You have decided to try breathwork. You read that it releases trauma and tension stored in your body. You want relief from anxiety, chronic pain, or emotional numbness.
You also feel nervous. What will happen when you breathe this way? Will it hurt? Will you lose control? What if you cannot handle what comes up?
These concerns are normal. Breathwork is intense. Your body will respond in ways that might surprise you. Knowing what to expect reduces fear and helps you work with the process instead of resisting it.
What Breathwork Actually Is
Circular breathwork uses continuous breathing without pauses between inhales and exhales. You breathe in through your nose or mouth, then immediately exhale without holding your breath at either end of the cycle.
This breathing pattern activates your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your fight-or-flight response. The activation brings suppressed emotions and physical tension to the surface where they can be released.
This is different from relaxation breathing. Relaxation techniques like slow diaphragmatic breathing calm your nervous system. Breathwork deliberately activates it to access and discharge material your body has been holding.
The session typically lasts 30 minutes of active breathing plus time before and after for preparation and integration.
Before The Session Starts
Your practitioner will ask about your medical history, current medications, and what you hope to address through breathwork. They need to know about cardiovascular conditions, high blood pressure, pregnancy, seizure disorders, glaucoma, or severe psychiatric conditions. These conditions may make breathwork unsafe or require modifications.
They will explain how the breathing works and what sensations you might experience. They will tell you that you can slow down or stop at any time. You remain in control throughout.
You will be asked to lie down on a mat or comfortable surface. Your practitioner will guide you to find a position where you can breathe fully without restriction.
You might feel nervous or skeptical. Most people do. Tell your practitioner how you feel. Naming your concerns helps discharge some of the anxiety before you start.
The Breathing Begins
Your practitioner guides you to start the circular breathing pattern.
The first few minutes feel strange. Your body is not accustomed to breathing this way. You might feel self-conscious or wonder if you are doing it correctly. Keep breathing.
After 3-5 minutes, your body begins to respond. This is when most people notice the first physical sensations.
Physical Sensations During Breathwork
Your body will activate. The sensations can be intense. They are normal and temporary.
Tetany (muscle contractions). Your hands, feet, or face may contract or curl. This is called tetany. It occurs because the rapid breathing temporarily changes blood pH and affects calcium availability to muscles. The contractions feel uncomfortable but are not dangerous. They release as soon as you stop or slow the breathing.
Tingling or numbness. Your lips, hands, feet, or other body parts may tingle or feel numb. This results from temporary changes in blood gases. The sensation passes quickly after the session ends.
Temperature changes. You might suddenly feel hot or cold. Some people sweat. Others feel chilled. Your nervous system activation affects temperature regulation. The practitioner can provide a blanket if you get cold.
Chest pressure or tightness. Your chest might feel heavy or restricted. This can trigger fear if you interpret it as inability to breathe. You are breathing adequately even if it feels difficult. The tightness is held tension releasing, not oxygen deprivation.
Energy surges or vibrations. Some people feel waves of energy moving through their body or a vibrating sensation. This often precedes emotional release.
Dizziness or lightheadedness. Brief dizziness is common as your body adjusts to the breathing pattern. If it becomes severe, tell your practitioner. You can slow down or stop.
These sensations peak around 10-15 minutes into the session, then often decrease as your body adjusts and begins to discharge what it was holding.
Emotional Experiences During Breathwork
Breathwork accesses emotions stored in your body. These emotions surface during the session.
Crying. Many people cry during breathwork. The tears might connect to specific memories or might be wordless grief your body has held for years. Let the tears come. Crying is release, not breakdown.
Anger. You might feel rage surface. Some people want to hit or push. Tell your practitioner if anger arises. They can guide you to safely discharge it through movement or sound rather than suppressing it.
Fear or panic. Old fear stored in your body might activate. Your heart races. You feel like you need to flee. This is the fear releasing, not new fear being created. Breathe through it with your practitioner’s guidance.
Grief or sadness. Deep sadness might wash over you. You might sob without knowing why. Your body is releasing accumulated grief.
Joy or laughter. After intense release, some people experience unexpected joy or start laughing. This is tension shifting to relief.
No emotion. Some people feel nothing during their first session. They notice physical sensations but no emotional release. This is also normal. Your body might need several sessions before it feels safe enough to release emotions.
You will not necessarily know what the emotions connect to. Your mind might not have a story about why you feel sad or angry. The emotions are released from your body, not your conscious memory. You do not need to understand them for the release to help.
What The Practitioner Does
Your practitioner stays present throughout. They observe your breathing pattern, physical responses, and emotional state.
They offer verbal guidance: “Keep breathing. You are safe. Let it move through you. Stay with it.”
They might place a hand on your chest, shoulder, or feet to provide grounding if you dissociate or feel unmoored. Physical contact helps you stay connected to your body.
If you stop breathing or start holding your breath, they remind you to continue. Your natural instinct when emotions intensify is to stop breathing and shut down. The practitioner helps you stay with the process instead of cutting it off.
If sensations become overwhelming, they guide you to slow your breathing or pause. They monitor for signs that you are moving beyond productive challenges into retraumatization.
They do not interpret what happens or tell you what your experience means. They hold space for whatever arises and help you stay present with it.
The Breathing Ends
After 28 minutes of active breathing, your practitioner guides you to return to normal breathing. The circular pattern stops.
You rest quietly for 5-10 minutes. Your body integrates what just happened.
You might feel profoundly relaxed. Many people describe feeling lighter or more spacious. Some feel tired. Others feel energized.
Physical sensations like tingling or numbness fade within minutes of stopping the circular breathing. Muscle contractions release. Temperature normalizes.
Emotions that surfaced might still be present but less intense. You might continue crying quietly or feel peaceful after the tears.
After The Session
Your practitioner checks in about your experience. You might want to talk about what happened or might prefer silence. Both responses are fine.
They will tell you what to expect over the next 24-48 hours. Many people feel emotional for a day or two after breathwork. Memories might surface. Dreams might be more vivid. Fatigue is common as your body processes the release.
Drink water. Breathwork is physically demanding. Your body needs hydration.
Rest if possible. Avoid scheduling demanding activities immediately after a session. Give yourself time to integrate.
Some people feel immediate relief from symptoms they brought to the session. Others notice changes gradually over the following days. Some need multiple sessions before significant shifts occur.
Common Fears And What Actually Happens
“What if I cannot handle what comes up?”
You can handle it because you already are handling it. The emotions and sensations that arise during breathwork are already in your body. Breathwork brings them to awareness. You have been carrying this material. The session just makes it conscious so it can release.
Additionally, you control the intensity. If you slow your breathing, the intensity decreases. If you stop breathing in the circular pattern, the activation stops. You are not trapped in the experience.
“What if I lose control?”
You remain conscious and aware throughout. Breathwork is not like psychedelics or hypnosis where you enter an altered state beyond your control. You know where you are. You can speak. You can ask for what you need. You can stop.
What people describe as “losing control” is usually the experience of allowing emotions they typically suppress. Crying, shaking, or expressing anger feels like loss of control when you are accustomed to maintaining composure. But you are not out of control. You are experiencing and releasing.
“What if nothing happens?”
Some people feel disappointed if their first session does not produce a dramatic release. They compare their experience to stories they heard about others crying or having profound realizations.
Your body releases at its own pace. If nothing intense happens in your first session, it might mean your nervous system needs to build safety before it releases deeper material. The lack of drama does not mean the session was not beneficial. Subtle shifts in your nervous system occur even when there is no dramatic release.
“What if I start crying and cannot stop?”
Crying during breathwork reaches a natural endpoint. Your body releases what it needs to release, then stops. You will not cry indefinitely. Sessions have a contained structure. The crying intensifies, peaks, and then subsides as the breathwork ends.
“What if I feel worse after?”
Some people feel emotionally raw for 24-48 hours after a breathwork session. This is different from feeling worse long-term. The rawness comes from opening material that was suppressed. It passes as your system integrates the release.
If you feel significantly worse for more than a few days, or if symptoms intensify rather than resolve, tell your practitioner. This might indicate that breathwork is activating more than your system can process, or that you need therapeutic support alongside breathwork.
Who Should Not Do Breathwork
Breathwork is not safe for everyone. Do not do breathwork if you have:
- Cardiovascular disease or recent heart attack
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- History of stroke or aneurysm
- Seizure disorder
- Glaucoma or detached retina
- Pregnancy (any trimester)
- Severe psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia or bipolar disorder during active episodes
- Recent surgery or serious injury
These conditions create risk because breathwork significantly activates your nervous system and changes blood flow patterns. The activation can trigger medical events in vulnerable people.
Consult a doctor before doing breathwork if you have any serious medical condition or take medications that affect heart rate, blood pressure, or nervous system function.
How To Prepare For Your First Session
Wear comfortable clothing. Nothing tight around your waist or chest. You need to breathe fully without restriction.
Eat lightly. Do not eat a large meal within two hours of the session. A full stomach makes deep breathing uncomfortable.
Avoid caffeine before. Caffeine increases nervous system activation. You do not need additional stimulation before breathwork.
Hydrate. Drink water before the session. Avoid arriving dehydrated.
Use the bathroom. Empty your bladder before starting. You will be lying down for 30+ minutes and will not want to interrupt the session.
Clear your schedule. Avoid scheduling important meetings or demanding tasks immediately after. Give yourself time to rest and integrate.
Set an intention. Think about what you want from the session. “I want to release my anxiety.” “I want to feel more connected to my body.” “I want to process the grief I have been avoiding.” You do not need to share the intention, but having one focuses the session.
Accept that you cannot fully prepare. You cannot know what will happen. Each person’s experience is unique. The preparation is less about controlling the experience and more about creating conditions where you can surrender to whatever arises.
What Happens in Subsequent Sessions
Your first breathwork session introduces you to the process. You learn what breathing feels like and how your body responds. Subsequent sessions often go deeper.
As your nervous system learns that the activation is safe and leads to release, it allows more material to surface. Sessions become more intense or access different layers of what you have been holding.
Some people work through a specific issue over several sessions. Others find that breathwork surfaces different material each time based on what is most present in their life.
The physical sensations like tetany and tingling typically decrease as you do more sessions. Your body adapts to the breathing pattern and responds less dramatically. The emotional releases often deepen.
Most people find that 3-6 sessions provide significant benefits. Some continue breathwork regularly as a maintenance practice. Others complete a short series and stop once they experience the release they needed.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I do breathwork sessions?
Most practitioners recommend spacing sessions at least one week apart initially. This gives your nervous system time to integrate what is released. Some people do sessions every two weeks. Monthly sessions work for maintenance once you have addressed acute issues. Daily breathwork is not recommended. Your system needs recovery time between intensive sessions.
Can I do breathwork alone at home after learning the technique?
Circular breathwork activates intense material. Do not practice alone, especially when learning. The presence of a trained practitioner ensures safety if you dissociate, become overwhelmed, or need grounding. Once you have significant experience and a regulated nervous system, some people practice alone. Even then, many prefer a facilitator present.
Will I need to talk about my trauma during the session?
No. Breathwork is not talk therapy. You do not need to tell your story or explain your history. Your body releases what it holds without requiring narrative. Some people want to share context with their practitioner beforehand. Others prefer not to discuss details. Both approaches work. The breathwork itself does not require talking.
What if I have a medical condition not on the contraindication list?
Tell your practitioner about any medical condition. They can consult with your doctor if needed or modify the practice for safety. It is better to disclose and find it is not a concern than to withhold information that could be relevant.
Can breathwork replace trauma therapy?
Breathwork complements trauma therapy but rarely replaces it. Breathwork provides somatic release. Therapy provides cognitive processing, narrative integration, and ongoing support. Most trauma specialists recommend both. Breathwork alone addresses the body component. Therapy addresses the psychological component. Combining both produces better outcomes than either alone.
How do I know if what I experienced was actually release or just hyperventilation?
Hyperventilation creates physical symptoms like dizziness and tingling but does not produce emotional release or lasting relief. If you only experienced physical sensations without any emotional component or shift in how you feel afterward, you might have just hyperventilated. Release creates emotional movement and often lasting changes in symptoms. A skilled practitioner can distinguish and adjust accordingly.
Is it normal to feel nothing during my first session?
Yes. Some people need multiple sessions before their nervous system feels safe enough to release. Others have protective mechanisms that prevent accessing emotions during a first session. This does not mean breathwork will not work for you. It means your system needs more time and trust before going deeper.
What if I get triggered or retraumatized during the session?
A trauma-informed practitioner watches for signs of retraumatization: dissociation, freezing, inability to speak, regression, or overwhelm beyond what you can integrate. If this occurs, they stop the breathwork, help you ground in the present moment, and slow the process. This is why working with a trained practitioner matters. They know the difference between productive activation and harmful retraumatization.
Holotropic breathwork helps the body process what the mind can’t. Clients often experience clarity, emotional freedom, deep relaxation, and a return to their true self.
More about Karin Slezak, certified breathwork teacher and coach:
I facilitate circular breathwork sessions for individuals and couples in San Anselmo, California and online. Sessions last 1.5 hours for individuals and 2.5 hours for couples. This includes the time before and after for preparation and integration.
My sessions are gentle, intentional, and deeply intuitive.
I create a safe, grounded, supportive environment where clients can breathe through what’s ready to move, release what no longer serves them, and reconnect with their inner wisdom. Every session ends with grounding, integration, and reflective guidance.
I work with people addressing trauma, chronic stress, anxiety, and emotional blockages. I adapt the practice to your nervous system capacity and stop or modify it if activation becomes overwhelming.
Learn about breathwork for trauma release or contact me to ask questions about whether breathwork is appropriate for your needs.
Email kslezak304@gmail.com or call 415-250-7298 to schedule your first session.
