oxygen intake, which helps boost your energy levels.
3. Reduced Tension and Pain
Stress and tension often manifest physically in the form of headaches, neck pain, or muscle stiffness. Breathwork helps release physical tension by relaxing the muscles and lowering cortisol levels (the stress hormone). When your body is relaxed, it’s better equipped to manage chronic pain or discomfort.
The Emotional Benefits of Breathwork
1. Stress Relief
One of the most immediate emotional benefits of breathwork is stress relief. When practiced regularly, breathwork can help reduce anxiety, lower stress levels, and increase resilience to life’s daily challenges. This helps you learn to control your emotional responses, making it easier to stay calm in stressful situations.
2. Emotional Release
Many people carry unresolved emotions, such as grief, anger, or fear, in their bodies. These emotions build up over time, leading to emotional blockages and stress.
Breathwork can facilitate the release of these pent-up emotions by providing a safe space to process and let go. As Jasmine Marie often highlights, breathwork is about healing from the inside out.
3. Increased Self-Awareness
Breathwork brings you into the present moment, helping you tune in to your body and emotions. This increased self-awareness can lead to personal growth as you become more in tune with how stress or emotional experiences affect you.
Jasmine Marie’s Approach to Breathwork
Jasmine’s breathwork sessions focus on creating a safe, supportive environment where individuals can explore their emotions through guided breathing exercises.
Her sessions typically involve deep, rhythmic breathing patterns that help participants relax and enter a meditative state. Each session is designed to help individuals reconnect with their bodies and release emotional tension.
What makes Jasmine’s approach unique is her emphasis on community healing. Through Black Girls Breathing platform, she fosters a supportive network where women can share their experiences and support one another on their wellness journeys.
This community aspect is vital for emotional healing, as it allows individuals to feel seen and heard, especially those who may have felt marginalized or overlooked in mainstream wellness spaces.
