I was first introduced to breathwork while in treatment for addiction. It was the first tool that actually brought me immediate relief from my racing thoughts and the first one I ever used on my own outside of a treatment session to help me self-soothe. I felt empowered by it, and breathwork quickly became my go-to activity when I felt sad or angry or when I needed to connect with a power greater than myself. Sadly, not enough people understand the power of this vital tool and underestimate its potential impact. I honestly can’t imagine doing recovery without it. It’s why I became an instructor as a way of giving back.
I also wish more treatment providers would offer it as a resource for patients. The ability to tolerate distressing thoughts and feelings is crucial for individuals in recovery, many of whom have experienced significant trauma and may struggle with emotional regulation, just like I did. Breathwork calms the nervous system and can increase a patient’s ability to withstand turbulent times, handle cravings, and passively observe their own thoughts, ultimately impacting their treatment experience. At Laguna Treatment Center, where I teach breathwork twice a week, the impact has been profound. We must do more to make this tool available to everyone in recovery.
An Inside View of a Breathwork Session
My breathwork sessions all begin the same way—with a talk about how participants can challenge their own limiting beliefs and thought processes. We discuss how important it is to not let our negative thoughts control our experiences. For example, you could go on vacation to the most beautiful island in the world, but if your head is negative you could criticize every beautiful palm tree and every person you’re with, ruining your own good time.
Addiction treatment can be thought of in the same way in that rehab is a helpful, restorative place but only if you maintain a positive approach. I teach participants that we’re creating a new nurturing narrative and becoming the observers—or even “mandated reporters”—of our thoughts. I encourage them to stay with the breath and simply notice the thoughts they’re having, instead of treating them as though they’re the truth.
During class, I guide participants through a series of breaths. There are many types of breathwork. In our sessions, we use a pranayama (or “yogic”) breathing. From the Sanskrit, “pranayama” combines two terms: “prana,” meaning “breath of life” and “ayama,” meaning “regulation.”
Each breathwork session involves five rounds of two minutes of the breathing exercises. The first two rounds are typically when the chatter in the head happens. The last three rounds are when participants often drop down into their heart space; the thoughts start to dissipate. Once we have completed the fifth round, we go into a simple meditation session.
A lot of people ask me, are the sessions the same every time? The answer is that the technique is the same each time, but a participant can (and generally will) have a completely different experience every time they do it.
Breathwork: More than Breathing
Breathwork isn’t simply breathing in and out in a passive manner. It’s a form of meditation, a coping tool, and a way to calm the body and make way for deep reflection. One short breathwork session can help clear the mind from the everyday chatter that overwhelms it and allow participants to observe thoughts they can journal about or take into a therapy session later on to work through.
For those of us who’ve lived in active addiction, these windows where we take the time to reflect and self-soothe in this way can be hugely beneficial. Individuals with substance use disorders have a tendency to have very chaotic thoughts and a great deal of worry. Being in treatment and away from their daily lives can lead to incessant anxious thoughts like, “What is my family doing? When will I go back to work? How can I pay my bills?” As I teach the session, I hold space and guide them through it. My job is to teach them how to do the technique on their own when they’re feeling as though they’re drowning in their thoughts; when a craving is feeling overwhelming; or any other time they need relief from distress.
A Lifelong Resource
In my sessions, I’ve seen people move through limiting beliefs in a really significant way. Even people who’ve come in doubtful about the benefits of breathwork, calling it silly, will sometimes end a session sobbing from an emotional release or simply crying from the relief of finally feeling a sense of peace. Many of those who have experienced addiction don’t come from particularly peaceful pasts and have turned to drugs or alcohol in search of it.
With breathwork, we are able to give them a tool to sit with themselves in a different way and learn to foster their own peaceful feelings without reaching for something outside themselves. And the results aren’t simply in the mind; there’s a psychological response that many notice as well. My students often find that their blood pressure is lower after the session.
I’ve seen it time and again, people coming in reluctant to try breathwork and leaving the session with a whole new respect for the power of the breath. Addiction is a disease that keeps people stuck in unhealthy patterns and often controlled by unhealthy or unhelpful thoughts. By practicing breathwork, we can disrupt these patterns and learn to observe our thoughts without letting them control us.
Breathwork is a simple, accessible tool that anyone can use anywhere—no expensive classes or specialized settings required. Introducing this practice during treatment empowers patients to manage their own distress long after they leave a treatment environment. Once learned, it becomes a lifelong resource. As long as we’re alive, we have our breath.
Sarah Chasteen
Sarah Chasteen is a Breathwork Facilitator at Laguna Treatment Center, an American Addiction Centers facility in Aliso Viejo, California.
