Signature practice · Editor’s column · 10–12 minutes

CLIRIUM Breathing

My personal practice: deep breathing, a short hold and work through the body. I’m sharing it the way I lead it at my retreats — with a guided trainer and safety rules.

Editor’s column · Victory Naydenova

Set up

Sit or lie down comfortably

RoundsBreaths per roundPaceHandsSound

I’m sitting or lying down, not in water and not driving. I’ve read the safety rules below, and I have no contraindications — or I’ve discussed this practice with a doctor. I’ll press gently, without pain.

Safety rules

Your result

—

best hold this session

One word: what has changed?

The details

Why I’m sharing this practice

For many years I have combined deep breathing with work through the body — first for myself, then at my retreats. This practice helps me come back to myself when a day has taken me apart. I share it because I want you to have more support and more results from your own inner work, not only from reading about it.

I call it CLIRIUM Breathing. Its base is a well-known format of cyclic breathing with a hold. What’s mine is the work with the hands on the chest during the breathing, and two essential minutes of quiet at the end. Below I explain how it works, what it rests on and where its limits are.

2–3

rounds of breathing with a hold, then two quiet minutes with your palms on your chest and belly — about 10–12 minutes

How the practice works

Settling in, about a minute

Sit down, put a palm on your chest, take three calm breaths and name, in one word, what you feel right now.

Breathing, 20–30 breaths

A deep breath into your belly and chest, a relaxed exhale without effort, at a gentle pace. Place your fist, knuckles first, in the middle of your chest, on the breastbone. On each exhale, knead gently in small circles: noticeable, but never painful — about 3–4 out of 10. If that feels unpleasant, use your palm instead.

Hold after the exhale

Let your hands go, palms on your knees or belly. Stay without breathing for as long as it’s comfortable — don’t push. Simply notice what happens in your body.

Recovery breath

Breathe in fully and hold for 15 seconds, palm on your chest. Then breathe out. Do 2–3 rounds like this.

Quiet, two minutes

One palm on your chest, the other on your belly, normal calm breathing. If tears come, let them. At the end, one word: what has changed.

What it rests on

Breathing. Fast, deep breathing clears carbon dioxide from the blood more quickly, so its level drops for a while. That’s why the hold after a series of breaths feels easier, and why you may notice tingling, warmth, lightness or slight dizziness. These changes are temporary and pass when your breathing returns to normal.

Emotions. In a small 2026 study, 24 experienced practitioners did either an intense breathing session or a body scan. After the breathing, participants reported a stronger emotional breakthrough, and a third of them described a cathartic experience. The study was small, participants knew which group they were in, and the sessions differed in length and music — so it doesn’t prove a therapeutic effect. But it describes what I have seen many times at my retreats.

Touch. In a 2021 study with 159 adults, a brief soothing touch to oneself — most often one palm on the chest and the other on the belly — lowered the hormonal stress response (cortisol) compared with a control group. Subjective stress, however, did not differ. That’s why I end the practice with two minutes of palms on the chest and belly.

The fist. This is my personal experience, and I’ll be honest: there are no studies of this exact combination of breathing and pressure on the breastbone. I call it “letting the tension go” — that’s my language for the experience, not a medical term. So the pressure is always gentle and never to the point of pain.

What I observe

At my retreats, some participants have felt strong emotions during this practice, cried, and later spoke of relief. Others simply noticed warmth and clarity. Sometimes nothing special happens — that’s fine too. These are observations, not proof, and I don’t promise a particular result: everyone’s experience is their own.

The length of your hold isn’t a competition or a measure of health. The point isn’t a record — it’s coming back into your body for a few minutes.

Safety rules

Where

Only sitting or lying down, somewhere safe. Never in water, a bath or shower, while driving, standing, walking, at a height, or anywhere losing consciousness could be dangerous.

How

Not right after a meal, without effort and without competing with yourself. Start with one round. Breathe calmly for a minute before you stand up.

Who should talk to a doctor first

If you are pregnant, or have epilepsy, heart or blood vessel disease, high or low blood pressure, a history of stroke or recent surgery, lung disease or asthma, migraines, diabetes, glaucoma, another serious condition, or take regular medication. This practice isn’t meant for children.

When not to use your fist (palm only, or no hands)

Chest pain, surgery on the chest or breasts, implants or a pacemaker, broken ribs, osteoporosis, blood-thinning medication, breast tenderness.

Emotions

Strong feelings may come up. If you have a difficult history or trauma, it’s better to do this practice with a specialist. If it becomes too much, open your eyes, feel your feet on the floor and breathe calmly.

When to stop

If you feel more than slightly dizzy, your vision darkens, or you feel weak, nauseous, chest pain, a pounding heart, anxiety or panic. Return to normal breathing; if you still feel unwell, seek medical help.

Sources: Fincham G. W. et al. An exploratory study of breathwork-induced altered states of consciousness in experienced practitioners: the A2A trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 2026. · Dreisoerner A. et al. Self-soothing touch and being hugged reduce cortisol responses to stress. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 8, 100091, 2021.

How we calculate

One minute to settle in; then 2–3 rounds: your chosen number of breaths at the selected pace (inhale 55% of the cycle, exhale 45%), a hold after the exhale (you tap “Breathe in” yourself; no longer than 2 minutes), a recovery breath held for 15 seconds; then 2 minutes of quiet. Your word after the practice stays on the page and isn’t saved.

The trainer runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere. Your best result is kept only on this device; you can erase it with “Reset result”.