Take a breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. How do you feel? While you may view your breath as a vital part of your respiratory system, the reality is that it’s more than that. In fact, the manner in which you inhale and exhale could be the key to improved wellness.
We spoke to Dr. Ela Manga, an integrative medical doctor, author, and global advocate for conscious breathing, breath as a healing modality. She has just released her latest book, Umoya. The book is an invaluable and detailed guide to understanding the importance of breathwork. It also offers readers tools to harness their breath for healing.
Take A Breath For Better Longevity
Beginning her career as a general practitioner, Dr. Manga soon noted western medicine as one-dimensional and limited, with many doctors being ill-equipped in addressing the holistic needs of patients.
To address this, she explored alternative modalities, and after a personal experience with conscious connected breathing, she viewed breathwork as the missing piece that wove together her understanding of the mind-body connection.
“Breathing is simple yet incredibly complex. It’s not just about the respiratory system. Our breath influences every aspect of our being—our posture, emotions, and even our thought patterns.” – Dr. Ela Manga
Breath and Wellness
“When we consciously regulate our breath, we create an environment where the body can activate its own healing capacity. It’s a powerful, drug-free way to manage stress and enhance well-being.”
While there are those who view breathwork as too abstract or requiring mastering specific techniques, Dr. Manga reiterates that it’s not only a proven science that can improve your wellness, but it’s also a simple habit to adopt,
“It’s not just about deep breaths or box breathing. It’s about optimizing our baseline breathing habits, strengthening the diaphragm, and restoring balance to the nervous system.”
Dr. Manga shares practical ways in which you can incorporate breathwork into your daily life. Whether it’s the stressors of bumper-to-bumper traffic or all-day meetings, you can use your breath to recognize and adjust your mood,
“By paying attention to our breathing patterns, we can understand what our bodies are communicating and consciously shift our emotional state.”
Global Breathwork
While breathwork is an important wellness tool that can improve our lives, the sad reality is that the discourse around the technique is dominated by Western paradigms. To address this, Dr. Manga has committed to integrating breathwork into an African context, with her sharing that “Africa, as the cradle of humankind, holds a deep, grounding wisdom that can enrich the practice.”
Dr. Ela Manga
With that, Dr. Manga emphasizes the need to honor and build on the knowledge found on the African continent, rather than always examining Western ideologies and in so, fostering a more inclusive, intuitive, and interconnected approach to healing.
Read for Better Breath
As with many wellness practices, breathwork has become a trend in many circles, but not all breathwork is good breathing. Dr. Manga cautions against the idea of breathwork as a form of “catharsis porn,” whereby intense sessions are marketed as instant fixes.
“True healing is not about quick catharsis, but about cultivating a deeper, intuitive relationship with our breath and aligning with the natural rhythms of life.”
In an effort to guide people and help them better understand the true art and science of breathwork, Dr. Manga has released her latest book, Umoya.
This latest release not only serves as an invaluable and detailed guide to understanding the importance of breathwork, but it also offers readers tools to harness their breath for healing.
Breathing is easy, but breathwork is where the true journey begins and by empowering us with the tools to connect with our breath, Dr. Ela Manga shows us how to breathe just a little easier.
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