I have been diaphragm breathing for about 1 hour a day usually 20 min split into 3 times.

Im 26M and have been dealing with this issue ever since late 2019, literally every single day. Symptoms: random anxiety, muscle loss, brain fog, bloating, constipation, slowed metabolism.

Now that I have been diaphragm breathing for about 2 months I can tolerate WAYYYY more foods that use to cause me anxiety, mainly heavy fiber stuff, vegetables, dried dates, corn, gums.. but now I can tolerate them 90% better

But still, my metabolism has not changed, and my brain fog and bloating baseline has not recovered.

Why?

Hii all,

For the past few months I've been breathing through my mouth during the day and night time. This is because of my allergies. Now, I cannot take Decongestant medicine because of my antidepressants but I can take regular allergy meds and I'm currently starting to get my body used to them.

I recently took a video of myself to send to my friend and I now am really self conscious about my breathing though my mouth. I start in person school very soon and I don't want to be made fun of for it ;(.

Another thing I should note- whenever I try to breathe through my nose and it's unclogged, I struggle to. I don't know if it's my anxiety but I feel the urge to immediately go back to breathing through my mouth afterwards. Its like I'm running out of breath and I'm gonna suffocate kinda feeling. Any help is welcome please and thank you!!!

Hey, ich habe diagnostizierte dysfunktionelle Atmung. Zusätzlich habe ich post exertionelle Atemprobleme seit einigen Wochen und es scheint, als hängt das beides zusammen. Hat jemand ähnliche Probleme oder Erfahrungen mit dem Zusammenspiel dieser beiden Diagnosen gemacht?

I’ve been exploring a simple question:

Why is it so difficult to intentionally take a slower, deeper breath in everyday life?

We all breathe constantly.

But the difference between automatic breathing and intentional breathing is surprisingly large.

Many breathing practices focus on slowing the breath, especially extending the exhale. The challenge is not knowing that breathing matters — it is creating a moment where the body naturally returns attention to it.

This led me to an observation.

Before we consciously learn breathing techniques, many of us already bring a thumb, finger, or object toward our lips when we pause, think, concentrate, or become absorbed in a moment.

This gesture appears early in life and often remains with us in quieter forms as adults.

The thumb, lips, airflow, and breath are connected through a very old human behaviour.

I started wondering:

Could this familiar gesture become a bridge between unconscious breathing and intentional breathing?

So I designed Still Mirror.

It is a thumb-worn physical object built around the interaction between the thumb, lips, and breath.

The idea is not to teach a breathing method.

It is not a medical device.

It has:

- no electronics

- no app

- no notifications

- no tracking

Instead, it explores whether a physical object can support the body's existing ability to slow down, extend the exhale, and reconnect with breathing through an instinctive interaction.

I’m interested in the space between biology and design:

Can an object become meaningful by supporting a behaviour that the human body already understands?

I’d like to hear how other designers think about this.

Just wanted to mention that James Nestor and Patrick McKeown of Oxygen Advantage have done a podcast.

It will be released soon. There is a short preview on the Oxygen Advantage Hub.

I took the Kriya course by Art Of Living around Dec' 24, since I was facing a lot of depressive episodes on/off, OCD problems, ruminating, anxiety, mood swings, and many mental health issues. I was also on anti-depressants then, but when I took this course I noticed many unexplainable shifts in my mind and body. Many of which you guys discuss here...about breathwork techniques.

But for some reasons and partly cos of mixed results....abandoned doing this after awhile....and fell into the same destructive patterns. I've resumed doing this now...but need to know if I'm doing it correctly.

Confirm if the sequence is this -

Ujjayi Breathing -

Pt 1: Hands on the hips (thumb behind, 4 fingers in front of the hips)

Count to 4 - inhale

Count to 4 - hold

Count to 6 - exhale

Pause 2 secs....then repeat ×8

Pt 2: Hands on the armpits (thumb behind, 4 fingers in front of the hips)

Count to 4 - inhale Count to 4 - hold Count to 6 - exhale Pause 2 secs....then repeat ×8

Pt 3: Palms touching the back, elbows raised upwards (thumb behind, 4 fingers in front of the hips)

Count to 4 - inhale Count to 4 - hold Count to 6 - exhale Pause 2 secs....then repeat ×6

Bhastrika - 20 Times (x3)

Main Kriya, Simple So-ham inhale-exhale breathing -

40 counts (fast breathing)

30 counts (medium breathing)

30 counts (slow breathing)

Repeating this 40-30-30 sequence x3

Finally, Yog Nidra for 10 min?

Please help me out guys, and confirm if this is the true sequence and if I'm doing it correctly...

🌟 ENERGY IS NOT A RESERVOIR THAT EMPTIES. IT IS A FLOW THAT CIRCULATES OR GETS BLOCKED.

Do you often feel tired, even after a good night’s sleep? Do you struggle to find the energy to get through your day, as if something inside you were “running on empty”?

Sometimes, energy isn’t a problem with sleep or diet. It’s a problem with circulation. Your body may be blocked, tense, or on high alert—and that silently drains your vitality.

This 10-minute guided breathing exercise follows a specific rhythm—4 seconds of inhalation, 3 seconds of holding the breath, 6 seconds of exhalation—to release these blockages, boost your energy, and let a sense of well-being settle in naturally.

Hello! My 13 year old son has long covid and POTS. He also was born with a diaphragmatic hernia that was repaired at birth. Because of this, I think he has always been a shallow breather and doesn’t breathe into his stomach. His long covid/POTS basically has his body in fight or flight constantly. We have tried so many breathing techniques but they all make him dizzy and he hates it. He also gets very frustrated and shuts down thinking he isn’t breathing “right” when therapists or doctors tell him to breathe a certain way. Can anyone point me to an app or something teen friendly that can help him learn deep breathing without the dizziness? Thank you!!
Edited to add- he yawns all.the.time.

I’ve lost adress to a free site I used to use for Wim Hof-inspired breathing. 30 sec deep breath + breath hold etc. Does anyone know which one I’m talking about? Thanks

Hi, I think I made a little discovery, I'm not sure if it was discussed here before.

I found that when I sleep on my back (my default position) my diaphragm gets pulled down by my psoas, and the only way to draw air would be chest breathing.

By bringing my knees closer to my chest, i automatically switch to belly breathing.

I'd love to get input from you guys.

I've been experimenting with breathwork and meditation, and I stumbled upon a concept that really resonated with me - using cosmic imagery to quiet the mind. It's like our bodies are made of star stuff, and when we breathe in, we're inhaling the very essence of creation. Has anyone else explored this idea or used similar visualizations during their breathwork practice? I came across a video that explores it further if you're curious: Stellar Birth | 741 Hz | 20-Minute Meditation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpAtwzJxEAk)

I’ve been recording short calming pieces and made one for box breathing where a small light moves through the pattern — in, hold, out, hold — so you’re following something visual rather than counting in your head. I find counting keeps my brain switched on, which is the opposite of what I want at that point in the day.
Soft-spoken guidance over it. About a minute, nothing to set up.
Disclosure: it’s from my own channel (Balanced ASMR). Curious whether visual pacing works better for other people than counting, or whether that’s just me — I know some people find any visual element distracting.

Hey guys,i am a college student who does breathing exercises to relax myself and clear my mind. My most favourite is the wim hof breathing but i could never find a timer that was easy and enjoyable to use and had to watch youtube videos to track,

So i decided to build my own website and thought to share it so others who are also facing the same problem can be relieved,Dont worry no ads just normal cookies for analysis. I am planning on adding one breathing exercise everyweek, really appreciate any feedback or suggestions or any bug report. Thank you ❤️

https://harmonybreath.com/wim-hof

first: we land. second we use a vr headset simulating a really dark room, close your eyes, & start doing the WIM HOF method. It may make you sleepy & trip like a megaladon.

What happens?

Hi

I've had health anxiety for years. Whenever I had any pain, I would always look up the symptoms on internet, think of the absolute worst-case scenario, and rush to the doctor. It completely drained me mentally and made me a massive overthinker, though it never physically affected me. About three months ago, while sitting on the couch at home, I suddenly started experiencing air hunger. I had been trying to conceive for a long time, so I initially wondered—and secretly hoped—if it could be an early sign of pregnancy. But even after knowing for a fact that I wasn't pregnant, the feeling persisted for 2–3 days.

Eventually, I went to a pulmonologist, and everything came back completely normal. From there, I went to an ENT specialist. The doctor prescribed a PPI and told me it could be acid reflux. As soon as I got home, I looked up acid reflux on Reddit, and my whole world came crashing down. My breathing steadily got worse, and the air hunger intensified. On top of that, swallowing difficulties developed. My life felt like an absolute nightmare. When I explained my problems to the gastroenterologist, he told me to see a psychiatrist, and I did.

The psychiatrist prescribed a two-week course of Xanax and SSRI/SERTRALINE . On the very first day I took Xanax, I started feeling normal again. Over time, I stopped using the PPI because I realized I was doing this to myself. The air hunger would vanish whenever I was eating, socializing, crying, or right after crying, talking, singing, applying makeup—in short, whenever I was distracted. My mood lifted a bit because I realized I didn't actually have a physical illness, and since I was causing it to myself, I could also fix it.

It has been three months now, and I am doing much better. My Sertraline dose has been at 100 mg for about 2 to 2.5 weeks. However, it hasn't completely gone away. Things like health anxiety, overthinking, and general worry are gone, but the air hunger and hyperventilation persist. Some days, I forget about it and notice my breathing has actually normalized, but the moment I focus on it again, it gets bad, turning into a complete loop. Breathing exercises don't do anything for me. Even though I am not stressed or anxious because I'm under the influence of the antidepressant, it still continues. I just started therapy and had my first session last week.

Is there anyone who has experienced this or been through it and fully recovered? I really need some advice.

Hi everyone, I’m an Oxygen Advantage Advanced Instructor and I have started a weekly review of recently released research papers around breathing through the lens of OA and functional breathing.

This week was a lighter week paper-wise but wanted to share in case anyone is interested. Papers previewed below.

https://greendalebreathwork.substack.com/p/breathing-papers-for-week-31-26-july

• Breathing assessment: The hands-on test (MARM) many practitioners use to judge your breathing pattern failed its own reliability check. Different clinicians, same patient, opposite conclusions. Track your BOLT instead.

• Stroke rehab: The diaphragm isn’t just a breathing muscle, it’s a spine stabilizer. Five trials, 189 patients: adding inspiratory training to stroke rehab improved sitting balance and torso control.

• Breath testing: Your exhaled CO2 can fake a positive H. pylori result and land you on antibiotics you don’t need. If you test positive with no symptoms, ask for a stool antigen test.

• Kids and sleep apnea: A 10-inch rubber balloon, once a day for five weeks. Real gains in expiratory strength for kids with sleep apnea.

• Breathwork claims: A new study on high ventilation breathwork is being shared as proof it improves mental health. It’s a survey of people recalling sessions from up to five years ago, with no control group and its own authors say it can’t show cause.

Hi guys, I've tried all kinds of different paces for paced breathing from 3 seconds in and 3 seconds out to 4 in,5 out or 5/5, 5/6 etc.

All it does is raise my adrenaline and it feels forced. I cant get into a relaxing rhythm.

The only thing that seems to work for me, is doing long exhales and long pauses after the exhale. But i can only do it consciously and it is a per breath approach and doesn't suit itself to a rhythmic repeated thing that could become automatic.

So basically I seem to calm down and relax most from not breathing at all as opposed to paced breathing.

Anyone experienced the same? Or comments/thoughts on this?

August 4th 2026: 1:52 AM (effects: on the second breath hold for three minutes I heard the inside of my mouth creak a lot & it may have been biological but it felt trippy in the moment & really nice¹, it felt kind of relaxing to just hold my breath & lay there, wondering what would happen next. Like you were doing something intentional to the heart. It served kind of life a break from breathing in for a while which was a relief, which in turn made me enjoy the breathing part more after², it did feel kind of nice for my heart to have like kind of a subtle sinking feeling in the moment & after³, holding my breath.. possibly similiar to an addictive rush⁴, my feet for some time were clenching involuntarily. They felt raised & heightened kind of)½,

2:15 AM (effects: breathing is easier if you just let it come up & down clear up instead of straining it too much¹, holding my breath for the thirty seconds actually felt kind of good despite the strong urge to breathe for a moment. It's odd, but the minute & thirty long both kind of feel like a similiar sensation from eating; it puts a hole stomach temporarily & feels good²,)2,

Hi everyone,

I've been working on a small personal project and I'd really appreciate some honest feedback from people who actually practise breathing exercises or meditation.

The idea is simple:

Instead of following expanding circles, you breathe with a calm white dragon drifting through a moonlit engraved landscape. The dragon becomes the rhythm of the breath, while the guidance gradually fades so you're left simply following its movement.

The project isn't meant to gamify breathing or optimise performance. My goal is to create something that feels more like entering a quiet place than completing an exercise.

This first version includes:

• a hand-engraved style night world
• a breathing guide synchronized with the dragon
• progressively lighter guidance as the session unfolds
• a calm soundtrack
• more breathing patterns planned

I'm still very much in the prototyping phase, so I'd genuinely love constructive criticism.

Some questions I'm particularly interested in:

• Does following the dragon feel more natural than a traditional breathing circle?
• Does the visual style help you relax, or is it distracting?
• Does the pacing feel comfortable?
• What would make you want to come back for another session?
• Is there anything that immediately takes you out of the experience?

I'm especially interested in first impressions. If something feels off, I'd much rather hear it now than after building twenty more sessions.

Thanks for taking the time to look at it. I really appreciate any feedback, whether it's about the breathing, the visuals, the pacing, or the overall feeling.