Many years back, I had a relationship that came to a sudden end. I had “breakup brain” for months. Something about it. It was so sudden — I refused to accept it.
One day, my friend asked if I wanted to try a breathwork class. I had already been meditating for years at this point. Never tried breathwork, but she assured me it was different. So I went…
The following is not an exaggeration: I let go of that relationship in 30 minutes. I didn’t think of her again.
Heart pain. Months of mental spiraling. Poof, gone in 30 minutes. All I did was lie on the floor and breathe. The fuck was that?
And that was just the beginning. Whenever I felt stressed, I practiced breathwork. An argument, road rage, miscommunications, and vague emotional junk. Anything that bothered me was gone in 30 minutes.
So I learned to teach it. Some call it Circular Breathwork or Holotropic Breathwork. The practice is simple:
- Lie flat on the floor.
- Breathe into your belly (through your mouth).
- Breathe into your chest (through your mouth).
- Exhale (soft is better if you’re new—hard exhales can cause your muscles to cramp; more on that later)
- Do this for about 15 to 30 minutes.
- Close with a gratitude exercise.
- If you want a free full welcome class, click here.
If you’re newer to breathwork, your hands, feet, and face may “lock up.” It’s called tetany. It’s completely safe and will dissipate shortly after you breathe normally. You will not be stuck like this. Other physical things can happen, like:
- Parts of your body may tingle and buzz.
- You may get very hot or cold.
- Your mouth will get dry. Your jaw may get tight.
You may get emotional; you may not. Every session is different. Give yourself permission to ugly cry. Don’t judge yourself.
If anything does come up, let it out — that’s what it’s for. Clear out those stuck emotions.
Your brain will try to trick you by giving you tasks and things to do. All you have to do is breathe…
When you’re done, just relax. Drink water. Write. Talk to a friend. Listen to your body.
Take all the time you need. Don’t swim or pilot a vehicle until you’re completely grounded.
The results speak for themselves. I’m still blown away by what people release in a single session. Heartbreak, loss, stressors, anxiety. It’s wild.
If you’re curious, explore breathworx.
That’s all for now. Happy breathing 🙂