Emotional Release and Distressing Experiences in Breathwork: What to Do and When to Seek Help

If you need help now

If a breathing session has left you in distress, afraid, unable to feel safe or thinking about harming yourself, reach out now. In the United States, call, text or chat 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). It is free, confidential and open every day. [1] For immediate danger call 911. A friend or family member can stay with you. Do not stop or change any medicine without speaking to your prescriber.

Short answer

Crying, trembling, anger, fear or sudden memories can occur during breathing practice, especially intensive styles. Some people find this meaningful. Others find it frightening. Both are real. What the research cannot show is that emotional release is itself healing, or that the body "stores" and releases trauma through breath. Your comfort and choice come first, and you can stop at any time.

Why strong feelings can happen

Several things may overlap. Overbreathing can cause tingling and dizziness, [2] and a review notes the sensations can mimic panic. [3] A review notes breathing practice can raise anxiety in some people, [3] and can bring feelings of detachment or loss of self-boundaries. [3] People with stress disorders may relive traumatic memories during hyperventilation. [3] A consumer health page says holotropic breathwork can bring intense emotions and painful memories that could worsen symptoms. [4] These are proposed explanations from reviews, not measured causes. Even gentle practice can bring up feelings when attention turns to the body. NCCIH notes that occasionally people report increased anxiety, intrusive thoughts or fear of losing control with relaxation techniques. [5]

What the research does and does not show

• Challenging experiences and well-being. A cross-sectional survey of 324 breathwork participants found that challenging experiences during a session predicted higher well-being afterward. [6] This is self-reported, looked back on after the event, and cannot show that distress is helpful or safe for any one person.
• Emotional release as the active ingredient. Proper evidence not found. We searched Europe PMC for breathwork with emotional release, catharsis, stored trauma and adverse or challenging experiences, and found surveys and opinion pieces, no trials testing release itself.
• Harms. Adverse effects of breathwork are not well studied. [7] Some trials exclude people with psychosis or other mental health conditions, so their results do not describe those groups. [8]
• Reviewers' cautions. Authors of one workshop study warn about "spiritual bypassing," using spiritual practice to avoid unresolved issues, [9] and say people new to breathwork with anxiety disorders may be particularly susceptible to negative experiences. [9]

What good practice looks like

Sources describe these safeguards in research and clinical settings:

• Preparation and an integration session the next day. [9]
• Explicit consent for any physical touch. [9]
• Use alongside ongoing therapy so difficult material can be worked through. [4]

Breathwork facilitation is generally unregulated, and a certificate does not guarantee trauma training. See trauma-informed breathwork and breathwork in therapy and clinical settings.

If strong feelings come up

• You may stop, open your eyes, and return to normal, unforced breathing at any point. Nobody needs to approve this.
• Say no to touch. Move away from the group if you need to.
• The NHS panic guidance suggests staying where you are if possible and breathing slowly, reminding yourself the attack will pass. [10]
• Stop if you feel faint, have chest pain or palpitations, or new neurological symptoms. [3]
• Tell someone you trust, and consider telling your doctor or therapist.

When to seek help

• Distress that lasts after the session, trouble sleeping, flashbacks, or feeling cut off from your body. The NHS says to see a GP if you think you have symptoms of PTSD. [11] See trauma and PTSD.
• Panic or breathlessness: see panic attacks.
• Thoughts of self-harm: call, text or chat 988. [1]
• Seeing or hearing things, or unusual beliefs: contact a clinician; see breathwork risks in psychiatric conditions.

For a related page on meditation see meditation difficulties and distressing experiences.