Finished my 1st session of shamanic breathing - should I go for longer?

[Federico del pueblo]

I could do 30 minutes and then ended the breath when my timer rang. I didn't feel like I  could have done a whole lot more, so I was kinda alleviated when it was over.

Over time some dizziness in my head developed. 

Then I got tingling sensations in my hands and later in my feet, which over time started to spread out in my forearms and calves.

Some time later I almost couldn't feel my hands and feet anymore at all. But with that little bit of feeling left I noticed that my hand and forearm muscles were cramping. It was as though I was clawing into the ground.

Mind-wise it felt like a light inebriation. But nothing out of the ordinary happened after I stopped the breath and chilled.

I was lying there for about another 15 minutes and then got up.

No emotions arose nor did anything related to altered states of mind happen, I was just more awake (in the ordinary sense of the word).

So do you think I should just go for longer and/or breath still faster/more deeply?

Thanks guys!

[flowboy]

You're not breathing deeply enough. It really takes some force.

Check that your belly and chest are both really expanding as much as possible.

I've noticed in sessions that it's hard to get people to realise how deeply they actually need to breathe to get the full effects.

[Federico del pueblo]

5 minutes ago, flowboy said:

You're not breathing deeply enough. It really takes some force.

Check that your belly and chest are both really expanding as much as possible.

I've noticed in sessions that it's hard to get people to realise how deeply they actually need to breathe to get the full effects.

? Good advice, thanks flowboy! 

I'll do it again with a deeper breath.

[Federico del pueblo]

@Mormegil I'll work my way up to longer durations. Thank you!

[Michal__]

After a few months of doing eg. 30m, 5x a week

a) the body load might largely disappear 

b) there will be more of a consciousness increase

c) it will become a useful tool for contemplation

You should do a breath hold at the end of the 30m session. That's stronger than both holotropic breathing and wim Hof. 

If you do the breath hold sooner that wouldn't be strong enough.

If you take tolerance breaks (for me, tolerance builds up) it will be getting stronger and stronger over time.

You should also incorporate long sessions from time to time and maybe mix it with a small dose of a psychadelic.

[Federico del pueblo]

1 minute ago, Michal__ said:

After a few months of doing eg. 30m, 5x a week

a) the body load might largely disappear 

b) there will be more of a consciousness increase

c) it will become a useful tool for contemplation

Good to know!

2 minutes ago, Michal__ said:

You should do a breath hold at the end of the 30m session. That's stronger than both holotropic breathing and wim Hof. 

Interesting. Hold the breath after having fully breathed out or fully breathed in?

3 minutes ago, Michal__ said:

You should also incorporate long sessions from time to time and maybe mix it with a small dose of a psychadelic.

Ok. Small dose would be about 50 ug of LSD or more?

[flowboy]

Also I tend to lose consciousness for seconds at a time while my body vibrates and shakes, so I've learned the hard way to lie down on a mattress and have no place to hit my head (especially my big nose) on. No more meditation pose breathwork for me.

[Federico del pueblo]

4 minutes ago, flowboy said:

Also I tend to lose consciousness for seconds at a time while my body vibrates and shakes, so I've learned the hard way to lie down on a mattress and have no place to hit my head (especially my big nose) on. No more meditation pose breathwork for me.

Good that you mention it, lol.

I guess the loss of consciousness is a symptom of hyperventilation, kind of what we must expect when we take in so much oxygen, right?

I'll be careful about where I place myself ?

[Sincerity]

@Federico del pueblo I don't think You should expect emotions and altered states from your first session. I'd tell You to maybe at least try 30 minutes one or two more times and then go for more. There's no rush.

Be gentle and don't overwhelm yourself. This is my advice. Take notice of what is happening in your mind and body and adjust the technique appropriately, using your intuition. It's like with working out at the gym - do it wisely, don't overstrain yourself and don't expect big gains right away. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by Sincerity

[Federico del pueblo]

@Sincerity Thanks! ???

 

Another general question for everyone: how long before a breathing session should you not eat?

And is there a risk of throwing up or even shitting my pants when things get intense? ?