If panic or frightening feelings keep coming back, talk to a professional
When fear, panic or unreal feelings follow breathing exercises again and again, or last for days, a doctor or a therapist who knows panic is the right next step.
Why it works
Meuret and Ritz describe two theories of how hyperventilation relates to panic — that it produces feared symptoms of low carbon dioxide, or protects against feared suffocation — and note that the evidence for both is inconclusive. They also report that reversing hyperventilation has emerged as a potent mediator of reduced panic symptom severity in clinical work. Moffat and colleagues found that breathing pattern disorder was associated with panic, anxiety, fear and reduced quality of life. A clinician can assess the breathing pattern and judge whether the feelings need more support.
How to do it
- Stop any breathing exercise, and sit or lie down with your feet on the floor first.
- Write down, in a few lines, when the feelings started, what you were doing, and how long each episode lasted. This is for the professional.
- Book an appointment with a doctor and ask for a referral to a therapist or clinician who has worked with panic and breathing-related feelings.
- Tell them about any breathing practices, meditation or retreats you have done, and how often you did them.
- If you have thoughts of harming yourself, or feel out of touch with reality, call or text 988 in the US (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), find a line in your country at findahelpline.com, or call your local emergency number now, without waiting for an appointment.
Evidence
Meuret and Ritz (2010) review empirical and clinical evidence on hyperventilation in panic disorder, noting that the evidence for the competing theories is inconclusive but that reversing hyperventilation has been associated with reduced panic symptom severity. Moffat et al. (2026) report that breathing pattern disorder was associated with panic, anxiety, fear and reduced quality of life. (observational)
These are reviews. They describe a link between breathing patterns and panic, and they do not show which approach suits any one person. Wharram et al. (2025), a single case report, describes breathing retraining alongside medication; this page does not recommend either.
Sources
- Meuret, A. E., & Ritz, T. (2010). Hyperventilation in panic disorder and asthma: Empirical evidence and clinical strategies. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 78(1), 68–79.
- Moffat, C., Walker, S., Fuld, J., & Higgins, S. (2026). Living with breathing pattern disorder: A scoping review. npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, 36(1), 30.
- Wharram, C. E., MovaseghiGargari, M., & Smeenge, D. M. (2025). Use of breathing retraining exercises and SSRIs in patients with hyperventilation syndrome. BMJ Case Reports, 18(5), e263409.
Common mistake
Waiting months in the hope that the feeling will fade alone, or deciding it is “just breathing” and never mentioning it to anyone who could help.
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More practices for Dizzy, Tingly or Panicky After Breathwork: Why, and What Helps
- Stop the breathing exercise now and let breathing go back to its own pace
Put the technique down completely the moment dizziness, tingling or panic begins: no next round, no slower or deeper version of the same exercise.
- Sit or lie down where you cannot fall, and stay out of water
Get onto a seat or the floor right away, away from water, traffic and anywhere you could fall, because a faint can come with little warning.
- Ground through your feet, your hands and what you can see
Turn attention outward to the solid room — the floor under your feet, something in your hands, five things you can see — rather than inward to the breath.
- Let breathing find its own rhythm, with no counting and no holds
Once you have stopped and steadied, stop managing the breath: no counts, no targets, no holding, just gentle breathing that you are not controlling.
- For the rest of today, rest, drink water, eat something and be with someone
Set the rest of the day around ordinary care — water, a simple meal, rest and one person you trust — and leave breathwork for another day.
- Know the signs that need a doctor or emergency care, and act on them
Chest pain, fainting, trouble breathing that does not settle, or numbness that does not pass are reasons to get medical help now.
- Return to breathwork only with a qualified teacher or clinician, or not at all
If you want to practise breathing methods again, do it later, with a qualified teacher or clinician who knows about the dizziness, and never with breath holds alone.
Related concepts
- Meditation-Related Challenges: When Practice Makes You Feel Worse
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- Grounding Techniques for Acute Distress
Fast sensory skills to come back to the present when distress spikes
- Tummo (Inner Heat): The Six Yogas Practice, What Research Measured, and How to Approach It Safely
The inner-heat yoga of Nāropa’s lineage: what it is for, how it is received, what scientists found, and how to stay safe
- Kapalbhati Pranayama, Made Practical
The physiology of skull-shining breath and how to build a safe, effective practice
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