What Are Breathwork Claw Hands?
Breathwork claw hands (or lobster hands) are known clinically as tetany. Tetany manifests as involuntary muscle contractions, often in the hands causing them to go into a claw-like shape, but it can also occur in other parts of the body. These contractions can vary from mild sensations like tingling, numbness, and a feeling of your fingers being stuck or immobile, to more pronounced spasms and cramps.
While breathwork claw hands are quite common, affecting approximately 70% -80% of people who engage in connected breathing for more than 20 minutes, experiencing intense pain or soreness during, or after a session, is much less common, though it can occur. In this article, I’ll share tips for preventing tetany from becoming painful during breathwork and what to do if you experience lingering discomfort after your session.
Why Breathwork Claw Hands May Feel Painful to Some
In my experience as breathwrok facilitator, around 90% of the people I work with need to be coached to breathe deeper and/or faster during their breathwork sessions, while the remaining 10% can benefit from a softer approach. Although tetany can be somewhat uncomfortable, it should not be painful.
Individuals with strong Type-A personalities, tend to experience painful tetany more frequently than others. While a strong commitment to giving it your all in breathwork and in life is admirable, if you’re experiencing painful tetany, it might signal the need for a gentler approach, both in your practice and in your daily life.
Athletes and individuals with significant physical conditioning or extensive breath-holding practices, such as Wim Hof, are also more likely to experience pain from tetany. Their increased lung capacity allows for quicker air exchange, leading to more rapid physiological changes during breathwork, which can result in more pronounced tetany.
Another reason tetany can feel painful is due to resistance and an inability to let go. If you enter a session with fear or anticipation of tetany and resist its onset, the sensations often intensify—what you resist, persists. Additionally, if you have a conscious or unconscious fear of surrendering, the tetany can act as a symbolic manifestation of holding on too tightly. It may be your body’s way of signaling that it’s time to release control and surrender, both to the breathwork process and to other areas of your life.
Tips to Prevent Painful Breathwork Claw Hands:
Reduce the Intensity & Take a Gradual Approach: If you experience pain from tetany during your breathwork, to reduce the intensity, I recommend keeping your breath connected and focused in your belly but taking a slightly softer-than-usual approach. This is especially crucial during the first few songs of the breathwork journey. Many people who get intense tetany start breathing at 200% right from the beginning, but it’s more effective to start gently and gradually increase the pace as the music builds.
Make Your Exhales Passive: Another key aspect for preventing painful breathwork claw hands is ensuring that your exhale is passive. Forceful exhalations are a leading cause of intense tetany. Avoid blowing out with pursed lips or jerking your stomach in with each exhale. Instead, imagine letting the air fall out of you naturally—make it a passive release.
Switch to Nose Breathing: If you’re taking a gradual approach and making your exhales passive but still experience painful tetany, consider switching to nasal breathing in your breathwork sessions. While most connected breathwork practices use mouth breathing to facilitate more rapid and dramatic physiological shifts and deeper inner journeys, if you’re experiencing pain, you may not need the additional intensity that mouth breathing provides. By transitioning to a nasal connected breathwork pattern, you may soften the intensity enough to reduce discomfort while still achieving meaningful breakthroughs.
Give it Time: Breathwork ‘claw hands’ can be particularly intense during the initial sessions as your body begins to release stored tension and layers of emotional residue. This intensity often transforms into significant emotional releases or breakthroughs either after the peak or in subsequent sessions.
From my experience, men tend to experience painful tetany more frequently and for longer durations than women. Many women, despite experiencing intense claw hands prior to the peak, often have a major emotional release within the same session. In contrast, I’ve noticed that for some men, it may take several sessions (sometimes more than five) to move past the physical discomfort. This difference could be attributed to societal conditioning, where men are often required to suppress their emotions more deeply. This suppression creates greater resistance to surrendering to the breath, making it more difficult to allow emotions to flow freely. As a result, men may experience a subconscious struggle and resistance, which can intensify the tetany.
Another things to consider is sthe concept of the seven layers of the human aura. The first is the physical layer and those who come to breathwork with a lifetime of suppressed emotions and unresolved traumas may need more time to work through this layer before moving on to the higher, more subtle layers. This may also explain why very few people experience bliss immediately in breathwork. Most of us must first work through layers of emotional blockages and traumas before accessing the deeper states of joy and peace. However, the more inner work you’ve done prior to breathwork, the more likely you are to reach those higher states sooner. Likewise, the more breathwork sessions you have done, the more easy it will be for you to connect to joy, peace, and a deep sense of connectivity in your daily life.
I firmly believe that breathwork provides exactly what we need, precisely when we need it. To release deeply held tensions, traumas, or stuck energy, it’s often necessary to first amplify and fully experience these sensations. If you’ve been experiencing physically painful tetany over several sessions, don’t get discouraged—remember that sometimes the only way out is through. Focus on surrendering to the sensations and allowing whatever needs to unfold. Trust that, when the time is right, these sensations will transmute, and when it does, you will likely experience a major breakthrough in your session and in your life. Be proud of yourself for continuing to show up. Even if you’re not consciously aware of it, you’re processing and releasing dense energy, peeling back a layer each time you commit to a session.
Surrender to the Sensations & the Experience: By surrendering to what needs to be felt, you open the door to deep release and transformation. Conversely, resisting tetany and trying to avoid it can create fear and anxiety, which can intensify the physical sensations and lead to greater discomfort. The most important things to remember when experiencing breathwork ‘claw hands’ is that you are safe, the sensation is temporary, and there is a deeper message or lesson behind it waiting to be explored. Embracing this understanding can help you find the peace of mind needed to surrender to the sensations and uncover the insights they may hold.
Managing Residual Pain From Breathwork Claw Hands
While breathwork claw hands are common during sessions, post-session muscle soreness is relatively rare. However, a small number of participants do report experiencing physical discomfort afterward. Although we encourage fully immersing yourself in the physical and emotional aspects of the experience, persistent pain is neither intended nor desired. If you’ve experienced intense tetany and are now dealing with pain or discomfort, there are several strategies you can use to alleviate it and support your recovery:
Take a Warm Epsom Salt Bath: Soaking in a warm Epsom salt bath can help relax your muscles and release excess tension. The magnesium in Epsom salts aids in muscle relaxation and can help soothe sore areas.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins and keep your body hydrated. Proper hydration supports muscle function and can aid in reducing soreness.
Eat Electrolyte-Rich Foods: Incorporate foods high in electrolytes, such as bananas, avocados, and leafy greens, into your diet. These foods help replenish essential minerals and support overall muscle function.
Engage in Gentle Stretching: Engage in gentle stretching of any areas that feel painful or uncomfortable. Stretching can help release muscle tension and improve circulation, which may ease soreness.
Focus On Rest and Recovery: Allow your body time to rest and recover. Adequate rest is crucial for muscle repair and overall well-being. Avoid strenuous activities that could exacerbate the pain.
Practice Mindful Breathing: Practice mindful breathing exercises to help relax your body and mind. Deep, slow breaths can assist in reducing muscle tension and promoting relaxation.
By following these steps, you can help manage any post-breathwork discomfort and support your body’s recovery process. If pain persists or you have concerns, consider reaching out to a healthcare professional for personalized advice and support. Finally, be sure to inform your facilitator about any post-breathwork discomfort you’re experiencing. This will allow them to provide guidance and adjust your approach to help prevent similar issues in future sessions. A well-trained breathwork facilitator will be able to offer personalized strategies and support to ensure a more comfortable breathwork experience.
Why Tetany is Stronger in Connected Breathwork VS Wim Hof
Some of my participants wonder why the breathwork claw hands feel more intense in our sessions then they do during Wim Hif breathing. While both practices use a deep and connected breathing pattern, With Wim Hof breathing, regular breath holds reset your physiology by bringing your CO₂, oxygen, and pH levels back to baseline. These physiological alterations are the primary fuel for breathwrok claw hands. This is why intense tetany is less common in short Wim Hof sessions. However, during a 30+ minute conscious, connected breathwork practice, you are more likely to experience tetany because the continuous, connected breathing keeps your physiology outside of its normal range.
The advantage of not engaging in breath holds is that the physiological shifts induced by connected breathing support non-ordinary states of consciousness, deep somatic releases, and healing breakthroughs. By maintaining a connected breath and avoiding breath holds, most people can achieve more profound self-healing and transformation than with practices that incorporate breath holds.
As a side note, if you regularly practice breath holds and feel tempted to use them during a connected breathwork session despite your facilitator’s guidance, please reconsider. Breath holds in connected breathwork can be dangerous, and you can learn why here.
Closing Thoughts on Painful Breathwork Claw Hands
Breathwork is guided by your inner wisdom, and everything that unfolds during your sessions happens for a reason. You don’t need to consciously understand why you might experience painful tetany to benefit from the process. As a breather, all you need to do is show up, breathe, feel, and trust that you are creating positive shifts. With time and commitment, the intensity will transform into something new—perhaps even your breakthrough moment in life.
For further guidance on navigating breathwork claw hands and discovering the valuable insights they can offer, you may find this article I wrote on managing tetany and exploring its potential benefits helpful.
Find out more about our trauma-informed breathwork facilitator training here or our biannual breathwork retreats in Mexico here. You can also find a qualified breathwork facilitator near you here.
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