What is a Breathwork Session Like?

If you’re curious what to expect in a Breathwork session, from sensations, preparation, and breaths, watch this video!

If you prefer to read instead of watch, here’s a transcript of the video above:

1. What to Expect and How to Prepare

In order to get the most out of your Breathwork session, I recommend you do this lying down, though you may also do them sitting up – wherever you feel the most comfortable.
Wherever you choose to do a Breathwork session please make sure it’s a safe place.
You may want an eye mask and a blanket or anything else to help you be the most comfortable to get the most out of the session.
Some of the most common places are: a yoga mat, a couch, a bed, or my personal favorite, a gravity chair!

2. The Flow of the Session

There are a variety of breathing combinations you will use when doing Breathwork.
These combinations can be done for seconds or minutes and there are usually 2-3 different breathing combinations in each session.
You can also expect a unique playlist for each session with the guidance of my voice the entire time.
In the beginning you’ll be breathing slow breaths with calming music.
Then it transitions into more upregulated and faster breaths with holds in between.
At the end you’ll come back down to calming breaths, calm music, and sometimes a meditation.
I like to call this a Breathwork sandwich 😉

3. Sensations and Emotions

There are a variety of sensations that you may feel or experience in a Breathwork session.
Physical sensations:
- Tingling, numbness in your fingertips, toes, or anywhere in your body, slight dizziness, and tetany (where you hands might feel stiff).
- Your body may change temperatures. I find it most common that your body feels cold.
Emotional Sensations:
- Any and all emotions from fear to love.
- At any time during the session you may release through crying, laughing, sounds, or movement.
All of these are really normal, don’t worry, you’re not dying, nothing’s wrong!
Breathwork is a highly personal experience, so please follow your body at all times, no matter what breath or pace I may be guiding.
If you feel uncomfortable with the sensations or emotions at any time please slow down your breathing or go back to your normal breathing and they will subside.
If you feel extreme dizziness, pain, unwell, or you will faint, immediately stop the Breathwork practice.
If you continue to feel unwell, before you do your next session please contact a medical professional.

4. Breathing Patterns and Combinations

There are various styles of breath, like Wim Hoff, Shamanic, Rebirthing, Holotropic, Rhythmic, and Pranayama, to name a few.
My style of Breathwork is a blending of all of these because that’s how I was primarily trained, and over the course of my Breathwork career as a guide, I have found this combination to be the most effective.
Here are some examples of the breathing patterns
- Rhythmic Breathing
  - In the nose and out the nose.
  - In the mouth and out the mouth.
  - You can do these for various lengths and speeds.
  - For example, in the nose for a count of 4 and out the mouth for a count of 4.
  - You’ll do these for seconds to minutes, in and out, in and out, getting into a nice rhythm that feels really good.
- Shamanic Breathwork (3 Part Breath)
  - Breathe all in and out of your mouth. Take two inhales and one exhale. First inhale is into your stomach, and the next one into your chest, with one gentle exhale out the mouth.
  - You can do this with an open mouth or as if you’re sucking in a straw.
  - At first it can feel strange in the body and there may be resistance, though once you get into it it feels really nice and is really clearing.
- Breaths Stemming from Pranayama
  - Khabalabati (Breath of Fire)
    - Forcefully exhale through your nose and passively inhale through your nose. You’ll snap your stomach in as you exhale and let the inhale naturally enter.
    - Do this at a rapid pace that feels comfortable for you!
  - Box breath
    - Breathe in the nose for 4 counts.
    - Hold at the top for 4 counts.
    - Exhale out the mouth for 4 counts.
    - Hold at the bottom for 4 counts.
    - Repeat at least 5 times.
  - 4/7/8
    - Breathe in the nose for 4 counts.
    - Hold at the top for 7 counts.
    - Exhale out the mouth for 8 counts.
    - Repeat and focus on the exhale!
  - Alternate nostril breathing
    - Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale deeply through your left nostril.
    - Pause momentarily, then close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through your right nostril.
    - Inhale again through the right, pause, and exhale through the left.
    - Continue for at least 5 rounds.
- Holds
  - Top Hold: Inhale and fill up your stomach and chest and hold the breath at the top.
  - Bottom Hold: Exhale out all your air and hold the breath at the bottom.