Breathwork for Beginners: Gentle First Steps and What to Avoid

Urgent first

If you have severe difficulty breathing, cannot get words out, have a tight or heavy chest, pale, blue or grey lips or skin, or sudden confusion, treat it as an emergency and call 911 in the US. [1] The NHS says not to try to self-diagnose the cause of shortness of breath. [1] Breathing practice is for comfortable, everyday use, not a response to new or worsening breathlessness.

What "breathwork" means for a beginner

The word covers very different things, from a few minutes of slow, comfortable breathing to intensive practices that change your breathing sharply. This page is only about the gentle end. The NHS describes its technique as a calming exercise that "takes just a few minutes and can be done anywhere." [2] For definitions, see what breathwork is and the wider gentle breathing and relaxation practices.

Check first if any of these apply

NCCIH says relaxation techniques are generally considered safe for healthy people, but occasionally people report increased anxiety, intrusive thoughts or fear of losing control. [3] It also notes rare reports of symptoms being worsened in people with epilepsy, certain psychiatric conditions, or a history of abuse or trauma. [3]

Ask a clinician before starting if you have asthma, COPD or another lung condition, a heart condition, blood pressure problems, epilepsy, panic disorder, trauma history, an eating disorder or are pregnant. This list is our precaution; the sources we read do not test each condition. For asthma, the NHS says the main treatment is inhaled medicines, and your care team explains how and when to use them. [4] Breathing practice, at most, sits alongside that care. Never stop or change a medicine because of a breathing exercise. More on this: breathing practices with lung conditions.

A gentle first practice (NHS)

This is the only technique we describe step by step, because the NHS page describes it and it is gentle.

1. Get comfortable. The NHS says you can sit in a chair that supports your back, or lie on a bed or mat. [2] Loosen clothes that restrict your breathing. [2]
2. Let the breath flow as deep into your belly as is comfortable, "without forcing it." [2]
3. The NHS suggests breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, gently and regularly. [2]
4. Some people find it helpful to count steadily from 1 to 5; you may not reach 5 at first. [2]
5. The NHS says to repeat for at least 5 minutes. [2] If that feels like too much, shorten it. Comfort matters more than the clock.

Stop and return to normal breathing if you feel dizzy, tingly, faint, anxious or short of breath. Do not practice while driving, bathing, swimming, near water or at heights. See best time and place to practice.

Stop signs

MedlinePlus lists lightheadedness, dizziness, weakness, tingling around the mouth or in the arms and muscle spasms as results of overbreathing, and notes you may not realize you are breathing fast and deep. [5] The NHS advice for dizziness is to lie down until it passes and then get up slowly. [6] Details are on the dizziness, tingling and fainting page.

What to avoid as a beginner

Do not start with intensive or breath-holding practices. We give no instructions for them. These include deliberate overbreathing styles, breath retention and any breathing practice combined with cold or water. A review of "high ventilation breathwork" says these practices are linked to "extraordinary changes in subjective experience" and that putative benefits call for rigorous clinical testing. [7] A meta-analysis of breathwork trials said more studies should report adverse events and that the safety of fast-paced breathwork needs research. [8] A New York State case review described two healthy young men who became unconscious underwater after intentional hyperventilation before submersion. [9] See intensive breathwork for the critical overview.

What research shows

Breathing trials cannot truly be blinded, and many compare with waitlists, so expectation can add to results. The meta-analysis lead author reports training as a breath teacher. [8] In short, gentle breathing is low-cost and appears low-risk, but it is not a proven treatment.

Getting guidance

Breathwork teaching is not described as a regulated profession in the sources we read. A meta-analysis noted that breathwork teacher training "can be more quickly and easily taught (i.e., over days and weeks)". [8] Check what training a teacher has, whether they ask about health conditions, and whether they let you stop or skip anything. Be cautious of pressure or medical promises; see facilitator red flags.