Of course not! SOMA Breath techniques are totally safe and highly beneficial to your health and well-being as long as they are taught to you by a qualified SOMA Instructor. The breathing techniques employed in SOMA Breath create intentional changes in the body’s homeostasis, including the pH levels of our bloodstream. Too much hyperventilation and too much hypoventilation can damage the body. That is why SOMA Breath workshops are shorter than some other breathwork modalities.

Not quite. Some of the SOMA Breath techniques are designed to create periods of Brief Intermittent Hypoxia, but that is not the same as IHT. Read Niraj’s insightful blog post about IHT for more information. You may also be interested in Niraj’s blog post about the benefits of creating Brief Intermittent Hypoxia by holding your breath.

Coherence techniques of SOMA and gentle breath holds which do not cause hypoxia are safe to be to be used for anyone. And can be beneficial for SL individuals. IHT therapy (kumbaka) in SOMA is contra-indicated, in the case of: Acute illness Epilepsy  Severe lung disease  Terminal Cancer  Patients with pacemakers or heart arrhythmias. Pregnancy Some conditions which maybe aggravated by IHT include and careful attention to technique must be paid.

When your SpO₂ levels reach 85% or lower on your pulse oximeter, it means you are in hypoxia. Simply reaching this number is enough to trigger the benefits! We advise holding your breath for around 2 minutes after your SpO₂ levels drop to this percentage. If you can not hold your breath for 2 minutes then take in a sip of air and exhale again to hold your breath a bit longer.

Brief intermittent hypoxia should always be two things: brief and intermittent. Too much hypoxia for too long can cause serious damage to your body. We do not advise creating Brief Intermittent Hypoxia for any more than 15 minutes each day.  

Yes, you can (most likely) take part in SOMA Breathwork! The only times you are advised against practising SOMA Breath are if you have: Unmanaged hypertension Late stage illness where breathing is difficult Epilepsy (unless your doctor gives you permission) A pacemaker (unless your doctor gives you permission) An illness that limits your capacity to breathe With that being said, we are not medical professionals. If you have a health condition and you want to know whether you will be safe, please talk to your doctor, physician, or healthcare provider beforehand.

Change your breath, change your life! SOMA Breath can help improve the symptoms of many different health conditions. Do not underestimate the power of your breath to restore your health and well-being on many levels! Here are some examples: Stress-related illness Gut health Autoimmune conditions Inflammation Coronary heart disease Depression and anxiety Low sex drive Erectile dysfunction These are just a small handful of health conditions that a breathwork practice can improve.

That depends on the technique you are using. Breathwork and breath-holding feels amazing, who wouldn’t want to practice multiple times a day?! Too much hypoxia can lead to chronic hypoxia, which is very damaging to the body. Chronic hypoxia begins at around 15 cycles of hypoxia per day. In any SOMA session, we use a maximum of 5 cycles of hypoxia: That’s more than enough to get all of the amazing benefits.

If you experience any sensations that feel health and/or life threatening, listen to your body and stop immediately. Use your best knowledge. Some discomfort is very normal in SOMA Breath, but it is not normal to experience pain. Use discernment. Every single person is unique, so there is no one-size-fits-all guidance we can give here. Trust your innate body knowledge and your intuition. If any experiences continue after a SOMA session has ended and you are worried, it is best to seek medical advice before practising SOMA Breath again.

We believe that the breathing techniques taught at SOMA Breath can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Most of the techniques are subtle on the body, however, when it comes to exercises with breatholding involved, we do not recommend allowing children under 14 years to do these.