# Breathing Exercises & Breathwork — the complete guide > Breathing techniques compared (connected breath, 4-7-8, box, Wim Hof, pranayama): what they do, when mild is enough, when guidance matters. Not medical care. Free timer & Breath Check. 1:1 with Johannes: /en/breathwork (€60). - URL: - Language: en - Alternate: ## What is breathwork, in short? Breathwork is the umbrella term for conscious breathing techniques — from calm nasal breath and box breathing to more intense connected breathing. People often use it for tension, sleep rhythm or focus. Techniques differ a lot in intensity; what is mild for one person is too much for another. Not diagnosis or treatment of disease. ## At Spiriators This page is our guide: techniques side by side, with nuance. Self-practice with the free [breathing timer](https://spiriators.com/en/tools/breathing-timer). For deeper 1:1, **Johannes** (navy background, breath coach since 2021) works online at **€60**/60 min — coaching, not medical treatment; intensive breath needs screening. See [breathwork coaching](https://spiriators.com/en/breathwork) or [contact](https://spiriators.com/en/contact). ## Start today 1. **Open the free breathing timer** — Start with box breathing or 4-7-8 in the [breathing timer](https://spiriators.com/en/tools/breathing-timer) — feel within minutes what rhythm does to your nervous system. 2. **Build a rhythm** — Download the free ebook Nervous System Reset (polyvagal + 7 exercises), or start the [30-day challenge](https://spiriators.com/en/30-days). 3. **Go deeper: intro call** — Book a [free intro call](https://spiriators.com/en/contact?kennismaking=true&bron=Breathwork+Pillar) (30 min, no obligation). ## What is breathwork? Breathwork is the umbrella term for conscious breath techniques that, via a changed breathing rhythm, directly influence the nervous system, emotions, and body. Under that umbrella fall dozens of forms — from ancient yogic pranayama to modern therapeutic methods like connected breathing, rebirthing, holotropic breathwork, and the Wim Hof method. What all these forms share: they use breath consciously as an instrument for change. What's special is that breath is the only autonomic system you can consciously steer. You can't slow your heart rate on command, you can't adjust digestion — but you can adjust your breath. And through that breath you directly influence heart rate, blood pressure, immune response, and emotional state. At Spiriators, Tessa and Johannes work as certified breath coaches with multiple forms: connected breathing (our core specialty), pranayama, Wim Hof, rebirthing, box breathing, 4-7-8, and conscious breath scarcity. Which technique we choose depends on your goal, moment, and nervous system — within [our method](https://spiriators.com/en/our-method), breath is the first lever. ## Breathwork vs breath coaching — what's the difference? The terms are often used interchangeably but mean different things. Breathwork is the technique itself — the exercise, the session, the form. Breath coaching is the broader track in which a certified coach guides you: intake, personal plan, sessions, integration, home exercises, and aftercare. ### Breathwork The technique or method itself (connected breathing, pranayama, Wim Hof, breath scarcity, rebirthing). Available solo, in group, or in a retreat. ### Breath coaching Guided track with Johannes (breath coach & transformation coach). Personal, focused on change: breath + coaching, with integration and aftercare. [View breath coaching →](https://spiriators.com/en/breathwork) ## Which breath technique fits you? | Form | Pace | Purpose | Guidance | Session length | | ------ | ------ | --------- | ---------- | ---------------- | | Connected | Continuous, no pause | Emotional release | Yes, always | 45–60 min | | Holotropic | Fast & intense | Altered states | Yes, always | 2–3 hours | | Wim Hof | Cyclic + retention | Vitality & cold | Recommended at start | 10–15 min | | Box / 4-7-8 | Structured, calm | Stress & focus | No | 5–10 min | | Pranayama | Variable, guided | Spiritual practice | Preferable | 15–30 min | ## Breathwork & your nervous system Understanding why breathwork works requires one concept: the autonomic nervous system. It has three states — and your breath switches directly between them. ### Sympathetic (gas) Fast, shallow chest breathing activates fight-flight. Short sessions (Wim Hof, kapalabhati) use this consciously for energy and alertness. ### Parasympathetic (brake) Slow, long exhale through the nose activates the vagus nerve. Brings rest, recovery, digestion, and sleep. Box breathing and 4-7-8 live here. ### Ventral vagal (connection) The deepest layer, described in polyvagal theory: sense of safety, openness, connection. Connected breathing takes you here — beyond relaxation, into integration. ### What is the vagus nerve? The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve and the switch between stress and recovery. A long, slow exhale activates it directly — which is why breathwork can shift heart rate, tension and emotional state within minutes. ### What is polyvagal theory? Polyvagal theory (Stephen Porges) describes how your autonomic nervous system shifts between danger, shutdown and safe connection. Breathwork steers that shift: from fight-flight toward ventral vagal — the felt sense of safety and openness. ## What a connected breathing session looks like - **Intake (10 min)** — Short check-in: how is this moment, what's alive, what's your intention. No analysis — just a direction. - **Build-up (5 min)** — You lie on a mattress, eyes closed. We build the rhythm: continuous in- and out-breath through the mouth, no pause. Deep but without forcing. - **The heart of the session (30–40 min)** — The rhythm carries you. Music supports. What surfaces is welcome — tears, movement, images, silence. We stay beside you, with touch or words where needed. - **Integration (10–15 min)** — Breath returns to normal. You stay lying down, in silence. Then space for what you want to share — or not. A glass of water, a walk outside, a short conversation. ## The science behind breathwork ### Slow breathing & the nervous system Zaccaro et al., 2018 — Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Systematic review of 15 studies: slow breathing (<10 breaths/min) increases HRV, activates the vagus nerve, and shifts the nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic. [Read study →](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353/full) ### Breathwork reduces stress and anxiety Fincham et al., 2023 — Scientific Reports (Nature). Meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (785 participants): breathwork interventions significantly reduce stress (effect size 0.35), anxiety (0.32), and depressive symptoms (0.40). [Read study →](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-27247-y) ### Connected / circular breathing & mental wellbeing Brown & Gerbarg, 2005 — Journal of Alternative Medicine. Sudarshan Kriya shows significant reductions in depression, PTSD symptoms, and cortisol. [Read study →](https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2005.11.711) ### Polyvagal theory & emotional regulation Porges, 2011 — The Polyvagal Theory. Breath is the only autonomic system we can consciously steer. Via the ventral vagal branch, breathing influences our capacity for safety, connection, and emotional regulation — regulation language that helps explain why breath can support tension (not medical trauma treatment). [Read study →](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19015095/) ## When breathwork is (currently) not the right choice - Pregnancy (especially first trimester) - Epilepsy or recent epileptic episodes - Serious cardiovascular disease or recent surgery - Serious lung disease (COPD, uncontrolled asthma) - Glaucoma or recent eye surgery - Acute psychosis or bipolar disorder in manic phase - Unprocessed trauma without parallel therapeutic guidance In doubt? [Book a free intro](https://spiriators.com/en/contact?kennismaking=true&bron=Ademwerk-contra). We listen, ask questions, and honestly say if breathwork doesn't fit now — or which milder form does. ## Breath scarcity — the power of consciously breathing less Breath scarcity (breath holds, retention, intermittent hypoxia) sounds counterintuitive: why would breathing less be good for you? The answer lies in CO₂ tolerance. Most people chronically over-breathe and breathe shallowly — which raises CO₂ sensitivity and keeps the nervous system on low alert. Through short, controlled breath holds you train the body to stay calm as CO₂ rises. The measurable effect is called the BOLT score (Body Oxygen Level Test) — popularized by Patrick McKeown (Buteyko method). A higher BOLT correlates with calmer breathing, better sleep, less panic, more focus, and even improved athletic performance. ### Benefits of conscious breath scarcity - Higher CO₂ tolerance — less prone to panic/hyperventilation - Better cellular oxygen uptake (Bohr effect) - Increased vagal tone & HRV — deeper parasympathetic state - Improved sleep quality and fewer night awakenings - More mental calm and stress resilience under pressure - EPO stimulation and mild hormetic effect (similar to altitude training) ### What is HRV? HRV (heart rate variability) measures how flexibly your heart rate moves with breath and nervous system. Higher HRV points to better stress resilience; conscious breathing — especially slow rhythms and breath scarcity — can measurably improve HRV. ## Does intensive breathwork produce DMT in your brain? A widely repeated claim is that intensive forms — connected breathing, holotropic, rebirthing — release endogenous DMT in the pineal gland. DMT is the same compound that causes the well-known visions in ayahuasca. Honest about the science: DMT was demonstrated in mammalian brains in 2013 (Borjigin et al.), and traces have been measured in human cerebrospinal fluid. But that breathwork specifically triggers DMT release isn't yet firmly proven — there's no published RCT measuring endogenous DMT during a breath session. The altered state people experience is measurable and partly explained by shifts in CO₂/O₂, mild cerebral hypocapnia, vagal activation, default mode network suppression, and endorphin release. ### Possible benefits - Deep insights, breakthroughs or mystical experience without substances - Temporary suppression of the thinking brain — access to the unconscious - Room for held tension, emotion or old patterns (supportive, not trauma treatment) - Legal, drug-free and fully in your own control ### Possible drawbacks & risks - Scientific evidence for DMT release is limited — don't overstate the claim - Overwhelming without experienced guidance (panic, dissociation, re-experiencing) - Not suitable with psychosis sensitivity, bipolar (manic phase), or unprocessed trauma without framing - Integration is essential — a strong experience without aftercare can destabilize ## Breathwork + Yin Yoga — our combined approach In our retreats and tracks, we often combine breathwork with [Yin Yoga](https://spiriators.com/en/yin-yoga). Reason: they amplify each other. Yin creates space in connective tissue and can move tension or emotion; connected breathing supports regulation and release. Supportive together — not a promise that one session 'liberates' you. In practice and in reviews often more supportive for stress than either alone — more room for HRV and parasympathetic calm. ## 4-7-8 breathing for sleep — the technique explained The 4-7-8 breath is a simple evening technique, developed by Dr. Andrew Weil based on classical pranayama. By making your exhale twice as long as your inhale you invite the vagus nerve — your nervous system can shift from 'alert' to 'rest'. Many people fall asleep faster or settle deeper; not a sleep medicine, but support for winding down. ### The 4-7-8 technique in 4 steps 1. Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 counts. 2. Hold your breath for 7 counts. 3. Exhale through your mouth for 8 counts, with a soft 'whoosh' sound. 4. Repeat 4 cycles. With experience: up to 8 cycles, maximum 2x per day. ### Box breathing — quick explanation Box breathing (4-4-4-4 or 'square breathing') works with equal counts: 4 in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 empty hold. Unlike 4-7-8, box breathing is primarily for daytime focus and calm — not specifically for sleep. Navy SEALs use it for focus under pressure. [Read the full 4-7-8 guide with research →](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/box-breathing-vs-4-7-8-vs-wim-hof) ## Deepen your knowledge - [5 breathing exercises against stress](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/5-breathing-exercises-against-stress) - [Connected breathing and nervous system](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/connected-breathing-nervous-system) - [Breathwork coaching: always a beginner](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/breathwork-coaching-always-a-beginner) - [Box breathing vs 4-7-8 vs Wim Hof](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/box-breathing-vs-4-7-8-vs-wim-hof) - [Neurowellness: working upstream](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/neurowellness-upstream) - [Yin yoga & breathwork: the science](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/yin-yoga-breathwork-science) - [Nervous system and addiction: the body remembers](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/nervous-system-addiction-body-remembers) - [21-day breathwork schedule](https://spiriators.com/en/blog/breathwork-at-home-21-day-schedule) ## The people behind this practice - **Johannes Huijbregts** — Breathwork Coach & Transformation Coach. [Author page →](https://spiriators.com/en/author/johannes-huijbregts) - **Tessa Frunt** — Yin Yoga Teacher, Breath Coach & Coach. [Author page →](https://spiriators.com/en/author/tessa-frunt) ## Sources & scientific authority We only reference sources we have personally studied and that are relevant to the practice we teach. - Zaccaro et al. (2018) — Frontiers in Human Neuroscience - Fincham et al. (2023) — Scientific Reports (Nature) - Brown & Gerbarg (2005) — Journal of Alternative Medicine - Porges (2011) — The Polyvagal Theory ## Not sure which breath form fits? Take the [Breath Check](https://spiriators.com/en/adem-check) or use the [breathing timer](https://spiriators.com/en/tools/breathing-timer) — no account, no email. [See all free tools →](https://spiriators.com/en/free-tools) ## Ready to meet your breath? Book a free 30-minute intro. We listen to what's alive and look together whether breathwork fits — and if so, which form. [Book a free intro call →](https://spiriators.com/en/contact?kennismaking=true&bron=Breathwork+Pillar)