Why Does Breathwork Make Me Cry And Other Top Breathing Exercise FAQs Answered By An Expert
One of the most difficult things about starting anything new is that it’s easy to be plagued with an inundation of that little voice that keeps asking, “Am I doing this right?” While trying something different can be a wonderful adventure, a blissful “beginner’s mind” journey that leaves you curious and excited, all too often it’s cloaked with doubt and worry.
Is this correct?
Should I be doing this differently?
How am I really supposed to feel/act/think (etc.)?
The troubling thing about these all-too-common questions is that it leaves you victim to the belief that there is a right and wrong, a black or white. In reality, so much of the world really is gray – a wonderful (and frustrating) blend of choose-your-own-adventure and personal interpretation.
If you’re new to breathwork or trying breathing exercises for the first time, here’s something important to remember:
No time spent in your body is wasted.
Whether you feel like a breathing session was a huge success or you’re left completely disillusioned from a particular breathing exercise, the time you spend trying it – listening to your breath, feeling your body, being intentional and present – is always time well spent. Just the simple act of showing up and “doing the thing” is a huge gift to yourself.
Iona Holloway, the co-founder of Soul, a breathwork app that gives you access to a variety of guided breath sessions to aid with everything from anxiety to love, says that “there’s no such thing as perfect breath; just what your body has capacity for.” A self-proclaimed “lost soul”, Holloway lives by her own teachings, practicing breathwork herself in order to help her live her best (highly successful) life, which includes overcoming an eating disorder, perfectionism, depression, and “crushing self criticism” so that she could go on to become a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and highly respected coach.
Even though it looked like she had everything – the body, the career, the guy – she was silently suffering. “I was so good at hiding in plain sight,” says Holloway, “I fooled myself sometimes.”
It wasn’t until her late twenties that she broke into “what felt like a million pieces.” Now feeling all of those emotions and life experiences as tangible pain in her life, Holloway sought out help but found herself empty handed in a world that was eager to label, diagnose, or further help repress and swallow. Rightly frustrated, Holloway remained determined to put her life back together. After “a lot of trial and error” she finally found the tools she needed to emerge from a very dark stage of her life.
And she didn’t just overcome – she evolved.
Through a solid understanding of how the unconscious mind and emotional body hold the keys for deep healing, the kind necessary for true transformation, Holloway now felt a new thrill for life – and she was ready to hit the gas pedal, hard.
“Light shines on anyone brave enough to step outside the shadow of their own fear,” says Holloway, and her life is a true statement to that idea.
Her latest “brainchild”, the Soul breathwork app is a launchpad for anyone who’s looking for purpose, creativity, and the ability to achieve at the highest potential possible. Ready to achieve your wildest dreams? You’re in the right place.
Walking you through the same breathing exercises and breathwork sessions she uses herself, Holloway says that she envisions Soul to be a place for people looking to:
Manage day-to-day stress
Heal pain and trauma
Burn through fear
Perform at the highest level
Experience deep, loving relationships
Become a better parent and partner
And, in her own words, “chill with who the f-ck you are and live out a full-color life.”
In order to better understand what breathwork is, what to expect from a breathing session, and why breathing exercises make people cry, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about breathwork expertly answered by Soul’s Iona Holloway.
Your Breathwork FAQs Answered By An Industry Expert
How often should I do breathing exercises?
The answer is that it’s highly personal. Because your system is different from everyone else’s system (and your life is different from everyone else’s life, too), how you respond to breathwork is going to be different, as well. While a long or more intensive breathwork session might not be right for you every single day, a daily State Change is absolutely recommended. Small “breath snacks”, these breathwork sessions only take a few minutes and are the perfect way to wake up, shift through afternoon sludge, and transition from work to play (or rest). “State Changes” are simple but powerful.
As far as a recommendation for longer breathwork sessions where you’ll experience a variety of guided breathing techniques, taking the time to do one to three each month is ideal for “general soul maintenance, healing, and earth-shattering vibes,” according to Holloway.
Is breathwork good for healing trauma?
Because your body is a “scrapbook”, holding memories and emotions from your entire life, it’s powerful when you start to pay attention to pages from that book that haven’t been looked at for awhile. While it can be difficult to access these stored experiences, breathwork is like a translation tool. “When you breathe into your body,” says Holloway, “you are speaking your body’s language.” When that happens, it creates the opportunity for your body to finally understand what it needs to do to let go. Which is exactly why breathwork can be incredibly potent for healing trauma.
Holloway, however, reminds us that when you use breathwork as a method to engage with your trauma, it’s important to “be in consent with your body.” That means that going slow, taking breaks, and asking questions are all appropriate. Healing shouldn’t be something you rush and, while you can let go and move forward, the process of doing so is important. In other words, take it all in.
Will breathing exercises help me focus?
Absolutely. Breathing techniques are incredibly helpful when it comes to staying focused and having the capacity to concentrate, especially when you’re under pressure. There are a variety of breathing exercises that are designed specifically to help you not only get into a creative flow (which is key for staying focused while you work so you can hit those deadlines, but also to ensure that you can perform at your highest level.
For individuals looking for breath sessions geared towards focus and concentration, Holloway recommends two of her guided breathing exercises on the Soul app: Spark Plug and Focus.
How long will the effects of a breathing exercise last?
How long the impact of a specific breathing technique will last is dependent on a lot of variables, including how long you’ve been practicing breathwork, what’s going on in your day (mentally and physically), and which benefit of a breathing exercise you’re paying attention to. Sometimes a person will feel less anxious after a breathing exercise, only to feel their anxiety creep back in after a few hours.
That’s okay.
In fact, Holloway says that it’s great!
Why?
Because you’re learning how to use breathwork to support yourself and the sensations you’re experiencing.
According to Holloway, breathwork helps you “build tools to make your body feel more safe over time.” It’s not, she says, a “one-hit wonder.” The more consistent you are with a breathing technique, however, the more you’ll start to rewire your nervous system. That means that those habitual patterns that leave you feeling anxious, for example, will be retooled with new circuitry. The more you practice, the less those old programs and patterns will influence your life.
What are side effects of breathwork?
There’s a vast spectrum of side effects that can be experienced with breathing techniques. Not only does each breathing exercise have its own specific goal and influence, but the way your system is wired also contributes to the effects that you’ll feel after a breathwork session. According to Holloway, some of the most common side effects that occur after a guided breathing session include:
Mental clarity
Amplified creativity
Deeper self love
Incredible sleep
Of course, it’s not just after a breathing exercise that you’ll feel all of the effects. A lot happens during a breathwork session, too! Depending on the type of breathing technique you’re working with, you might feel:
Big and strong emotions
Tightness in your body
Numbness in your hands
Your body temperature fluctuate
Physical sensations of your body becoming heavier or lighter
More subtle energy shifts
Going into a breathing exercise open-minded and giving yourself space to process your experience after you’ve finished a session will help you better integrate the work that’s taking place.
Will practicing breathing exercises improve my performance at work?
100%.
Breathwork does so many things, both subtle and super tangible, that help you perform at your maximum potential – both at work and just in life in general. Because getting into your body via your breath makes you more relaxed and grounded, it’s a practical tool for dealing with stress. Whether you’re required to speak publicly for a presentation at work or run a busy household full of children and growing to-do lists, that calmness (that “chillness”) allows you to handle challenging situations without becoming overwhelmed or unhinged.
Breathing exercises give you a tool for regulating your nervous system so that you’re not a victim of the circumstances around you. Most people live their lives as a thermometer, reflecting their environment and fluctuating along with it. When you start rewiring your systems through breathwork, however, you become more of a thermostat, setting yourself at your desired level and then asking others to meet you there.
Holloway says that if you’re looking for a way to “unlock your next level of embodied confidence,” then breathwork sessions are a great place to start.
What do you recommend doing after a long or intense breathwork practice?
Taking time to integrate and feel the work you’ve done after a long breathwork session is important. Not only does it give you the space you need to process what may come up during the session, but it can make the positive side effects of breathing techniques even more profound. According to Holloway, one of the best things to do after a long breathing session is journaling.
If you’re not sure where to start once you find yourself sitting with pen and paper, keep Holloway’s go-to post-session question in mind:
What must I not forget about this experience?
Holloway also recommends that you ask yourself these questions:
How do you feel now?
How did you feel during your breathing exercises?
What came through?
What do you NEED to remember?
What comes up during and after a breathwork session can be a lot – as Holloway reminds her students: “You’ve just turned your body into a brain!” By journaling immediately after a session, you can capture all of the genius that surfaces before it fades.
Is breathwork safe if I’m pregnant?
With anything new and especially when you’re expecting, it’s always important to check in with your doctor or healthcare provider to make sure that what you’re doing (or want to be doing) is safe for you and your baby. While many breathing techniques and exercises are perfectly fine when you’re pregnant, some are not recommended, especially those that require retention at the top of an inhalation or the bottom of an exhalation. Powerful breathing with the diaphragm or rapid breaths from the navel are also contraindicated during pregnancy.
Many pregnant women find that certain breathing exercises can be helpful for dealing with things like:
Changing emotions
Nausea
Physical discomfort
Worry and anxiety
Trouble sleeping
When you’re pregnant, always remember to take care of yourself. Sometimes that means doing a breathing exercise or breathwork session – and sometimes that means taking a nap or going for a walk outside! Trust your instincts – and the advice of your trusted health professionals.
Are there breathing exercises that will make me a better athlete?
As a former junior international hockey player and All-American athlete, Holloway can confidently say that breathwork absolutely makes a difference in how you perform in competition. From increasing physical fitness to helping you stay calm under pressure, breathing techniques, and the visualization that accompanies some guided breathwork sessions, can help you dramatically elevate your abilities and confidence as an athlete.
Athletes can, in particular, use breathwork to “inoculate their stress responses, quiet their mind, and visualize success,” says Holloway.
Will breathing exercises make me feel like I’m on drugs?
If you’ve heard stories about people having psychedelic experiences during or after a breathwork session – well, they’re not wrong. While many types of breathing techniques will not give you that “high” effect, there are some that have more of a potential to leave you feeling a bit “trippy.” That’s because your breath is the most natural method for altering your state of consciousness. While you can’t force yourself into having a psychedelic experience, you can prepare yourself to be open to the concept if that’s something you’re interested in feeling.
If I fall asleep during a breathwork session, does that mean I failed?
If you show up for a breathing session, then it’s impossible to fail. Everything, says Holloway, is a learning experience. If you do find yourself waking up after a breathing exercise, here are a few ways to better understand what’s going on:
If you came to a breathwork practice with the intention of relaxing, then you did it! Nice job!
If you found yourself yawning or fighting sleep only to end up drifting off during a particularly challenging session, then there’s the possibility that your body was choosing sleep as a sort of resistance to the experience.
If you feel like your body was using sleep as a defense mechanism so that you wouldn’t have to experience whatever was coming up during your breathing exercise, that just means that you get to try again. The more you’re able to stay present and active during a breathwork session, the less likely that you’ll find yourself sleeping to avoid the work.
Why does breathwork make me cry?
One of the most asked questions about breathwork and breathing exercises, crying (or straight up weeping) is SO normal, especially if you’ve spent time in a longer session. Holloway says that one of her longer (and most popular sessions) on the Soul app, Breathwork for Love, often results in tears for her students. And while those tears might mean something, crying can also just be energy taking physical form in order to exit the body.
Holloway says that the best thing to do when you find yourself crying through breathwork is to not “make too much meaning around tears” and to just “enjoy the release.”
Understanding Breathwork, The Soul-ful Way
While other approaches to breathwork feel more regimented (or even religious), Holloway’s Soul app is refreshingly simple and down-to-earth, without any pomp or canon-esque texts. The only “manifesto” you’ll find with Soul is its “ZeroFluff Philosophy” that reads:
You create your reality.
What you focus on expands.
Your mind is a weapon, or a wand.
Turn your body into a brain.
It’s never too late to remember who you are.
The answers are in here, not out there.
Suffering isn’t noble.
No one makes you feel inferior without your consent.
Self love is not a fluffy thing.
Burn bright, not out.
Lead yourself, then others.
Your one life is precious.
You are your wildest dreams.
You’re already free.
If that feels like a much-needed long, deep breath, then you’re in good company at Holloway’s Soul.
