When addressing the process of healing trauma, Breathwork emerges as a particularly potent and impactful tool at our disposal. Yet, amidst its potential benefits, a pertinent question arises: could engaging in breathwork potentially trigger latent traumas and consequently lead to retraumatization and imbalances in the nervous system?
Well there is never a 100% guarantee with anything in life, as long as you are not being guided by a facilitator that forces you to keep breathing deeply or quickly when your inner wisdom is telling you otherwise, or forces you to revisit your trauma, it is highly unlikely that you will reactivate or experience retraumatization. Indeed, the practice of breathwork operates in a contrary manner. It facilitates the processing of lingering trauma residues and facilitates the restoration of equilibrium within the nervous system.
Why Breathwork is Such a Safe & Powerful Trauma Healing Tool
What’s so amazing about breathwork is that it is your own inner wisdom that guides you and it takes you exactly where you need to go. Your inner wisdom won’t take you to places you are not ready or equipped to process, and it won’t reactivate traumas that have already been resolved and integrated. Moreover, breathwork empowers you to be your own healer and you get to guide the depth of the journey at all times. Anytime you feel overwhelmed (as opposed to just activated), I encourage you to slow down and soften your breath. This teaches you how to self-regulate which is a very powerful tool to have and further supports a healthy and balanced nervous system.
I believe the reason why breathwork so often leads to such rapid and profound healing and growth, is that it allows us to take what we know from say working with a therapist, or reading self-help books, or working on ourselves in other ways, and to bring that awareness into the body. The practice of breathwork facilitates the essential somatic healing required to attain complete resolution from trauma. Through this process, we liberate the accumulated tension and trauma held within the body. Consequently, we emerge from the grip of the fight-flight or freeze response, which often ensnares us in unresolved traumas. This liberation paves the way for establishing enduring equilibrium in the nervous system, leading to remarkable and lasting positive transformation.
Why Some People Feel Tired After Breathwork
While many people leave a breathwork session feeling refreshed, empowered, and on top of the work, others feel fatigued or somewhat imbalanced. This is not a sign of retraumatization, it is a sign that you’ve unleashed some deeply held tensions and emotions in the body, and you are in the process of transformation.
I personally experienced deep fatigue after my first Breathwork (which dramatically changed my life for the better). In that session, I spontaneously went back to about the age of 1-2 and was crying out for love and affection. I cried harder than I had my entire life in that session. It makes sense that I felt exhausted – I unleashed and began to process a lifetime of suppressed grief in that session. I took it very easy that night and slept longer than usual, and a day later, I felt reborn.
What to Do If You Experience Fatigue Post-Breathwork
If you find yourself grappling with fatigue following a breathwork, I recommend extending yourself the utmost gentleness and self-love. Engaging in grounding activities, such as immersing yourself in nature, journaling your thoughts, or indulging in an Epsom salt bath, can prove to be remarkably beneficial. Should the opportunity arise, seek additional restorative sleep and allocate moments for introspection and assimilation of your journey.
It’s worth acknowledging that this fatigue isn’t perpetual; rather, it signifies a positive indication that you’ve undertaken significant and meaningful inner work. You’re currently traversing a phase of energy-intensive metamorphosis. As you persist on this path, armed with sustained dedication, patience, and self-compassion, and by integrating your experiences, you’re destined to transcend the weight of past burdens and the constraints of negative conditioning. In the end, you will emerge as the beautiful butterfly you were meant to be.
If you’d like to experience the amazing benefits of breathwork for yourself in a safe space held by a trauma-informed, highly experienced practitioner, then I invite you to book an online or in-person breathwork session or join our upcoming Sayulita Breathwork Retreat.
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