Transformational breathing involves rapid breathwork for 20-45 minutes. The results can feel like a rebirth.
Transformational breathing is an active form of meditation whereby the breath is manipulated mechanically at a rapid rate. Instead of starting out slowly with the intention of calming your body and mind through the breath—as one does when practicing yoga or meditation—transformational breathing starts with fast breathing to elicit a bodily response.

How Does Transformational Breathing Work?
Practicing transformational breathwork can bring up muscle twitches, tension in unexpected places, and other sensations that may initially feel similar to a panic attack. It’s helpful to think of this type of breathing as a magnet that, on inhale, attracts tensions, anxieties, or held emotions. Then, on exhale, releases these stagnant thoughts and feelings.

“When we inhale, we receive. When we exhale, we release,” says Aimée Derbes, a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese medicine who offers transformational breathing sessions via Zoom.

How Does Transformational Breathwork Help?
Over time, this practice can change the autonomic nervous system (made up of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems) by altering either the amount of oxygen we inhale or the amount of carbon dioxide we exhale. While everyone’s experience with transformational breathing is different, Derbes notes that many people notice they are more connected to their bodies and have a greater awareness of what’s emotionally present. Transformational breathing can be beneficial for those exhausted by trauma as the practice can wake up and retrieve life force energy.