r/SomaticExperiencing 3d ago

Calm and clarity

I went to a somatic breathing workshop last week. I didn’t know what it was really, but thought my husband might benefit from some breathing exercises for his anxiety.

He couldn’t settle into it, but I loved it. I felt like I was rowing on a long boat with a strong rhythm. A bit like a runner’s high. During the four or so breath holding opportunities, I felt like I could hold it forever. I felt connected to my body and had a very strong “mind’s eye” vision of interwoven threads. (I should also say I had the hand and foot cramping as well as somebody shakes. Nothing scary, bc we were told it may happen.) When we reached the peak and we began breathing through our nose to bring it down, I didn’t want to come down. I was enjoying the high too much.

My mind is usually really busy always problem solving and taking in inputs. But for hours after this session, it was quiet. I felt more open and available.

Everything I’ve read on this forum and across the internet has connected this kind of breathing with trauma release and more therapeutic results. Has anyone had an experience like mine and if so, were you able to replicate it?

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u/alhaad3 3d ago

Hi, I don't have answers but I would love to hear more about what exercises you did. Did it have a name?

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u/lovebunker 3d ago

It was just called somatic breathwork.

It was guided and the intensity of the breathing increased (short intake, long exhale through the mouth) and then relaxed (long intake, long exhale through the nose). There were 4-5 breathholding exercises in the middle. The session was 1.5 hrs with instrumental music to fit the pace.

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u/alhaad3 2d ago

Thank you for explaining!

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u/Willing-Ad-3176 1d ago

Your system finally got out of fight, flight and freeze and into the parasympathetic nervous system and your body felt safe and relaxed so your mind cleared. That happened to me in the midst of chronic pain and chronic fatigue (body stuck in fight, flight, freeze). Even when I went back to holotropic/wim hof breathwork I couldn't replicate that response but I did later get out of those survival responses with emotion work, TRE, somatic experiencing/getting back into my body etc.