If a breath practice leaves you dizzy, panicky or unwell: ground first

Stop the technique, let breathing return to its own pace, get safe and grounded, and get support — before thinking about practice again.

Por que funciona

Strong breathing and breath-holding change blood gases and blood flow to the brain, which Immink and colleagues link to reduced blood flow to the brain and, at worst, loss of consciousness. Lindahl and colleagues, interviewing practitioners and teachers from Theravāda, Zen and Tibetan traditions, documented a wide range of meditation-related experiences — including bodily and emotional ones — some of them distressing, with responses ranging from minimal and passing to severe and lasting. Britton argues that practices helpful in moderation can turn harmful past a point. So when a breath practice leaves you dizzy, shaky or frightened, the useful move is to stop and let the body settle on its own, not to try another technique or push on.

Como fazer

1. If you have fainted or nearly fainted, have chest pain, cannot get your breathing to settle, or have numbness or weakness that does not pass, call emergency services now.
2. Stop the practice now. Do not try another breathing technique; just let your breathing find its own ordinary pace.
3. Sit or lie down somewhere you cannot fall, away from water. Open your eyes and look around the room; name a few things you can see and hear.
4. Feel your feet on the floor and the weight of your body on the chair or ground. When you feel steady, sip some water.
5. Once you feel steady, tell someone nearby and do something ordinary and concrete for the next while — a meal, a conversation, or a short walk. Never walk straight after fainting; sit or lie down first and wait until you feel steady.
6. If the fear, shakiness or strange feelings keep coming back, talk to a clinician and to your teacher before practising again; if you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, contact a crisis line or emergency services now.

Evidência

Immink et al. review the link between hyperventilation, reduced cerebral perfusion and fainting. Lindahl et al.’s taxonomy of 59 meditation-related experiences across seven domains, including somatic and affective ones, comes from interviews with Western Buddhist practitioners and experts, and records valence from very positive to very negative. Britton’s review makes the case that more practice is not always better. (observational)

None of these studies tested tummo or this sequence of steps; the steps are ordinary first aid and grounding. Lindahl et al.’s study was designed to describe experiences, not to estimate how often they occur. The meditation-related-challenges page describes these experiences and where to find support. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact a crisis line or emergency services now.

Fontes

• Immink, R. V., Pott, F. C., Secher, N. H., & van Lieshout, J. J. (2014). Hyperventilation, cerebral perfusion, and syncope. Journal of Applied Physiology, 116(7), 844–851.
• Lindahl, J. R., Fisher, N. E., Cooper, D. J., Rosen, R. K., & Britton, W. B. (2017). The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists. PLOS ONE, 12(5), e0176239.
• Britton, W. B. (2019). Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing? The value of a middle way. Current Opinion in Psychology, 28, 159–165.

Erro comum

Trying to fix dizziness or panic with more breathwork, or pushing through because a video said the strange feelings are part of the practice. Stopping, grounding and getting support come first.