Breathwork is a wellness practice that uses intentional breathing patterns to support nervous system regulation and mind-body connection. Many people find it helps them feel more grounded, clear, and present.

This is a wellness class. It is not psychotherapy or medical treatment.

Trauma is not just the event that happened, it's the way the nervous system stored that event and how it continues to re-experience the memories. Often times the ripple effects of trauma sticks to us because we lacked an empathic witness to our experience, but not always. Trauma can leave this “residual stress” in the nervous system — even long after the event is over — showing up as tension, hypervigilance, numbness, reactivity, trouble sleeping, or feeling stuck. Trauma-informed breathwork is a self-care practice designed to help the body complete stress responses safely (for example, shaking, trembling, crying, deep sighs) and return to a more grounded state, without needing to retell or re-live the story. 

From a polyvagal perspective, your autonomic nervous system moves through different protective states: “safe and social” (connected and steady), “fight/flight” (activated), and “shutdown” (numb or heavy). Breath is one of the fastest ways to influence these states — slower, nasal, diaphragmatic breathing and longer exhales tend to support safety and regulation, while faster breathing patterns can increase activation and energy for release.   So when trauma shuts things down, breath and be used to awaken our system back online. Although feelings the feelings can be helpful during breathwork, it's not about reliving the trauma, it's about completing the nervous system trauma cycle s the body can finish doing the work it has been stuck in.

Elemental Rhythm breathwork is structured to move along a spectrum: grounding breath, more activating rounds, then recovery breath and integration. This “activation and recovery” arc helps people build capacity without pushing beyond their window of tolerance. You are always invited to adjust your pace, soften intensity, open your eyes, touch your body for grounding, or return to a slower recovery breath at any time.   

TGI breathwork events are wellness-focused and are not psychotherapy or medical treatment. Breathwork can be a powerful form of self-care for residual stress, but if you are unsure whether breathwork is appropriate for you (for example, pregnancy, certain cardiovascular/eye conditions, or mental health conditions), please see the waiver section at the bottom of this page and consult your healthcare provider first.

Elemental Rhythm is done on a mat on the floor, typically with an eye mask to support inward focus. A typical class includes:

1. A brief welcome and grounding

2. A short movement and shaking segment set to music

3. Guided breathing rounds with different breathing rhythms

4. A guided meditation

5. Quiet integration time with music

6. An optional closing circle for reflection or sharing

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Think of a breathwork class like clearing a muddy pond. First, the shaking is like stirring up the mud at the bottom. It gets things moving in the body on purpose—tension, stress energy, emotion—so it is not stuck or packed down. It can feel a bit messy at first, and that is normal.

Then the breathing rounds are like changing the current. As the pace shifts, your nervous system shifts too. Slower breathing and longer exhales tend to activate vagal tone and can slow heart rate. Faster rounds can temporarily lower CO2, which is why some people feel tingling, warmth, light-headedness, or hand tightness. Those sensations are often a sign the body is changing state.

After that, we return to slower breathing and rest. This is the “settling” phase—CO2 rebalances, the nervous system calms, and the water becomes clearer. Over time, practicing this kind of controlled shift from activation back to calm can support HRV and nervous system flexibility.

The guided meditation comes when the water is clearing. Once the body is quieter and more receptive, it is often easier to absorb the meditation and let insights land and integrate. Sometimes people experience a big emotional release where some of that old unhelpful sediment is finally washed away.

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No prior experience is required. You will be coached step by step.

Some breathwork styles use one continuous breathing pattern for the full session. Elemental Rhythm uses a structured sequence of breathing rounds, combined with movement and integration. Many participants prefer this approach because:

• The session has variety and clear structure

• You are guided throughout the experience

• The practice includes both activation and grounding

• You have options to slow down, pause, or return to a steadier breath at any time

• The session ends with integration so you leave feeling settled

Some health conditions may mean breathwork is not appropriate, or that medical clearance is recommended. Please review the waiver and contraindications before attending. If you are unsure, consult a qualified health care professional.

This is a wellness class. It is not psychotherapy or medical care. Please have a self-care safety plan in place before the event in case you need additional emotional support after.

• A yoga mat

• An eye mask

• Water

• 2 pillows (one for your head and one under your knees)

• A blanket

• A journal (optional for at home reflection)

Everyone’s experience is different. Some sessions feel powerful, while others feel subtle and calming. Both are normal. There is no right way to experience breathwork. Common experiences can include:

• Temperature shifts (warm or cool waves)

• Sounds sensed as louder or farther away

• Tingling or buzzing sensations

• Body vibration or shaking

• Feeling light, floaty, heavy, or deeply relaxed

• Emotional release (tears, laughter, relief, sadness, anger)

• Tetany (temporary tightening of the hands)

• Imagery, colours, or lights while eyes are closed

• A sense of clarity, calm, or reset

Breathwork works because breathing is one of the few body functions you can change on purpose, and it directly influences your autonomic nervous system (your stress and safety system).

When you slow your breathing and lengthen the exhale, you tend to activate the vagus nerve (often described as supporting “vagal tone”). This can temporarily slow heart rate and shift the body toward a calmer, more regulated state. Over time, practising slow, steady breathing may improve heart rate variability (HRV), which is one indicator of how flexible and resilient your nervous system is.

Breathwork also changes blood gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2). O2 plays a role in the creation and use of cellular energy. Without adequate O2 functioning we feel fatigued, dizzy, short of breath, and brain fog, and eventually poor metabolism and inflammation. CO2 is not just a “waste gas” — it helps regulate breathing and blood pH, and it plays a role in how easily oxygen is released from the blood into tissues. So higher CO2 actually helps with O2 efficiency. In more intense breathing, some people “overbreathe” and blow off too much CO2. That temporary drop in CO2 is a common reason for sensations like tingling, light-headedness, or hand tightening (tetany). These sensations are usually not dangerous in healthy individuals and typically settle when you slow down, return to gentler breathing, and lengthen your exhale, allowing CO2 to rebalance. The more we can tolerate CO2, the better that O2 is delivered and used in our cells.

Elemental Rhythm breathwork uses different breathing speeds and brief breath holds to shift CO2 and O2 on purpose. Slower breathing and breath holds can allow CO2 to rise slightly, which may support better CO2 tolerance, steadier breathing, and more efficient oxygen delivery to tissues. More active breathing rounds can temporarily lower CO2, which is why some people notice tingling, warmth, light-headedness, or hand tightness; in a guided setting, these sensations can be part of the body’s release process and often settle when you slow down and lengthen your exhale. After the breathing rounds, many people notice they feel more inwardly focused and receptive, which can help the guided meditation and integration portion land more deeply.

Overall, Elemental Rhythm breathwork is structured to move along a spectrum — slower breathing, more active rounds, then back to slower breathing and integration — which supports both release and a clear return to grounding before you leave. Over time the practice of breathwork may assist with improved vagal tone, HRV, blood pressure, and mental health.

Breath holds are included for a few practical reasons, and the main one is physiology. Brief breath holds intentionally change blood gases for a short time. When you hold the breath, carbon dioxide (CO2) rises slightly and oxygen (O2) drops slightly. This state of Acute Intermittent Hypoxia (AIH) can support healthier CO2 tolerance and help train the nervous system to stay calm while internal sensations shift. For many people, this is part of why breathwork can feel like a reset. Some claimed benefits of incorporating AIH into breathwork include improved nervous system function, enhanced respiratory and cardiovascular health, stress resilience, increased energy and focus, and reduced inflammation. Breath holds also create a natural pause in the session. After more active breathing, the hold can help the body settle and integrate what has just moved, rather than staying in a continuous build of intensity.

During breath holds, your best guide is interoception (your body awareness). Notice what you feel and respond accordingly. If you feel strain, panic, dizziness, or pressure, shorten the hold or return to normal breathing. Breath holds should feel challenging in a manageable way, not distressing. Because breath holds create stronger physiological changes, they are also one reason breathwork is not appropriate for everyone. If you are pregnant, have cardiovascular concerns (such as heart disease, history of heart attack, angina, or uncontrolled high blood pressure), or have significant eye conditions (such as glaucoma or a detached retina), you should consult your health care provider before participating, and in some cases breathwork may be contraindicated.

Breath holds are always optional. You remain in control, and you can shorten, skip, or return to normal breathing at any time.

Breathwork can create an altered state of consciousness because breathing directly influences the nervous system, blood chemistry, and brain arousal. When you change breathing rhythm and intensity, you can shift the balance between “thinking mind” and “felt sense,” which is why people often report a quieter inner dialogue, stronger imagery, emotional release, or a sense of being deeply inward.

A key mechanism is the way breath changes carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2). During more active breathing, CO2 can drop temporarily. This changes blood pH and can affect blood flow and neural excitability, which may contribute to tingling, light-headedness, and the dreamlike or visionary quality some people notice. Breath holds and slower breathing can shift CO2 in the other direction, supporting a return to steadier regulation and helping the body integrate the experience. CO2 helps regulate blood flow in the brain, so when it drops, the brain can briefly send less blood to the prefrontal cortex (the part responsible for overthinking, planning, and self-monitoring). In simple terms: the “thinking mind” quiets down for a while, and you can drop into a more felt, intuitive, present state.

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​When that front “control centre” softens, the Default Mode Network (the mental loop system involved in rumination, self-criticism, and replaying old stories) can step aside. With fewer filters running, some people feel more emotionally open, more connected, and more receptive to insight. This is one reason breathwork can feel “psychedelic-like” for some people — not because you are out of control, but because the usual mental noise turns down and the inner experience becomes clearer and more vivid.

Rhythm also matters. Music and paced breathing can support entrainment (your body syncing to an external rhythm). As your breathing and heart rhythms become more patterned, many people feel more absorbed and less distracted. Over time, this “state shifting” practice may strengthen nervous system flexibility, including improved HRV, because you are repeatedly practicing moving from activation back to calm.

In Elemental Rhythm, the structure is intentional: movement and faster rounds help mobilize energy, slower rounds and breath holds help stabilize and integrate, and the guided meditation is placed after the rounds because many people are more receptive once the nervous system has shifted into this quieter, inward state.

Tetany (sometimes called “lobster hands” or “T-rex hands”) can happen during more intense breathwork when you breathe faster and exhale more forcefully than normal. This can lower carbon dioxide (CO2) in the body faster than your body can replace it. Low CO2 can raise blood pH and change how nerves and muscles fire, which can lead to tingling, numbness, and sometimes cramping or tightness in the hands, feet, or around the mouth. Tetany can feel uncomfortable, but for most healthy people it is temporary and settles when breathing slows.

Tetany is more likely if someone has underlying mineral or electrolyte issues (for example low magnesium, potassium, or calcium), or certain medical factors (pregnancy/lactation, diuretics, higher alcohol use, parathyroid issues, excess phosphate, or long-term inhaler use for asthma/COPD).

What to do in-session: slow the breathing, soften the exhale (do not force it), and lengthen the exhale. You can also gently move, massage, or stretch the hands/feet/face. If needed, pause and return to a slower, steadier breath. Some people find tetany reduces when they relax and breathe steadily through it, but it should never be pushed past comfort.

Before class (if it happens often or intensely): consider speaking with a health care professional about possible electrolyte or mineral imbalances and overall suitability for intense breathwork.

Breathwork is not about pushing through discomfort. It is about listening to your body and working within your own capacity. You are in control of your breath, your breath is not in control of you. At any time, you may:

• Slow down

• Pause

• Return to normal breathing

• Return to slower breathing, and lengthen your exhale. A slower breath (preferable through the nose to be extra slow) is more helpful than a deep breath to calm.

• Change your position or take a break