about breathwork

Breathwork, in depth. What it is, where it comes from, and what happens in the body.

what is breathwork

Breathwork is the intentional use of breath to change how you feel, think, and function. It covers many practices, and two teachers can teach the same style in completely different ways. I teach Conscious Connected Breathwork in a trauma-informed way.

where it comes from

Breathwork is like a tree. Every lineage is a branch, and all of them grow from the same deep roots, breathing techniques used for hundreds if not thousands of years. Here are the main branches, in rough order of time.

Pranayama, from the yogic traditions of India. Precise, often slow patterns to purify the body and prepare the mind for meditation. One of its best-known practices is Deergha Swasam, the complete yogic breath, which moves through the belly, ribs, and upper chest.

Taoist breathwork, which cultivates life energy and harmony.

Holotropic Breathwork, developed by Stanislav and Christina Grof in the 1970s. The name is trademarked.

Rebirthing, from Leonard Orr, which uses connected breathing to bring unconscious patterns into awareness.

The integrative work of Dr. Judith Kravitz, which links breath with physiology.

Sudarshan Kriya, a rhythmic breathing practice from the Art of Living tradition.

Wim Hof, who paired breathing with cold exposure, drawing on older practices like Tibetan tummo.

James Nestor and others, who brought nose breathing and carbon dioxide balance to a wide audience.

Modern CCB uses sustained, uninterrupted breathing to reach emotional and psychological layers. It also draws on Polyvagal Theory from Stephen Porges.

My own lineage pays homage to pranayama and Taoist breath, and to the research of Stanislav and Christina Grof. From there I gradually moved toward a less dogmatic, more trauma-informed, science-based, and hands-off method that developed naturally after years of teaching and researching.

conscious connected breath

You breathe in a continuous, circular pattern with no pause between breaths.

Take two deep inhales, first into the belly, then into the chest.

Exhale gently through the mouth and move straight into the next inhale.

Keep your hands on your belly and ribs so you can feel how the breath moves.

Let soft sighs and sounds come out on the exhale. Nothing is forced.

the science, in short

Over-breathing in this pattern lowers carbon dioxide and makes the blood more alkaline. This is called respiratory alkalosis.

Blood vessels in the brain narrow as carbon dioxide drops. In a small study of healthy volunteers, hyperventilation cut blood flow velocity in a major brain artery by roughly half. This may be part of why people report deep relaxation, emotional release, time distortion, and vivid inner experiences.

Carbon dioxide also controls how readily blood releases oxygen to your tissues. This is the Bohr effect. More oxygen in the lungs does not mean more oxygen in the tissues.

Breath is one of the few functions under both voluntary and involuntary control. That makes it a direct way to influence your nervous system.

Slow, deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic branch, which supports rest and recovery. A review of 223 studies found that voluntary slow breathing increases vagally mediated heart rate variability. Fast, forceful breathing raises sympathetic tone, which supports energy and release.

Not all breathwork raises vagal tone. Fast patterns can lower it for a while. Slow patterns with a long exhale tend to raise it.

The same breath affects people differently. Someone who feels wired often needs a slower exhale. Someone who feels shut down may need more activation first.

CCB tends to quiet the analytical mind and bring feeling and sensation closer to the surface.

A 2023 meta-analysis of randomized trials found that breathwork was linked with a small to medium reduction in self-reported stress. A separate trial found that brief daily cyclic sighing improved mood more than mindfulness meditation.

Breath holds add another layer. Holding on full lungs tends to feel expansive. Holding on empty lungs tends to feel like surrender and release.

what can happen in the body

These sensations are common and temporary. They come from shifts in oxygen and carbon dioxide and from your nervous system adjusting.

Tingling or numbness, often in the hands, feet, or face

Tetany, sometimes called the claw. The hands or feet clamp or curl. It passes, and I show you how to ease it.

Lightheadedness or dizziness

Waves of warmth, or feeling cold

Nausea, which usually settles when you slow down and switch to nose breathing

Heaviness, lightness, or vibration

Fatigue afterward, as the body rebalances

let's talk about tetany

Tetany, often called the claw, is when your hands, feet, or face tingle, go numb, or clamp up. Your hands can curl into a rigid shape. It looks dramatic and it feels strange, and it is one of the most common things that happens in breathwork. It is also temporary.

The physical cause

Fast, deep breathing lowers the carbon dioxide in your blood.

Less carbon dioxide makes your blood more alkaline. This is called respiratory alkalosis.

In more alkaline blood, a protein called albumin, which carries calcium around the body, holds on to more of it. That leaves less free calcium for your muscles and nerves to use.

Muscles and nerves need that free calcium to stay calm. Without enough of it, they fire more easily, and you feel tingling and involuntary clenching.

The second layer

Many spiritual teachers describe tetany differently. They see it as stagnant energy held in the hands, something stuck that wants to move. Many people also find that the tension in their hands connects to what they are holding onto emotionally, such as grief or something unresolved. Often people feel a real emotional shift once the clenching passes.

The physiology explains how it happens. What it means for you is yours to decide. I find both useful.

If it happens to you

Feel your hands supported by the floor, and breathe toward them with softness and curiosity.

Slow your breath. Take gentler exhales and shorter inhales.

Hold your breath for a moment on empty lungs. This helps rebalance carbon dioxide.

Open and shake your hands gently.

Remember that it passes.

what can happen emotionally

The limbic system stores emotional memory, and breath can reach it.

Crying, laughing, or shaking

Grief, anger, joy, or relief rising up

Overwhelm, euphoria, or deep introspection

Visions, memories, or sudden insight

Disorientation, which I help you ground out of

Some sessions are quiet, with nothing dramatic. That is a full session too.

nose and mouth

I teach the mechanics of both, so you can choose.

Nose breathing filters and warms air, supports a balanced oxygen and carbon dioxide ratio, makes nitric oxide, and calms the nervous system.

Mouth breathing moves a lot of air quickly. It brings energy and helps release, and it can lower carbon dioxide too fast if I do not pace it.

A session often begins with nose breathing to ground, moves into mouth breathing to go deeper, and ends with nose breathing to land. These days I guide mostly nose-led breathwork, with optional breath holds and sound woven throughout.

my journey

I found breathwork when I was dysregulated from years of touring and partying. Then I ended up in a Conscious Connected Breath session and something opened that I did not know was closed. I felt more alive, more grounded, and more in my body than ever. I knew I wanted to share this work.

After my training I practiced and taught mostly through the mouth. Later I got chronic fatigue and had to rebalance my nervous system. During that time I switched to breathing only through the nose. That gentler rhythm gave me a true rest cycle, and it is now the foundation of how I guide.

how I guide

We begin with slow, grounding breaths to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and help you land in your body. From there we move into a longer breath practice. Ambient music and carefully chosen tones carry you through the arc of activation, release, and rest. I teach in person in Berlin and host online sessions once a month.

upcoming classes

what you need

A comfortable place to lie down, clothes you can rest in, headphones or a speaker, and about 90 minutes of your full attention. Online, you also need a phone or computer with Zoom. A blanket, eye cover, journal, water, or candles are optional. In person, the studio provides mats, blankets, and props.

before you come

Skip heavy meals for at least two hours before. Use the bathroom first. If your mind is racing, move or dance for a few minutes. Give yourself time afterward to rest and integrate.

Check in with your doctor first and tell me before class if any of these apply.

Heart or blood pressure conditions

Asthma or COPD

Pregnancy

Severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, or a seizure history

Working with trauma, or any other health condition

training and experience

Conscious Connected Breath Teacher Training with Rob Starbuck. Over 1000 hours of facilitated breathwork, including 300+ hours in mental health and treatment facilities. Two years working in the mental health field as a trauma-informed sound and breathwork practitioner.

go deeper

Train as a facilitator, join a class, or work with me one-on-one.

breathwork facilitator training events mentorship

I do not claim to heal or cure anything. Sessions support regulation, release, and awareness.