There’s been whole a lot of buzz on podcasts and in the mainstream media these past few years about the success of psychedelics-based therapy to treat a variety of psychological conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and repressed trauma of all varieties and sorts.
While I think it’s wonderful that people are opening up to using these medicines to help heal themselves, there are still quite a few economic, geographical, legal, and/or philosophical barriers that limit access to psychedelics-based therapy for a much of the globe.
What if I told you a simple circular breathing technique, if practiced with attention and discipline, could accomplish similar results?
It’s true.
Research has shown circular breathing not only has the potential to heal us in many of the same ways as psychedelics-based therapy does but it can also produce similar states of altered consciousness. I've included a few links to the research results below for those who're interested in learning more.
I've been practicing these techniques for nearly thirty-five years now and can attest to their benefits. Breathwork is totally free and can be practiced pretty much anywhere. All this practice takes is time and a little dedication. As with so many other meditation techniques this exercise seems so simple that it couldn't possibly work and this mindset is, honestly, why I think more people don't try it.
Here's a simple tutorial if you'd like to give it a try yourself:
Step One: Settle Into Practice
- Find a comfortable seated or lying position.
- Close your eyes and gently rest your hands on your belly or thighs.
- Take a few natural breaths. Relax. Just observe.
Step Two: Absorb the Pattern
- Circular breathing here is breathing in and out through the nose with no pause—as if breath is cycling like a wheel.
- Inhale gently through your nose.
- Without pausing, let the exhale follow seamlessly.
- Then inhale again immediately after the exhale ends.
Step Three: Start the Practice
Begin with this rhythm:
- Inhale (count of 4)
- Exhale (count of 4)
- No pauses—just a flowing loop.
You can gently count in your mind:
Continue this circular breathing exercise for 2–3 minutes. It's best to set a timer so you're not preoccupied during your practice.
Following are just a few links to some information about the valuable effects of circular breathing—VU Amsterdam, Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, and PubMed.
If any of you decide to try this circular breathing technique I'd love to hear about your results!
Be well, make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
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Breathing exercises do help a lot! Thanks for amazing reminder!!
You're welcome!
Thank you for passing on the knowledge to help others live a better life, Eric! I have done other breathing techniques, but not circular breathing! I will for sure add that to my arsenal of wellness techniques.
Interesting about the medical use of psychedelics, also a new one to me. You for sure keep yourself informed! We should always have this hunger for knowledge, especially if it's going to benefit our well-being and that of the people in our lives.
I hope you're keeping well Eric.
You're welcome Lizelle. This kind of thing has always fascinated me and I like to share what I learn. There are a lot of good studies about how psychedelics can heal. They're doing a lot of good work with PTSD in military service members. They're also using it for addiction recovery. All is well! We're knee deep in home renovations so that's keeping me busy, along with trying to get the book launched. I hope you're having a good week my friend!
I haven't heard about the psychedelics besides in your one story that you published a while ago. I mean I have seen it on TV, but never in practice. My friend is doing some eye movement thing with his therapist. It sounds pretty intense. I think it's called EMDR.
I think I hear quite a bit about psychedelics because I listen to lots of podcasts about consciousness, meditation and such. I've never heard of EMDR. I'll have to look that up!
Apparently it is pretty intense. My friend who has been doing it with his therapist comes home totally wiped out his wife said. My wife was familiar with it.
It sounds really interesting! I hope it helps your friend. We live in a wonderful age with all these different options.
If I am stressful about something, I take deep breath, wait for a few seconds, and then release. This makes me feel better somehow.
Good practice!
Good afternoon, dear friend @ericvancewalton
There are so many things in the world that more and more people are experiencing these mental illnesses.
It's great that you know this circular breathing technique, and I appreciate you sharing the method. Thank you very much.
Have a beautiful afternoon.
We notice a lot of people struggling with mental illness around us. Most of the people who are homeless here have one or more mental illnesses. Our government deeply cut the budgets of programs that helped with this in the 1980's and since then homelessness has skyrocketed. Thanks and I hope you have a great week!
I think it's a problem that occurs in many parts of the world. The same thing is happening here in my country. The government has greatly cut back on all social assistance and aid for the debilitatingly ill. My wife and I watched the daily news today.
Have a beautiful morning.
It seems like for every dollar they save by cutting the budgets of these social programs they have to spend five more to help correct the problems that are caused by scaling back the programs. It makes no sense but people do these things for political reasons. Thanks, I hope you have a good one too!
I could use enough of these stress freeing mechanisms these days. I just reblogged this. Am def giving it a try
I hope you find it helpful!
I must admit that sometimes I do not control my breathing and the times I have tried to control it, it has worked out positively. In moments of anguish or stress, when I feel that my heart feels like a runaway horse and I hear it as if it were in my ears, I start to slow down my heart rate through my breathing. I inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale slowly and controlled and so I calm down. Thanks for the links, I will check them out. Hug, Eric
It's hard to remember sometimes when you're in the moment. This technique is good to incorporate into your daily schedule..it only takes 2-3 minutes. You're welcome! Have a wonderful day, Nancy!
I'm a huge fan of breathwork to press those neat crystals in the pineal gland and get the antenna working properly ;) No need for external substances, whether they are chemicals or plants, to release DMT.
I agree! Indian yogis and mystics of all kinds have used these techniques for thousands of years. They just keep getting lost to the sands of time then rediscovered.
Thank you very much for sharing this circular breathing technique.
I am going to try it, to see if it improves my shortness of breath problem, because, since March 14, 2021 I have had this respiratory problem and no specialist has found the diagnosis, to be able to fight the cause that causes it.
If I try it, I will let you know.
Happy Wednesday and better Thursday.
Greetings and best regards.
You're welcome! I really hope this helps you. Please let me know how it goes! Have a wonderful Thursday my friend.
Thanks You very much. Blessings
I do believe that this type of exercise helps us to be calmer. A few years ago I could spend up to an hour meditating, but now the posture bothers me a bit to be so still for so long. However, I try to do a few sessions of a few minutes during the day. For a person with a restless mind like mine, these exercises are very useful. Thanks for sharing dear @ericvancewalton. A big hug from Maracay.
You're welcome @irvinc! I hope it helps. The one thing I really like about this particular exercise is the value you get in such a short period of time. I wish you a wonderful Thursday!
These are simple and useful exercises that can be done anywhere. Thank you. Happy day to you.
It is exactly like this, if our life is sad or troubled, then we have to change some things in our life. If we do this, then after some time, slowly our life will also start becoming happy because the problems of life always accompany us, but we have to learn how to fight them so that we can live a happy life.
Circular breathing? this is something new for me, i should search more about it on the internet.
oh wow, there is an expensive treatment, which still has obligations. but there is also a free one, which has the same benefits. People should adopt the free one. Thanks for suggesting this.
Yes, it's very simple to master too. You're welcome!
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