Breathing retraining is the process of changing dysfunctional breathing patterns into functional ones. Many people develop shallow, rapid, mouth-based breathing from stress and anxiety. This perpetuates anxiety in a vicious cycle: anxiety causes rapid breathing, which triggers your fight-or-flight nervous system, which increases anxiety. Breathing retraining breaks this cycle by establishing healthy patterns.
Dysfunctional breathing patterns include mouth breathing, chest-only breathing (no diaphragm engagement), hyperventilation, breath-holding, and irregular rhythms. These patterns signal danger to your nervous system, perpetuating anxiety and stress. Breathing retraining—establishing nasal breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, and regular paced rhythms—sends safety signals that activate parasympathetic function.
Breathing retraining is not complicated. It involves conscious practice of healthy breathing patterns (nasal, diaphragmatic, paced) until they become automatic. Most people see measurable improvements (better sleep, reduced anxiety, improved focus) within 2-4 weeks of consistent practice. Breathing retraining is foundational—it rewires your physiological baseline.