I recently spent two days in Virginia with Michael Ryce. He is an Aramaic scholar and the author of Why is this happening to Me…Again! Connecting with him is like breathing ancient wisdom through fresh lungs.
He has been such an inspiration to me over the years, and it was a gift to be able to exchange sessions and spend some quality time with him. So, this month, I’d like to share with you some of the insights and lessons I took away from our meeting.
If you’ve ever had anxiety hit you out of nowhere, the tight chest, buzzing head, and that weird “something’s wrong” feeling you can’t name, you probably already know one thing: your body reacts way faster than your thoughts can keep up. And honestly, that’s the annoying part. Anxiety doesn’t knock first. It just barges in, kicks off its shoes, and makes a mess of your whole system.
But here’s the surprising thing: a lot of us figure out later than we should that deep breathing exercises for anxiety can calm that chaos way quicker than you’d expect.
Not in some magical, unicorn-sparkle kind of way. More like… giving your nervous system a hard reset. A simple switch. Something your body understands even when your mind is running laps.
And yeah, it sounds too basic, like “Just breathe” belongs on some overpriced mug. But the timing of it? The speed? That part is real.
Let’s break it down in simple, human terms. No fancy jargon. No weird spiritual fluff unless you’re into that. Just what actually happens and how fast it kicks in.
When anxiety flares, your breathing usually goes shallow before you even notice. Quick, tiny chest breaths. It’s your fight-or-flight reflex, doing its thing even though you’re not wrestling a bear.
Deep breathing flips that reflex off.
Most people start feeling the shift in about 30 to 90 seconds. That’s quick.
Not total calm, but noticeable, like you just turned the volume down on your panic.
Why so fast?
Because breathing is one of the few things where your body immediately responds, you don’t need motivation. You don’t need a pep talk. You don’t need to “think positive.” You just take a slower breath, and your nervous system says, “Oh, okay, maybe we’re not dying.”
If only more things in life were that straightforward.
You don’t have to be a science nerd for this to make sense. Here’s the simple version:
Deep breathing is basically your body’s built-in stop button.
You just have to remember to hit it.
And honestly, half the battle is remembering.
A lot of us think we’re breathing deeply when we’re… really not.
Chest breathing doesn’t do much. It just moves air around and looks dramatic.
The stuff that actually helps anxiety fast is slow belly breathing, where the stomach rises, not the chest. Add a longer exhale, and that’s where the magic happens.
Here’s the easiest breathing technique for anxiety relief (kind of kills two birds with one breath):
Longer exhale tells your body: Stop panicking. We’re safe. Chill.
People use this before bed, before presentations, during panic attacks, in traffic when they’d rather not scream at strangers… all sorts of real-life situations.
Here’s the real answer that no one prints on wellness posters:
Do you always need 10 minutes? No.
Most people feel noticeably better way earlier.
But here’s the funny thing: once you feel that shift, you usually want to keep going because your body is like, “Finally, some peace.”
If you’ve tried talking yourself out of anxiety, you probably know the mental negotiation never works. Your brain during anxiety is like a toddler with a pair of scissors; nobody’s listening, and something is probably about to get ruined.
But breathing?
Breathing goes straight to the control center. No arguing, no bargaining.
It’s like:
No fight. No debate. Just a hard override.
Here’s something most people don’t realize until they try it:
When you slow your breath, especially the exhale, your whole system drops into “rest mode.”
That’s why people who do just three minutes of slow breathing before bed fall asleep faster. The brain goes quiet. The heart stops thumping. The body stops micromanaging imaginary threats.
It’s honestly one of the cheapest and most effective sleep hacks on earth.
A breathing exercise isn’t going to fix childhood trauma or job stress or a toxic relationship. It won’t magically erase decades of worry patterns.
But it does give you power over the one thing anxiety hijacks first: your body.
When your body calms down, your mind has space to figure out the rest.
And having even a tiny bit of control during an anxiety spike?
That’s a big deal.
People try deep breathing and then say it “didn’t work,” but usually, it’s one of these:
Tiny adjustments make a massive difference.
Life is busy. None of us is sitting cross-legged on beaches with incense at sunrise. So here’s how people actually fit breathing in:
It doesn’t need to be fancy.
You don’t need a yoga mat.
You just need lungs. Which you already have. Congrats.
Faster than most coping tools. Faster than most people expect.
It won’t erase the root problem, but it will interrupt the wave and pull you out before you drown in it.
And honestly, that’s enough to change a whole day.
If you want deeper guidance and real methods that go beyond “take a deep breath,” you’ll want to check out Breath Mastery.
Your breath is the fastest tool you have for calming anxiety.
Might as well master it.
Most people feel the first shift within 30–90 seconds. Full calm usually takes 3–10 minutes, depending on how stressed your body is.
Any slow breathing with a longer exhale, like the 4-6 method, is ideal. Long exhale = fast calming.
Yes. Breathing techniques for anxiety slow your heart rate and quiet your brain. A few minutes can make falling asleep much easier.
Daily practice helps your body enter calm mode faster. But even one round helps during sudden anxiety.
Totally normal. Start with smaller, shorter breaths and less pressure. Your body adjusts with practice.
If you look around lately, the wellness world is exploding. Everyone’s stressed, tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed… and honestly, looking for anything that brings actual relief instead of another shiny “fix” that doesn’t do much. And that’s exactly why breathwork has stepped into the spotlight again, except this time, people actually want to learn it properly, not just do a couple of deep inhales from a YouTube video and hope their life instantly sorts itself out.
So more folks are asking, “Can I really build a wellness business around breathwork?”
Short answer: yes, you can. A solid breathwork teacher training or breathwork coach certification doesn’t just teach you breathing patterns; it gives you tools, structure, and confidence to turn this thing into a legit, income-generating practice.
Let’s break it down in a straightforward, not-too-polished way.
People have hit a wall with burnout. They want fast relief. Not complicated. Not expensive. Not something requiring a full personality makeover.
Breathwork is simple. Human. Accessible.
And when someone gets even one good session where their chest loosens, they stop spinning mentally, and they suddenly feel like they’re inside their body again, they get it. They want more.
The thing is… more people want trained guides. Not random advice online.
A breathwork teacher training program gives you credibility at a time when wellness clients are becoming more careful about who they trust. They want someone who knows what they’re doing, especially when sessions get emotional, or when someone feels dizzy, or when a client suddenly says, “Hey, why am I crying right now?”
You need to know how to hold that space.
Good training teaches you that.
A lot of people think breathwork training is just about mastering a few breathing styles: box breathing, circular breathing, slow diaphragmatic stuff, whatever.
But real, high-quality breathwork coach certification goes way deeper.
Not fluffy “oxygen heals everything” claims.
You learn the physiology of the nervous system response, vagal tone, CO₂ tolerance, trauma-sensitive approaches, and safety protocols. You gain the knowledge needed to keep your clients safe and builds their trust.
No one wants a wellness coach who talks like a meditation app.
Training helps you develop your own grounded voice, the one clients connect with.
Breathwork brings stuff up. Emotions, old memories, and physical sensations people didn’t know they had. And if you freeze as the coach, your client feels it.
A proper certification teaches you to stay steady and to help clients feel steady, too.
Clients want a journey, not a messy collection of breathing patterns thrown at them.
Training helps you build:
This is the stuff that makes your work feel professional, not accidental.
Let’s be blunt: A lot of wellness practitioners know their craft, but they struggle with the business part. They know how to help people but not how to get clients or earn enough to call it a business.
Good breathwork training helps with that, too.
Anyone can post breathing videos on Instagram.
Not everyone can confidently say they’re a trained, certified breathwork coach.
Certification gives you authority, and clients look for that.
Many new coaches get stuck because there are too many choices.
Training helps you figure out where you fit, like:
Once you know your lane, your business gets a lot easier to build.
Money conversations can feel weird, especially in wellness. Most healers just want to heal and not think about charging for their time and knowledge.
Training gives guidelines, examples, and frameworks so you don’t underprice yourself into exhaustion.
Clients don’t want jargon. They want results.
You’ll learn how to communicate what you do in a way that makes sense to normal people, not a dissertation on breathing mechanics.
Entrepreneurship gets lonely. Wellness work can get heavy.
A breathwork training community gives you peers who understand what you’re doing and can support your growth.
That alone can keep your business alive on days when you’re doubting everything.
This part is honestly underrated.
Breathwork fits pretty much anywhere:
It’s not tied to one environment. You can start small, literally in your living room or online, and grow into bigger offerings later.
A breathwork coach certification also means you can blend breathwork with other modalities you already use:
You don’t have to start from zero.
Breathwork enriches whatever you’re already doing.
This is important.
People don’t come to breathwork sessions expecting you to be the most enlightened person in the room.
They want someone who:
Good training makes you that kind of guide.
Clients return not because your technique is flawless, but because your presence feels trustworthy. Breathwork teacher training teaches the presence part, which is something YouTube can’t.
Some people hesitate because they feel unsure about the earning potential.
But breathwork is growing fast because:
Breathwork coaches are building real businesses, not just side hustles.
Here’s what a trained coach typically offers:
Once you have your certification and your confidence, you decide your income level by how you structure your offerings.
Breathwork isn’t limited by geography either.
Online sessions are normal now.
That means your business isn’t stuck inside the zip code you live in.
Let’s be honest: The wellness industry has a credibility problem sometimes. Too many people lead sessions with zero training, and clients are starting to notice.
If you want to build a long-term business, a serious one, breathwork teacher training is the foundation.
It gives you:
And clients choose trained practitioners over casual instructors. Every time.
If you feel drawn to helping people… yes. If you want a career that feels meaningful… yes. If you want flexibility, creativity, and income potential… definitely yes.
Breathwork training isn’t just a certificate. It’s the start of a business that can grow with you, whether you go solo, teach groups, partner with studios, or build entire retreats around your work.
And once you’ve got the training and breathwork coach certification behind you, your business becomes a lot easier to build. You’re not guessing. You’re not hoping clients magically show up. You’re working with clarity and confidence.
If you’re serious about creating a real, sustainable wellness business through breathwork, and you want training that’s actually respected, check out BREATH MASTERY.
Your future clients are out there, already looking for someone like you.
Might as well be ready for them.
No, most programs are designed for beginners and intermediate practitioners. Curiosity and commitment matter more than your starting point.
Depends on the program. Some run over a few weeks, others a few months. Longer doesn’t always mean better; quality of teaching matters more.
Absolutely. Many coaches mix breathwork with yoga, mindfulness, somatic work, personal training, and/or coaching.
Mostly yes, but with proper guidance. That’s why training covers modifications and safety protocols for clients with certain conditions.
Often immediately. Many students begin offering sessions during or right after training because the demand is already there.
Breathwork has gone from a “niche wellness thing” to something people are taking seriously; athletes, therapists, doctors, corporate leaders, stressed-out parents, you name it. And honestly, it makes sense. Everyone breathes, but very few actually know how.
Deep breathing for anxiety, performance, sleep, and emotional regulation has become a go-to tool for millions of people, mostly because it’s simple, free, and actually works when done right.
Because of all this, the demand for trained breathing coaches has jumped. Not the “random people on social media” kind, but certified, skilled practitioners who understand technique, physiology, and how to guide people safely.
Recently, I’ve been working on a seminar/workshop for teams, whether in the Health, Sports, Creative, Tactical or Business field. The focus is on applying Breathwork to create group resonance and group flow. The art and science of triggering individual flow states is well established, so it seems to me that group flow is the next natural step.
We aim to trigger a spontaneous, unconscious, energetic connection or synchronicity among individuals–a shared emotional and psychological experience, where personal egos dissolve and everyone seems to meld into a single organism and a “group mind.”
The panic sets in, and your brain is racing in a marathon, which it has not entered. The heart pumps, the breathing is shallow, and suddenly the world feels overwhelming, almost unbearable. You have been there (and most of us, by the way, have been there), and you have had experience of how hard it is to calm down at the time.
And here is the good news: you do not need any fancy tools, therapy apps, or a Zen garden in the backyard. At times, the only thing that can slow things down is to breathe. Yes, it sounds too easy; however, deep breathing does work. The trick lies in knowing the effective breathing techniques for anxiety and how to do them correctly.
In this article, I will explain all of this so you can understand it easily.
Let’s be honest. Anxiety does not exactly come knocking at the door and wait in a nice manner to allow you to prepare. It appears out of the blue – during the meetings, in the traffic, when your brain decides that it is the right moment to relive all the embarrassing moments you have ever had.
As it hits, your heart begins to race. Breathing gets shallow. Your chest tightens. You get a sense that you are running in a spiral, although nothing is really wrong.
Deep breathing exercises for anxiety come in there, literally.
Recently, I’ve been working on a seminar/workshop for teams, whether in the Health, Sports, Creative, Tactical or Business field. The focus is on applying Breathwork to create group resonance and group flow. The art and science of triggering individual flow states is well established, so it seems to me that group flow is the next natural step.
We aim to trigger a spontaneous, unconscious, energetic connection or synchronicity among individuals–a shared emotional and psychological experience, where personal egos dissolve and everyone seems to meld into a single organism and a “group mind.”
We are nearing the close of our 2025 India Adventure. It’s been a profound Spiritual Breathing Training and Cultural Immersion Tour. These journeys are always intense. India has a way of stripping us down, inviting us to let go, while Breathwork offers us a way to flow with whatever arises.
This adventure has given us an opportunity to practice patience, to embody compassion, to live more fully, and be more present. Whenever a group of strangers comes together, living, working, and breathing side by side, differences in lifestyle, personality, and worldviews are bound to surface. Conflicts emerge. But it’s been wonderful to watch everyone lean into love, honesty, patience, and authenticity.
Over the past fifty years, I have written a great deal about the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of breathwork; for stress, tension, anxiety, depression, and pain management; for health and fitness, and for peak athletic performance.
I have published hundreds of articles about breathing mechanics, breathing chemistry, and respiratory physiology; about the use of conscious breathing for substance abuse prevention and intervention, addiction treatment, and recovery; for trauma release, and for awakening creative energy.
Things are heating up in the world, intensifying, accelerating. We are moving toward another major event, and a long overdue shift in consciousness. Some of it is due to advances in science and medicine, the increasing use of AI, as well as world politics.
Can you feel it in the air? Can you feel it happening in your own work and life? Whether you are a total newbie to Breathwork or a seasoned pro, it’s time to take your practice to a new level.
This month I invite you to practice the first and most important step toward Breath Mastery and Self-Mastery, and that is Awareness.
I invite you to become more conscious of your breath and your energy, of your body, and mind, your feelings, sensations, and emotions, of your actions and reactions, and your choices.
Breath is the very Spirit of Life that flows in you and through you. Are you aware of this? Are you conscious of it? Rudolf Steiner once said: “We live with our soul in the breath.” Think about that.
Recently, we have been focusing on breathing not just as a biological function, but as a divine gift, as a spiritual discipline. We have been focusing on using our breath to open the heart, create inner stillness, and deepen our connection to ourselves, each other, life and the world.
So this month, I want to invite you to give your relationship to the breath more attention and appreciation. With all that is happening in terms of digital technology, AI, virtual meetings, political divisions and religious wars, it is more important than ever that we use our breath to raise our consciousness and to deepen our spiritual connections.
This month, I invite you to practice a 5-part Prana Yoga practice. It’s a very good way to start your day, and it also makes for a good evening practice. The idea is to do Alternate Nostril Breathing. But before you do, build up some energy to work with.
1. Start with Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati Pranayama) to activate energy in your root chakra and your dan tien or hara. Do this to prepare to raise your energy up into your skull.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone who has done a lot of deep dive breathing sessions that the Path of Breath Mastery is a Path to Ultimate Freedom.
Breathwork is about connecting to our source and to the spirit of life within us and around us. It’s about awakening our natural healing and creative energies. It’s about getting to the essence of things, and excelling at those things.
We have been doing more work in the California prison system lately, breathing with hard core criminals, jacked up former gang bangers, violent offenders and death row inmates. And the healing, growth and the heart openings have been real and powerful.
Witnessing this has renewed my love and awe of the human spirit, of breathwork, the power of the heart, and simple human connection. It has also reinforced my belief that, as Jim Leonard used to say, “willingness is enough.”
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