Breathwork vs Meditation: What’s the Difference?
I remember the first time I sat down to meditate. My mind felt like a buzzing hive. Thoughts came in swarms, and I couldn’t sit still for more than a minute. A few days later, someone suggested I try breathwork. I expected more of the same, but something shifted. As I focused on my inhale and exhale, my body started to calm before my mind ever did. That was my first taste of the difference.
Breathwork and meditation are often mentioned together, but they work in surprisingly different ways. If you’re exploring your own path to healing, clarity, or stress relief, it helps to understand how they differ and how they can work together.
What Is Breathwork?
Breathwork is the intentional use of breathing techniques to change your physical, mental, or emotional state. It’s not just deep breathing; it’s structured. Techniques like box breathing, cyclic sighing, or holotropic breathwork all involve specific rhythms and depths to activate the nervous system in different ways.
When I guide breathwork at The DEN, I see people go from restless to deeply present within minutes. They often describe a tingling in their limbs or warmth in the chest. Some cry, some laugh, but most leave lighter. The breath moves energy in ways we rarely experience during a typical day.
Scientific studies back this up. One Stanford study showed that just five minutes of cyclic sighing each day significantly reduced anxiety and improved mood. It acts fast, often faster than meditation, because it directly influences your autonomic nervous system.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation, on the other hand, is more about observation than manipulation. You’re not trying to change your breath or your thoughts. You’re training your awareness to stay with what is, a single point of focus like the breath, a mantra, or simply the flow of present experience.
There are many styles of meditation: mindfulness, loving-kindness, transcendental, and more. At The DEN, we often begin sessions with a simple breath awareness meditation to settle the group. Then we explore different paths depending on the group’s intention.
Research has shown that meditation increases grey matter in areas of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and emotion regulation. It doesn’t necessarily make you feel better immediately, but with time, it strengthens your baseline for calm and resilience. In fact, regular meditation can be a powerful support tool for emotional balance, as explored in our blog on the mental health benefits of daily meditation.
Key Differences
Here’s how I explain it to newcomers:
Breathwork changes your state. It’s active, physical, and designed to shift you fast.
Meditation changes your traits. It’s subtle, gradual, and trains your mind to be less reactive over time.
Both can feel meditative. Both involve stillness and awareness. But breathwork is like jumping into a cold plunge. Meditation is like soaking in a warm bath.
When to Use Which?
There’s no rule, but here are some patterns I’ve noticed:
If you’re overwhelmed or anxious, breathwork helps release tension quickly.
If your thoughts are scattered or you’re seeking clarity, meditation helps build focus.
If you’re emotionally blocked, breathwork can move stored emotions.
If you’re burned out or restless, meditation helps restore a sense of grounding.
Many people at The DEN start with breathwork because it offers instant feedback. Then, once they’ve released what’s been sitting heavy, they find it easier to sit in meditation.
How They Work Together
Personally, I use both. In stressful weeks, I begin the morning with a short breathwork session, just three to five minutes of box breathing or cyclic sighing. It clears the fog. Then in the evening, I wind down with a 10-minute mindfulness meditation. It brings me back to center.
Some of our instructors layer the two into a single class: starting with breath to open the body, then guiding a gentle meditation once participants are settled. The combination helps people go deeper than either practice alone. We often incorporate sound baths to enhance the experience, which you can read more about in Why Sound Baths Help Beginners in Meditation.
Client Stories
One corporate team that joined us for a DEN wellness day had never tried either. We led them through 20 minutes of breathwork followed by a brief meditation. One participant told me later, “I didn’t expect much, but by the end, I felt like I could breathe for the first time in weeks. And I actually slept that night without waking up.”
Another client dealing with grief started with breathwork sessions to release pent-up emotion. After a few weeks, they naturally moved into meditation to help quiet the mind and hold space for healing. These practices also support people facing burnout, and we've explored this in How Meditation Reduces Workplace Stress.
Try It Yourself
If you’re not sure where to begin, here’s a simple plan:
Start with breathwork. Try five minutes of box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) to reset your nervous system.
Add meditation gradually. Once you’re comfortable with the breath, add a 5-10 minute mindfulness meditation. Just follow the breath and return when your mind wanders.
Build a rhythm. You don’t need an hour. Even 10 minutes a day of combined practice can make a noticeable shift.
The Science and Spirit Connection
Breathwork and meditation are both being studied more rigorously now. The American Psychological Association has published findings on how both reduce stress hormones and improve cognitive function. What’s exciting is how these practices don’t require belief, only experience.
And while science supports their benefits, what keeps people coming back isn’t just data. It’s the feeling. The sense of coming home to yourself. Of clarity after chaos.
Final Thoughts
Both breathwork and meditation have changed my life, and the lives of many who walk through The DEN’s doors. You don’t have to choose one over the other. Start where you are. Follow what resonates. And be willing to experiment.
The breath can open the door. Stillness can help you stay.
Curious to explore further? Check out our upcoming breathwork classes, meditation offerings, or corporate wellness programs to find a practice that meets you right where you are.