Two trainings.
Today I breathe gently.What breathwork sets off in the body, where the limit is, and why that isn't caution but experience.

Fast breathing reliably takes you into altered states. That's why it's offered everywhere. If you know what happens in the body, it's a powerful experience. If you don't, it's a fright.

By Andy DittrichAs of 17 September 20268 minutes

At a glance
4to30
Participantslying down, with music
2h
sessionof which 60 to 75 minutes breathing. Holotropic 2 to 3 hours.
CHF40to120
per sessionWeekend from CHF 360

Cleansing ritual. CHF 40 to 120 per session. Cramped hands are normal, so is dizziness.

Participants4 bis 30
Duration2 hours, 60 to 75 minutes breathing
AlignmentCleansing ritual
CostCHF 40 to 120 per session

In short.

Definition

Breathwork is breathing practice that deliberately brings on an altered state. The best-known forms: holotropic breathing, conscious connected breathing, the Wim Hof method.

What they share is fast, deep breathing over a longer time. The body responds in measurable ways. And that very response is what you experience as the experience.

Two curves, one limit.

The intense form takes you within minutes into a state you don't know. The gentle form stays below the limit. Both are breathwork. The question isn't how deep you get. The question is who brings you back.

  • Holotropic, connected breathing: big swing, 60 to 75 minutes
  • Cramped hands are normal: carbon dioxide drops, the blood turns alkaline
  • The gentle form: small swing, how I breathe today
  • Bringing back: the craft, not the state
Holotropic, connected breathing60 to 75 minutes, fast and deep. The state arrives within minutes.The gentle formhow I breathe today. Small swing, no cramped hands.Bringing backthe craft, not the stateCramped hands are normalcarbon dioxide drops, the blood turns alkaline

What exactly it is.

I did two breathwork trainings. Today I breathe with people almost only gently. I'll tell you why in a moment. First, what it is.

Breathwork is breathing practice in which changed breathing takes you into a different state of consciousness. The most common forms: holotropic breathing, developed in the seventies as a way in without a substance. Conscious connected breathing, with no pause between in-breath and out-breath. And the Wim Hof method, with cycles of fast breathing and breath holding.

What they all share is what happens in the blood: fast breathing lowers carbon dioxide. The pH rises, the vessels in the brain narrow, free calcium drops. The results: tingling, dizziness, warmth, and in stronger form the hands and feet cramp so you can't move anymore. It's harmless and goes away on its own as soon as you breathe more calmly. Anyone who doesn't know that gets the fright of their life. And that's exactly the point.

A state arrives quickly. Bringing people back is the craft.

How it runs.

Four forms you'll come across. The first three create a high. The fourth doesn't, and that's the one I do today.

01

Holotropic breathing

Stanislav and Christina Grof, the seventies, developed as a way in without a substance after LSD was banned. Two to three hours of fast breathing to loud music, in pairs, with a companion who sits.

02

Conscious Connected Breathing

Also called rebirthing. Breathing continuously, no pause between in-breath and out-breath, mostly lying down, often for more than an hour.

03

The Wim Hof method

Cycles of thirty to forty fast breaths, then holding the breath. Often combined with cold.

04

The gentle form

Slow and calm, about six breaths a minute. No high. Measurably calms the autonomic nervous system. That's the form I use today, built into a single move.

A state arrives quickly. Bringing people back is the craft.

What you need to be clear about.

What you experience has a cause in the blood.
Fast breathing lowers CO2. The pH rises, the brain's vessels narrow, calcium drops. That's where the tingling, the dizziness and the cramped hands come from. It takes nothing away from the experience. It takes away the fright.
Cramped hands are normal and harmless.
It's called tetany, it looks dramatic and it goes away on its own as soon as you breathe more calmly. Whoever is told beforehand stays calm. Whoever doesn't know panics. And panic is the real problem in the room.
States are easy to create. Bringing people back is the craft.
Honestly, that's my biggest criticism of many teachers: people go into ecstatic and all kinds of states there, and the leader can't handle it. A state arrives in ten minutes. What comes after decides everything.
The gentle form is the one there's evidence for.
Two trainings, and today I use it almost only very gently. Because people trust that they'll go into the session safely and come back out safely. There's good data for slow breathing. There is none for promises of healing trauma.

Questions before your first breathwork session.

Three for the person leading, one for you. A sentence is an answer, ten minutes aren't.

AskBefore your first breathwork session
  • "What happens if my hands cramp?"
  • "How do you bring people back?"
  • "How many people sit with how many lying down?"
And one for youHow do I want to feel when I come out?

A sentence is an answer. Ten minutes aren't.

"What happens if my hands cramp?"
Whoever can explain that has been through it. Whoever says "that's energy being released" has mistaken biology for a story.
"How do you bring people back?"
The answer is craft, not attitude. A procedure, not "we hold the space".
"How many people sit with how many lying down?"
A number. With twenty people breathing and one leader, nobody is there for you.
"How do I want to feel when I come out?"
The one for you. One word, five seconds, finger on the spot.

The five questions that apply to any leader have their own page: Look closely. Ask.

Who breathwork isn't suitable for

Not with epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, aneurysm, detached retina, glaucoma, osteoporosis, during pregnancy, and not with psychosis, bipolar disorder or acute mental health crises. Never in or near water: anyone who hyperventilates before diving can black out underwater, and people have died that way. With the strong forms there's the added risk that old things come up and nobody with experience sits beside you. If in doubt, talk to your doctor beforehand, not the course leader.

And afterwards?

After a strong session your body needs rest, water, something to eat. Don't drive straight away. What came up keeps working for several days, and that can feel restless without anything going wrong.

If it overwhelms you, talk to someone who listens without interpreting.

Staying calm is the real qualification.

Common questions.

What is breathwork?
Breathing practice that deliberately brings on an altered state. Holotropic breathing, conscious connected breathing, Wim Hof. What they share: fast, deep breathing over a longer time, and a body that responds in measurable ways.
Why do the hands cramp during breathwork?
Because fast breathing lowers CO2. The pH rises, free calcium drops, the muscles in the hands and feet contract. It's called tetany, it's harmless and it goes away as soon as you breathe more calmly.
Is breathwork dangerous?
For healthy people with a leader who knows the craft, no. Not suitable with epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma, during pregnancy, with psychosis or in acute crisis. Never in or near water.
What's the difference between holotropic breathing and Wim Hof?
Holotropic: two to three hours of continuous fast breathing to music, with a companion, aiming for a deep state. Wim Hof: short cycles of fast breathing and breath holding, often with cold, aiming for control over the body. Both lower CO2.
Is breathwork shamanic?
No. It's Western, from the seventies, with roots in pranayama. A drum playing in the background doesn't change that. What it shares with rituals: a state arrives quickly, and bringing people back is the craft.
Why do you do the gentle form today?
Because there's good data for slow breathing and none for promises of healing trauma. And because people who come to me trust that they'll go in safely and come back out safely. Six breaths a minute, built into a single move.
What do I ask before a breathwork session?
What happens if my hands cramp? How do you bring people back? How many people sit with how many lying down? And for yourself: how do I want to feel when I come out?

Who writes this.

Andy Dittrich
Andy Dittrich

Around a hundred workshops with different teachers, two breathwork trainings, many years as a student of indigenous shamans in North America and Mongolia and of a teacher in the Moroccan desert. He has guided around two thousand people through rituals, safely in and safely back out.

Only what he knows from the inside is written here.

My intention with these pages: I share my knowledge so you can find the difference yourself. Between shamanic bullshit and something truly special.

Before you go

Staying calmis the real qualification.

You can see whether a workshop leader has a certain calm. Pay attention to it, because you want to be safe in this ritual. Whoever panics the moment something unexpected happens can't think anymore, and then you're on your own.

See the mentoring

Goes with it.

The deanimated stateDon't touch. And how to come back safely. Plant ritualsYou get a theme served to you. What you clarify beforehand. Drum journeyKeep the image. Give back the interpretation. Holding space doesn't existYou can only hold what stands still.