The Different Types of Breathwork You’ll See at a Yoga Studio
Downregulating, Upregulating & Transformational Practices. Plus the Science Behind Them
Breathwork has expanded far beyond traditional yoga classes. Today, you might see everything from slow nervous-system regulation techniques to high-energy transformational breath journeys offered in modern studios, saunas, your work place, and wellness gatherings.
If you’re searching for breathwork in Chicago, exploring a yoga studio that offers breathwork, or wondering about the difference between calming and activating breathing techniques — this guide will help you understand the landscape.
At Forth Studio in Chicago, we honor breathwork as both a grounding daily practice and a powerful wellness tool. Not all breathwork is the same — and knowing the difference matters.
Let’s explore the main categories you’re likely to encounter in today’s yoga and breathwork world.
The Breathwork Landscape: What’s Out There?
In the modern wellness space, breathwork generally falls into three broad categories:
Downregulating breathwork (calming and restorative)
Upregulating breathwork (energizing and activating)
Ceremonial or transformational breathwork (deep emotional processing)
Each style serves a different purpose. The key is understanding what your nervous system needs — and choosing practices that support you safely. Here at Forth, we have our own blend of all three in our Breathe classes for a powerful, embodied experience.
Downregulating Breathwork
Calming the Nervous System & Reducing Stress
Downregulating techniques help shift the body into parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) mode. These are common in restorative yoga, cold plunging, saunas, yin yoga, meditation classes, and trauma-informed yoga spaces.
If you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, burnout, or nervous system overload, this is often where to start.
Common Downregulating Techniques
1. Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing
Slow breathing into the lower ribs and abdomen is one of the most foundational breathwork practices.
Benefits:
Reduces stress hormones
Lowers heart rate and blood pressure
Supports digestion
Improves relaxation and sleep
Science: Diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, increasing heart rate variability (HRV) — a key marker of nervous system resilience and emotional regulation.
2. Extended Exhale Breathing
This technique emphasizes making the exhale longer than the inhale (for example, inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6).
Benefits:
Calms racing thoughts
Reduces anxiety quickly
Helps regulate emotional response
Science: Longer exhales increase parasympathetic activation and slow cardiac rhythm, signaling safety to the brain and body.
3. Gentle Pranayama (e.g., Nadi Shodhana)
Traditional yogic breath practices, often taught in a softer, more accessible way in modern yoga studios.
Alternate nostril breathing is a common example.
Benefits:
Improves focus
Balances the nervous system
Supports stress reduction
In many studios today, pranayama is integrated as breath awareness rather than treated as an advanced discipline — making it more approachable for everyday practitioners.
4. Box Breathing (Square Breathing)
A simple and effective technique used in both yoga and modern mindfulness training:
Inhale → Hold → Exhale → Hold (equal counts)
Benefits:
Builds calm under pressure
Improves concentration
Supports emotional steadiness
At Forth Studio, practices like this often appear in slower classes designed to help students downshift and reset.
Upregulating Breathwork
Increasing Energy, Focus & Vitality
Upregulating breathwork activates the sympathetic nervous system — intentionally and in a controlled way.
These techniques are common in vinyasa yoga, power yoga, athletic performance training, and morning classes, when the goal is alertness and energy rather than deep rest.
Examples of Upregulating Breathwork
5. Bhastrika (Bellows Breath)
Bhastrika, often called Bellows Breath, is a strong rhythmic breathing practice using powerful inhales and exhales through the nose.
It’s one of the most energizing traditional breathwork techniques you may encounter in a yoga studio setting.
Benefits:
Boosts energy and alertness
Increases circulation and oxygen exchange
Builds heat in the body
Enhances mental clarity and focus
Science: Bhastrika stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and increases respiratory activity, creating a feeling of activation and vitality.
Because it’s intense, it’s best practiced with skilled guidance and is not typically recommended for those with uncontrolled high blood pressure or panic disorders.
6. Kapalabhati (Breath of Fire)
Kapalabhati involves short, rhythmic exhales through the nose.
Benefits:
Increases alertness
Clears mental fog
Strengthens respiratory muscles
This breath is often used briefly in classes to energize and sharpen focus.
7. Active Circular Breathing (Light Version)
Some modern studios incorporate short bursts of continuous inhale/exhale breathing through the mouth.
Benefits:
Can increase energy and focus
Creates a quick sense of activation
Important note: While brief versions can be useful, extended circular breathing belongs in more structured settings, which leads into the next category.
Ceremonial & Transformational Breathwork
Deep Emotional Processing & Altered States
In recent years, practices like active breathwork, conscious connected breathing, and transformational breathwork have gained popularity.
These sessions often involve:
Continuous circular breathing
Music and extended time (45–90 minutes)
Somatic release and emotional processing
A ceremonial or therapeutic container
They may be framed as:
Healing ceremonies
Trauma release breathwork
Psychedelic-adjacent experiences (without substances)
What’s Happening Physiologically?
Extended circular breathing can change carbon dioxide levels in the blood, temporarily altering body chemistry and leading to:
Tingling sensations
Emotional catharsis
Strong physical release
Altered states of awareness
While many people find these experiences profound, they are not the same as gentle yoga breathwork. They can be intense and are not appropriate for everyone, especially those with certain cardiovascular, neurological, or mental health conditions.
At Forth Studio, we approach breathwork responsibly — grounding it in nervous system literacy, safety, and integration.
The Science Behind Breathwork
Across styles, breathwork affects three major systems:
1. The Autonomic Nervous System
Breath directly influences the balance between sympathetic (activation) and parasympathetic (calming) states.
2. Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Slow, controlled breathing improves HRV, which is linked to resilience, emotional regulation, and stress recovery.
3. Blood Chemistry
Faster breathing decreases carbon dioxide levels, which can create stimulating or altered sensations. Slower breathing increases carbon dioxide tolerance, improving oxygen efficiency and calm.
Research across neuroscience, psychology, and cardiology continues to show that intentional breathing can:
Reduce anxiety
Improve mood
Enhance athletic performance
Support sleep and recovery
Increase focus and clarity
Which Type of Breathwork Is Right for You?
The most important question isn’t “What’s trending?” - it’s “What does my nervous system need today?”
Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? → Downregulate.
Feeling sluggish or foggy? → Upregulate.
Feeling called toward deep emotional work? → Seek skilled facilitation.
Breathwork is not one-size-fits-all.
Breathwork at Forth Studio in Chicago
At Forth Studio, breathwork is woven into our Breathe classes in a way that is accessible, science-informed, and grounded in real-life nervous system care.
You’ll find:
Nervous system regulation practices
Activation and time to rest
A balanced, thoughtful approach to modern breathwork trends
We believe breathwork should support your life — not overwhelm it.
If you’re searching for:
Breathwork classes in Chicago
Yoga for stress relief
Nervous system regulation yoga
Restorative yoga with breathwork
Mindful movement in Chicago
We invite you to practice with us at Forth Studio.
Final Thoughts: Breath Is Powerful — Context Matters
Breathwork can be subtle or intense. Ancient or modern. Grounding or expansive.
Understanding the difference between downregulating, upregulating, and transformational breathwork allows you to choose wisely — and practice safely.
And sometimes, the most powerful breathwork is simply slowing down and taking one intentional inhale.
We’d love to breathe with you at Forth Studio.