Mindfulness and The Benefits of Breathwork with Lisa T

Everyone talks about mindfulness, but what does it actually mean for you and your lifestyle? We've asked our wellness expert, Lisa T, to share her views and insights. She has embarked on a long journey exploring this practice.

Since graduating from her Psychology degree in 2012, our expert, Lisa T has been continuing to upskill her life. She is driven by her passion to discover the latest ways to improve mental wellbeing. 

Lisa is a UK Registered Mindfulness Teacher and a Wim Hof Breathwork and Cold Therapy Instructor. Lisa is also a singer and has performed at Glastonbury Festival and has two Number 1 singles. She loves to combine her two passions and brings Live Music and wellness together in her sessions. 

In this blog, she is going to explain to us some of the benefits of mindfulness, why mindfulness is important, how you can practice mindfulness and include it in your daily routine. Lisa also touches on the importance of breathwork and how it can improve mental wellbeing.

For the last two years, Lisa has worked with BBC Radio as their trusted ‘Mental Health Expert’ with her own slot, ‘Monday Motivation with Lisa T,’ where she provides listeners with techniques and exercises to help prepare them for the week ahead. These include easy step-by-step mindfulness tips for beginners.

As part of our Do Good, Feel Good and Look Good campaign, Lisa answered some important questions.

Why is mindfulness important for you? 

Lisa says the main goal of mindfulness, as well as creating peace and relaxation, is to train the mind and increase our focus. 

We are so busy in our daily lives and always multitasking, so training the mind to be still can be challenging. As we are so used to being over-stimulated, the mind gets bored easily. By taking the time to focus on one simple activity, we increase our level of focus and our ability to decide where we place our attention. With mindfulness, we are taking back the power!

The great thing about Mindfulness is you can include it in your daily life without setting any extra time aside! It is easy to include in your daily routine.

How do you include mindfulness in your daily routine? 

There are two ways of practicing mindfulness. Lisa says you can introduce a formal practice, or an informal practice.

A formal practice would include setting time aside to specifically focus on mindfulness. For example, taking ten minutes to focus on your breath in a mindful meditation, would be considered a formal way of practicing mindfulness.

An informal practice would include incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine. For example, when cooking, you could take five minutes to just focus on every movement, every sensation and every motion. The informal way to practice encourages you to try to train your mind to be present with what you are doing. 

Either way, mindfulness involves a commitment to training the brain and focusing.

What is the difference between meditation and mindfulness? 

Lisa says that meditation is a type of mindfulness. It is one of the ways that we can practice mindfulness, but it is not the only way. 

Meditation is a ‘formal’ way to practice mindfulness. Where we take time aside to sit and practice focusing on something (for example, our breath).  Meditations may encourage you to focus on your breath or use breathing techniques to reduce stress, calm and focus. 

There are many other ways to practice mindfulness which do not involve meditation. You could include some such informal practices such as bringing mindfulness into your daily routine such as cooking, hoovering or even showering or washing your face! If you don’t have time to take time out of your day to meditate, then this may be the best way to practice.

Why is breathwork important for you? 

Lisa says Wim Hof Style Breathwork helps us to increase our focus, clarity and regulate our nervous system among many other benefits. Breathwork consists of deep breathing which activates the sympathetic nervous system, then short breath holds, which helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. 

This combination regulates the nervous system and primes our body to deal with toxic stress in our daily lives. People also report feeling 'elated' after they have taken part in a Breathwork session as they access parts of their subconscious mind which are not often tapped into. 

Lisa says one of the other huge benefits of Wim Hof Breathwork is that it increases our lung capacity. Lung capacity has recently been shown to be linked to life longevity. Post Covid, Lisa notes that a lot of people who report struggling with breathlessness have incorporated this practice into their lives as it can be beneficial, although those suffering should check with their doctor first. 

As a singer, since practicing the Wim Hof Breathwork for the last three years, Lisa has noticed a huge improvement in the level of control her breathing when she sings. She says she feels she has a lot more power! 

How and when should you practice Wim Hof Breathwork? 

Lisa suggests you always practice Wim Hof Breathwork method lying down and on an empty stomach. You should never practice breathwork in water or whilst driving. 

The Wim Hof Breathwork method is the perfect way to prime the body before entering a cold shower, ice bath or open water swimming. It’s advised to build up to cold water exposure through turning your shower cold for a few seconds each day and increasing this each day for a few weeks before trying your first ice bath (no more than 60 seconds for your first dip!) 

Lisa also notes that if you are pregnant, epileptic or have a heart condition then breathwork may not be suitable for you. 

What are the benefits of cold water exposure? 

Lisa says that part of the Wim Hof method, as well as Breathwork, is cold water exposure. This is really beneficial for reducing inflammation in the body and improving circulation. There are also mental health benefits such as increased willpower and the main attraction - a 250% increase in dopamine! 

Dopamine is the ‘happy hormone’ in the brain. Cold exposure is a natural way to increase dopamine levels. Just turning your shower cold for 30 seconds at the end of a normal hot shower can increase your happy hormones instantly!

Lisa holds unique Wim Hof Breathwork, Mindfulness and Ice Bath Experiences in Manchester, enhanced by Live Acoustic Music and Self Empowering lyrics led by Lisa’s ‘angelic vocals’.  These sessions are in high demand, selling out regularly and leaving attendees feeling ‘elated’ after an ‘unforgettable and life-changing experience’. Her next event can be found here.

Lisa is also taking part in Femfluence’s challenge that we run on our @femfluence.co Instagram, Do Good, Feel Good and Look Good during the month of February. For more information and advice on any of the above, or to book in a 1-2-1 session with Lisa through the Femfluence platform then get in touch here.