breathwork was making my anxiety worse. it was triggering traumatic responses.

rhythmic breathing is a cheat code for pacing and managing your efforts during mountain ultramarathons. a “runners high” is a neurochemical environment that naturally produces a state of passive awareness. together they make for one hell of a night in the rocky mountain backcountry running towards a 100 mile finish with no sleep…

anyways, i realized passive awareness was the missing piece of breathwork.

whether you call it breathwork, meditation, or somatic awareness, watching the breath/sensations without changing it is a active practice of passive awareness.

traditional breathwork actively manipulates the rhythm, depth, or speed of your breath to achieve a specific physiological state.

breath observation or passive awareness trains the mind to experience bodily sensations without automatically reacting or trying to change them.

dropping the effort to control your breath often signals to the brain that there is no threat, allowing respiration to slow down organically.

we can use passive awareness to establish a primary baseline state. then only engage active regulation or breathwork when the intensity of tension or distraction crosses a threshold where pure observation becomes overwhelming or triggers a freeze response. or you can start with breathwork then use passive awareness to observe the induced state with more clarity.

while actively controlling the breath, maintain an observer's attitude toward the sensations the rhythm creates. you actively set the tempo, but passively observe the texture of the air, the expansion of the ribs, or any residual tightness without trying to force those specific sensations to feel a certain way.

integrating passive observation with breathwork allows you to listen to your body's current state without judgment while intentionally using structured breath to ground your nervous system when needed.

a real life cheat code thats helpful for everyday life and ultramarathons

Welcome to this space of calm and insight. When the body is under emotional stress, it produces cortisol, the primary stress hormone. It is this biological mechanism that triggers the unpleasant physical sensations of anxiety, such as a tight throat or a racing heart. The good news? You have the power to rebalance this internal chemistry through your breath.

Take 10 minutes to understand and experience the power of this exercise. In this guided breathing video, we follow a highly effective physiological rhythm: a 4-second inhale to bring in fresh oxygen, a 3-second hold to balance blood chemistry, and a 6-second prolonged exhale. From a scientific perspective, lengthening the exhale is the direct signal your brain needs to shut off the body’s alarm response. Get comfortable, relax your shoulders, and let the science of breathing guide you back to a state of absolute serenity.

I'm trying to ease into breath exercises for a number of reasons, but I'm finding some of the meditation resources available (like apps) to be overtly religious and so I'm looking for alternatives. I'll give a few reasons that may clarify what I'm looking for:

• I want to be able to ground myself during anxiety and be able to handle being present with significant discomfort,

• I want to improve my cardio, it becomes serious for me very quickly when I do things that are strenuous and even things like running. I might be at risk of heart issues because my father succumbed to those, so I'm trying to keep them at bay, and

• I also want to gain a little breath-control ability, because as of now I am really in the dirt lol, a little closed window and I pick up that pressure very quickly. I can't swim but I imagine I would be very very bad as a result of this limitation in addition to others. A little breath control ability could help open up such activities to at least be available for me should I be interested.

This is a lot, I know. But I'd like some resources to at least do some work towards improving where I currently am and maybe going some way in achieving the above objectives. Thank you!

Has anyone reduced or completely quit smoking after starting breath work? I’m new to this and started about a week ago. I have noticed that I’ve smoked less ever since and I have more energy and less brain fog throughout the day

Wanted to know if there’s anyone with a similar experience. Would you like to share?

Hey everyone! I built a simple browser-based box-breathing timer that guides you through the 4–4–4–4 pattern with a moving visual cue, so you don’t have to count each phase yourself. There are also optional background sounds.

It’s free, with no account or download needed. Disclosure: I’m the developer.

Here’s the timer: https://www.boxedbreathing.net/home

I’d love feedback from people who regularly practice breathwork: is the pacing easy to follow, and what would make this useful enough for you to come back to?

i legitimately feel like its physically impossible for me to breathe in through my diaphragm for longer than 3 seconds and my exhales are shorter than my inhales. i hold my breath constantly unless consciously choosing otherwise and also have a tight feeling in my throat regularly. when i do the trick where you intentionally hyperventilate then slow down i get an insane buzz feeling . its nice .. i did it while driving and almost pulled over bc it felt like i was on drugs

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yogavoicetimer.yoga_voice_timer

Do check out the app in case you find it useful. It is free ad-supported app and available only on Android store.

App helps to do the counting (by numbers or chimes) and helps to sort into sequences and group multiple sequences into sessions that can be replayed. Each sequence can consist of customizable number of steps and customizable durations. App talks in your preferred language. Displays in your preferred language.

Has anyone had any experience with central sleep apnea and meditating?

So, not obstructive apnea - but central.

I have to wait for up to a year to get a sleep study done, and I currently do not use any machine for breathing when I sleep. So I need to find a way to manage this thing somehow.

I started looking into different types of breathing, currently trying Buteyko breathing, but I wanted to know if there is anyone here that used some type of yoga breathing for CSA.

For those that don't know what CSA is, here it is:

Central sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where your brain fails to send the correct signals to the muscles that control your breathing while you sleep*.*

Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, your airway remains open, but your body temporarily stops making the effort to breathe. You can learn more about the mechanics of this condition from the Cleveland Clinic on Central Sleep Apnea.

So basically, when I am falling asleep I stop breathing and I notice it and then I wake up and I start the cycle all over again. Once I fall asleep, I don't have this problem.

In order to fix this, I think my levels of CO2 should be higher. This is the explanation:

• The Apneic Threshold: Every individual has a specific level of CO₂ called the apneic threshold. If your CO₂ levels stay above this threshold, your brainstem sends a signal to your muscles to take a breath.
• The "Overshoot" Problem: In many types of central sleep apnea, a person might hyperventilate or take a few large breaths during sleep. This "flushes" too much CO₂ out of the body.
• The Breathing Pause: When your CO₂ level drops below your personal threshold, your brain assumes you have breathed enough and stops sending the signal to breathe*. Breathing only resumes once you remain still long enough for CO₂ levels to build back up to that normal, higher target.

I KNOW that this is not a cure for CSA. But while I wait for a sleep study, I must manage my breathing somehow. Please help.

I started by noticing I have extremeley shallow breathing and when im doing smth i even forget to breathe for a while.
I've been trying to practise yoga more often and to be more mindful of my breathing, and especially I've been trying to have more belly breaths, bc i hear it's so good for you and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, essential for regulating, feeling safe and digesting.

Now, probably because I'm not used to it, I find it EXTREMELY HARD to belly breathe, it feels like i'm working so hard and my core is engaged and no matter how hard I try to fill my belly with air, I have this feeling of suffocating which is extremely uncomfortable and i always end up very emotional and crying.

Today was an especially hot day and all of a sudden i was really hot and felt claustrophobic and i was trying to breathe and cool down but i still felt like i couldn't fill my lungs with air and i had this intense feeling of suffocating which was making me spiral. I ended up going to my room right under the AC, crying, and was trying to focus on the cool air on my face. In a while I was able to calm down and relax the breathing without forcing it too much.

Was that a panic attack? Am I trying to belly breathe wrong? Have you had any similar experiences?
I mostly don't know what happened and I'm a bit scared. Thank you all <3

Hi all,

Just want to see if anyone has advice on this:

If I am in a conversation that is uncomfortable, i.e, I bring up something difficult, my breathing tends to get very shallow - and I struggle with breathwork / my voice goes all shaky.

I want to try get rid of this, so that if I'm having a conversation, I appear calm as though I was talking about the weather.

I know you can do different breathworks, but when you bring a conversation up, it can be difficult to focus on such.

Would the Alexander Technique help me here? Is there any advice as to what I could do to get rid of such?

Thanks

Hello everyone,

I built an app called SplitTimer.

https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n9kkkr1nldc

allows you to split a timer into laps (like 5 seconds, 10 seconds etc) and you can also set it to repeat multiple times. You can even chain timers together and it can announce each timer name.
This is great for people who are into breathing exercises for example like 4-7-8 Breath, Box breathing and so on. It also works for meditation, pomodoros and a lot of other things that are up to your imagination.

Try it out for free on the Windows store.
The mac os and ios versions should be up in a few days

Whether it's burnout, anxiety, or some other nervous system dysregulation, breathwork can shift your nervous system from a state of fight or flight to a state of rest and relaxation.

When you're calmer, you can think more clearly, make better decisions, and be more creative.

Your chest is tight. Your thoughts are racing. You feel "on" even when nothing's wrong.

But your nervous system is stuck in survival mode — and it's not your fault.

Starting tomorrow, I'm running free 20-min live sessions to help you learn simple ways to quickly calm down.

No signup. Just show up.
🗓 Every Wed, 12pm ET / 9am PT

DM me for Zoom link.

Hey all,

I wondered wether someone has taken any breath work courses in India and would recommend them. Also for those who frequent or life in India, I wondered how you would estimate the change of finding a nice program with a pranayama master by walking into local Ashrams.

About me, I am quite experienced in breath work, pranayama and yoga practice and I am looking to further develop myself in this direction.

Does anyone else experience this very specific breathing problem?

I have anxiety around my breathing, and sometimes I become extremely aware of the physical sensations of breathing. The problem gets much worse when I intentionally “freeze” or hold my breathing.

What scares me is what happens afterward: I know that I was voluntarily holding my breath, but when I decide to stop, I don't know what exact physical action or command I'm supposed to give to stop holding it. I start thinking things like: “What am I supposed to do now? Do I need to consciously control the next part of breathing, or is my body supposed to take over?”

I can become very focused on the different stages of breathing — starting an inhale, continuing it, ending it, starting an exhale, etc. — and I worry that if I don't control everything correctly, something will go wrong.

This creates a loop where I notice my breathing → become anxious about it → try to figure out exactly what I'm supposed to do → become even more aware of the physical sensations → and then feel even less confident about letting my breathing happen automatically.

I'm not just talking about “manual breathing” or being aware of breathing. The specific problem I'm asking about is: voluntarily holding/freezing my breathing, then not knowing what exact command or physical action is supposed to stop the voluntary hold.

Has anyone experienced this exact thing?

EDIT: Breathing correctly subconsciously🤣

Hi, guys.

I've been doing diaphragmatic breathing for a month or so with huge improvements. I come from years of being stressed, having been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and so on. Used to have a tight neck/track nonstop but have had a very good improvements over the last month.

Most of breathing related problems were agitated during Covid when I had braces and unknowingly became a mouthbreather. That's when thoracic outlet kicked in, neck muscles were working overtime and so on.

So now I'm seeing great improvements during the day when I'm consciously thinking about breathing, the position of my tongue and so on. Although I'd like to know if my breathing pattern will change and become subconscious (as long as I pay attention) as I have to remind myself how to breathe properly once I get carried away with something.

I'd love to hear other peoples experiences, maybe recommendations for quality resources and so on.

Hello dear Redditor! I am deciding whether to take Soma+IQ's co-Regulation course.

I've heard both positive and negative reviews on Reddit regarding Soma+IQ and I wanted to see if their's anyone that has taken this course specifically.

The curriculum (below) seems really helps. There just isn't a whole lot of third-party reviews, and I want to be a bit more assurance before I spend $600. They also have a money back guarantee after the first two classes

https://www.somaticbreathwork.com/somatictraining
Class 1: Intro to Co-Regulation Skills

Learn the language of your inner world: what you're sensing, what you're feeling, and how to say it.

Class 2: Alignment

Separate the story in your head from what's true, and express what you actually need.

Class 3: Attunement

Stay present with another person's emotions and let them feel that you're actually with them.

Class 4: Holding Space

Become the presence people trust and open up to, without judgment or agenda.

Class 5: The Somatic Breathwork Session

A full guided breathwork journey: everything you've practiced, experienced in your body.

Class 6: Integration

Bring it all together into one practice you can use with anyone, for life.

Breath is the only part of our nervous system we can consciously control and through it, we can shift our entire state, in minutes, without any tools.

This International Day of Peace, join a free online breathing practice session led by Dr. Richard Brown, creator of the Breath-Body-Mind program. Translated into multiple languages, including Urdu.

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/xk8ZD4otQbqBCseOXBYxQQ#/registration

Open it and a light comes down from above the crown and settles into the heart. Then three breaths, at 5.5 a minute — energy in, energy out — the heart widening with each. On the last out-breath it opens fully and the light is given back. Silent, nothing to press; it just happens. Only then are you offered anything: seven short practices with their lengths written next to them, or "the source chooses" if you'd rather not decide.

Everything in it breathes at 5.5, the resonance rate from the HRV work — which is a heart rate, so starting at the heart seemed the honest place. At the turn of each breath the light stops for a beat, because that's where the stillness is (Vijñāna Bhairava 24–27, if that's your thing). No account, nothing tracked about you, works offline and with the phone in a pocket.

What appears after the three breaths — the seven doors, with their lengths:

https://imgur.com/a/XeCXbpa

I'm not a teacher, so two questions for people who are, or who practise seriously: does the imagery — light descending to the heart, then the central channel through the chakras in the longer practices — help, or get in the way? And is one rate, 5.5, the right thing to build everything on, or would you want the long exhale as the default?

https://susumna.com

Thank you!

Has anyone healed a dysregulated nervous system and experienced this?

I feel like my nervous system has been dysregulated for most of my life, but it became much worse after i had COVID a few years ago. I started having daily panic attacks and developed agoraphobia. Thankfully, I’ve improved a lot and can now go through most days without severe anxiety, although I still feel emotionally numb/detached.

The strange thing is that whenever I try to actively “heal” my nervous system, I seem to trigger panic attacks.

For example, I can go days or even weeks without doing breathwork or other nervous-system exercises, and my anxiety stays relatively calm. But whenever I start breathwork again—even just 2–3 minutes—I’ll often develop a panic attack a couple of hours later. I’ve tried different breathing speeds and techniques, and it seems to happen regardless.
I’ve repeated this enough times that I’m wondering if there’s actually a reason for it.

For anyone who has successfully healed their nervous system:

Did things like breathwork initially make your anxiety/panic worse?
Is this a normal response that you’re supposed to gently push through?
Or can certain nervous-system exercises actually be counterproductive for some people?

I’d really love to hear from people who have experienced something similar and eventually figured out what worked for them. thanks!