FAQs

Breathwork refers to the art of breathing intentionally, an act that can change your mental, emotional, and physical state of being.

There are several types of breathing techniques ranging from Pranayama breath, which is used primarily in yoga, to the very popular Wim Hof method.

In most of the Breathwork Anytime live classes, we use a technique called Conscious Connected Breath (CCB).

CCB uses a three-part breath pattern (two inhales, one exhale) based on a variety of breathing techniques, including the Pranayama breath, Deerga Swasam.

The main difference between the two is that CCB is practiced by breathing ONLY through the mouth.

By breathing through the mouth, we activate our sympathetic nervous system and creating a better response system to a stressful situation. This way of breathing also allows us to take in WAY more air.

This breath floods your body with oxygen, moving stagnant energy and allowing for the release of strong emotions- such as grief and anger in a physical way.

Much like meditation, breathwork turns down the “monkey” brain and lets you access a deeper state of consciousness. This allows you to FEEL and process emotions that may have been stuck in your body and brain and help you clear space to tell a new story, rather than staying stuck in a cycle or pattern that doesn’t serve you.

By breathing through the mouth, we are also activating our sympathetic nervous system, and creating a better response system to stress.

Description text goWhen you flood your body with oxygen, it can sometimes create a lack of CO2, which results in tetany, an involuntary contraction of the muscles. During breathwork, this happens primarily in the hands and can range from feeling somewhat uncomfortable to being painful. If at any point this should happen to you, you can breathe normally for a few breath cycles to reintroduce C02 back into your blood and you should feel relief.

You may also feel like every cell in your body is having a dance party- with lots of tingles and buzzing sensations. Your body temperature could fluctuate between being extremely cold to being super hot. Some people experience ringing in their ears or feel pressure on different parts of their bodies. Some people don’t feel anything physical at all, and that’s ok too. Every breathwork class is a different experience and every person has their own journey. The key is to trust yourself and your breath and to know your limits.

EMOTIONAL EFFECTS:

This is where breathwork truly shines. Our body is a living library of our past emotions and memories. When we experience something traumatic, our brain is often unable to process all the emotions and instead stores the energy in our body until it can become released. (This article does a great job of explaining the way trauma is stored in the body. )

These unprocessed emotions can wreak all sorts of havoc on us, ranging from anxiety and depression to manifesting as physical ailments. Breathwork creates a safe environment for the body to feel and release old emotions and memories. You could find yourself crying, trembling, shaking or even laughing. This is your body’s way of processing and LETTING GO of emotions and memories that it doesn’t need anymore.

OTHER REPORTED BENEFITS OF BREATHWORK

• Relief from depression and anxiety• Creative Breakthroughs• Reconnecting to intuition • Increased self-awareness• Increased self-confidence• Boosted Immunity• Removing negative thought patterns• Newfound meaning and purpose• Increased joy and happiness• Reduced Stress levelses here

This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked, and the simple answer is yes, sometimes breathwork will make you feel like you are high. Some people have almost psychedelic experiences, on-par with taking plant medicine, while others experience the kind of high you get right after you break a crazy sweat- you just feel really, really good. Some people never experience this sort of feeling at all- it really depends on the person!

The idea of having a psychedelic experience can actually be a turn-off for some people, but your breath won’t ever give you something you can’t handle. YOU are in control of your experience and how deep you want to go.

To start the class, we spend a couple of minutes connecting to our breath and bodies, by breathing deeply and slowly. Then we breathe the conscious connected breath for around 25-30 minutes. This is followed by some breath holds and then a guided visual meditation. Then we slowly reintegrate back into our bodies and share our experiences. (This is for our full-length breathwork classes - they last between 1-1:15 hours).

If you have any doubts about participating in breathwork because of health issues, please consult your primary care physician. We are not doctors at Breathwork Anytime and always veer on the “better safe than sorry” side of things.

If you are pregnant or have high-blood pressure PLEASE consult your doctor before participating in class. (We recommend that pregnant women do not participate in this kind of breathwork or as for a modification)

IteThis is up to you, my friend.

Breathwork is safe to practice every day, but we recommend taking full-length breathwork classes a couple of times a week, and then adding in meditation + shorter breathwork practices as you see fit.

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