breath work

noun

variants or breathwork

ˈbreth-ˌwərk 

: conscious, controlled breathing done especially for relaxation, meditation, or therapeutic purposes

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old physical and philosophical discipline from India that joins the mind and body together through breath work, or pranayama, and postures, or asanas.

—Hilary E. MacGregor

Some general principles of breathwork are: make your breathing slower, deeper, quieter, and more regular whenever you think about it; deepen the exhalation phase of breathing by squeezing more air out of the lungs at the end of each breath … and keep your attention on the breath more of the time.

—Andrew Weil

Examples of breath work in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These wellness workshops are meant to focus on breath work and provide stress relief. —Lauren-Kennedy Brown, Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2025

For a deeper reset, bespoke day retreats combine movement, breath work, and body therapies. —Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025

Then one day, her former cohost Jenna Bush Hager suggested breath work and meditation to combat stress. —Esther Kang, People.com, 30 May 2025

On-site programming at Mountain Modern embraces Sedona's mystical vibes with crystal bowl sound baths, mindful meditation and breath work sessions, and ceremonies inspired by Indigenous traditions. —Annie Archer, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for breath work

• artwork
• beadwork
• berserk
• breastwork
• brickwork
• brushwork
• casework
• classwork
• clockwork
• coursework
• ductwork
• earthwork

Medical Definition

breath work

noun

variants or breathwork

: conscious, controlled breathing done especially for relaxation, meditation, or therapeutic purposes

Western practitioners believe yoga's deeply relaxing breath work allows the body's healing abilities to take over.

—Norine Dworkin, Psychology Today