Breathwork Pilates Is The Workout You Never Knew You Needed
Here at InStyle, we are always on the lookout for the best new trends in health and fitness. So, when we came across a Pilates class that involves healing breathwork, we were immediately intrigued and wanted to learn more. We spoke with classically-trained Pilates pro Jordan Beinhorn, whose client roster includes Hilary Swank and Keri Russell, about why breathwork Pilates is so beneficial, and we think it's something everyone should know about.
Located in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, Beinhorn's studio offers both private and group classes. For an hour session, she takes her clients through 30 minutes of traditional Pilates before transitioning into breathwork, and then ends the class with tuning forks, crystal bowls, and even sage, palo santo, or oils. "It all depends on the needs and energy of the client," she explained.
A 60-minute breathwork session with Jordan goes for $125. Read below for the top 3 reasons to practice breathwork Pilates. We guarantee you'll learn something new.
1. De-stress and refocus
Because of the nature of this type of conscious breathing, there is an oxygenation of the body that releases energetic blocks. "You can feel stress physically leave the body," Beinhorn told us. "You might not understand what you're processing, but you will feel an immediate shift. It's an energetic weight lifted off of your shoulders."
When we spoke with Beinhorn, she asked us to think about how we were breathing at that exact moment—whether it was in our chest or abdomen. "You should be trying to breathe into your abdomen—your center—as much as possible," she told us. "Breathing helps with clarity. We live busy lives and sometimes we forget to breathe in a way that best supports our body." Beinhorn's class teaches one how to breathe in a way that will keep the mind clear and focused.
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2. Heal your skin
With the type of deep breathing used in Beinhorn's class, the body receives a surge of oxygen, and as we all know, oxygen is vital to life. "Through healing breathwork, we amplify the amount of oxygen we get into our system," she told us. Increasing oxygen intake is even "as simple as taking slow deep breaths a few times a day."
"When the body has enough oxygen, cells remain healthy. When the body is deprived of oxygen, disease and fatigue can set in and this shows up in our skin," Beinhorn explained. "This peaceful and relaxing experience reverses the anaerobic process, which heals the body and restores it to an optimal cellular environment. When you release the stress from your body, you reduce fine-lines from pain and relax the muscles in your face."
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3. Let love in
If the previous two reasons aren't enough, breathwork also has the ability to aid in emotional healing. "Breathwork creates healing on many levels, inviting in feelings of love and bringing emotions to the surface that have been ignored," she said. "When you can love yourself, you can let more love into your life. This breathwork releases what you no longer need to hold, so you can open yourself up to receiving what you most need." Pilates with healing breathwork is not just good for the body, it's good for the mind, too. We're sold.