BREATHWORK & Emotional Eating

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I invite you for my upcoming in-person breathwork event this week on 11th September 2024! Stay connected for more information and updates on my Instagram & Facebook

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Being grateful for your emotions, even the challenging ones, helps you understand them as signals rather than threats. This awareness can reduce emotional eating by encouraging mindful responses to triggers.

🙏🏽 Gratitude Practice 🙏🏽

Create a “feelings journal,” where each time you’re about to emotionally eat, pause and write down the emotion you’re feeling, then thank it for the lesson it’s teaching you. This shifts your focus from food to self-reflection.

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Emotional eating is a challenge many face, but the solution lies far deeper than simply changing your diet or breaking the cycle of binge-eating through willpower alone. It is about addressing the core emotional triggers behind our cravings. One potent way to unlock these root causes is through the transformative power of breathwork.

What is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating refers to using food to cope with emotions rather than hunger. It can manifest in overeating during stressful moments or relying on comfort foods during times of sadness, boredom, or anxiety. While food might provide temporary relief, emotional eating often leads to guilt, shame, and worsens overall emotional well-being.

But why do we emotionally eat?

The answer lies in unmet emotional needs and deep-rooted wounds that we haven’t yet processed. These emotions may stem from past trauma, stress, or simply the daily pressures of life. When we eat emotionally, it’s an attempt to fill a void, quiet anxiety, or seek comfort in times of vulnerability. Over time, this behavior can become a deeply ingrained pattern that’s hard to break.

I invite you to join the monthly online New Moon and Full Moon Breathwork Experience. Purchase your online tickets here.

How Breathwork Addresses the Root Causes of Emotional Eating

Breathwork is an active meditation technique that focuses on controlled breathing patterns to access deeper emotional and physical states. The practice of conscious breathing has been shown to significantly reduce stress, promote emotional clarity, and even bring forth unresolved feelings.

But how can breathwork unlock emotional eating patterns?

1. Releasing Core Wounds

Many of our emotional eating patterns are tied to unhealed wounds—whether from childhood or other significant life events. Breathwork serves as a portal to access these hidden layers of emotion and trauma. By focusing on the breath, you’re able to enter a state where you can process these feelings rather than suppress them with food.

Research suggests that breathwork helps regulate the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic response, reducing stress hormones like cortisol, which can often trigger emotional eating . By calming the nervous system, we are less likely to use food as a way to manage feelings of overwhelm.

2. Creating Self-Awareness

The first step in transforming emotional eating patterns is recognizing when they occur. Breathwork helps you develop self-awareness—the ability to notice your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in the present moment. As you tune into your body’s needs, it becomes easier to discern whether you’re truly hungry or simply craving an emotional release.

Breathwork provides the space to feel what’s going on internally, allowing you to pause, reflect, and make a conscious choice rather than react impulsively with food.

3. Building Self-Trust and Self-Esteem

Many individuals who struggle with emotional eating often face issues with self-trust. They may feel they lack control over their eating habits, leading to a diminished sense of self-worth. Through breathwork, we learn to reconnect with our bodies and rebuild trust in ourselves.

Each breathwork session fosters self-compassion—the ability to meet yourself where you are, without judgment. As you cultivate a healthier relationship with yourself, your confidence and self-esteem grow, empowering you to make choices aligned with your well-being rather than self-sabotage.

I invite you to listen to the insightful episode on the Self-Care Goddess Podcast “Escape Emotional Eating: Why & How Using Food To Cope Is Sabotaging You“

Transforming Your Relationship with Food (And Yourself)

Food is only a small part of the emotional eating equation. The real work begins with healing your relationship with yourself. When you engage in breathwork, you change the internal dialogue that drives your eating behaviors. You’re not just working to stop emotional eating; you’re uncovering the root causes behind it.

As you learn to trust and believe in yourself, everything in your life begins to shift because you are the common denominator in all areas of your life—whether it’s relationships, career, or personal goals. This journey is about more than food—it’s about stepping into your power and pursuing what truly fulfills you.

Breathwork invites you to break free from old patterns and embrace new habits that are rooted in self-love and a deeper understanding of your emotions.

I invite you to watch my YouTube video titled “Alternate Nostril Breathing For Anti-Anxiety & Calming Effects”

The Holistic Approach to Lasting Change

Many people approach emotional eating by focusing solely on dietary changes. While healthy eating habits are essential, true transformation requires a holistic approach that goes beyond just food. This involves addressing your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Breathwork is one of the most powerful tools to facilitate this holistic healing. By integrating breathwork with coaching, you can:

  • Identify and heal core emotional wounds that drive emotional eating.
  • Rewire negative thought patterns and behaviors around food.
  • Cultivate self-compassion and self-awareness, leading to better choices.
  • Experience emotional release without relying on food for comfort.

The beauty of this process is that it fosters lasting change. You won’t just improve your eating habits; you’ll transform your entire approach to life. You’ll feel more aligned, grounded, and empowered to make decisions that support your overall well-being.

Ready to Begin Your Journey?

If you’re ready to uncover the root causes of your emotional eating and create lasting change, I invite you to join the monthly online New & Full Moon Breathwork Experience. This immersive session will guide you through the process of emotional release, healing, and transformation.

With every breath, you’ll unlock new layers of self-awareness, reconnect with your body, and finally break free from the emotional chains that bind you to food.

I am a certified Breathwork Facilitator. Connect With Me to know more on the amazing power of breathwork and learn some breathwork techniques than can help you better manage yourself.

References

  1. McCraty, R., & Zayas, M. A. (2014). Cardiac coherence, self-regulation, autonomic stability, and psychosocial well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1090. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01090
  2. Davis, D. M., & Hayes, J. A. (2011). What are the benefits of mindfulness? A practice review of psychotherapy-related research. Psychotherapy, 48(2), 198-208.
  3. Porges, S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological psychology, 74(2), 116-143.
  4. Field, T. (2011). Yoga clinical research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 17(1), 1-8.
  5. Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566-571.