Breathwork: How Conscious Breathing Helps Release Stress and Trauma

By Nisarga Eryk Dobosz · 27 October 2026

I have been facilitating Biodynamic Breathwork since 2009, and I have seen again and again what happens when people truly start to breathe. Something opens. Something that was frozen begins to move. With this article I want to inspire you to breathe more deeply and more consciously, because the breath is one of the most powerful tools we have – and it is always with us.

Breathwork is everywhere now

In the last years breathwork has become one of the fastest growing areas of holistic health. Some people call it "the new yoga". New schools and methods are appearing like mushrooms after rain – and here in Estonia we know a lot about mushrooms! Breathwork workshops are now offered in Tallinn, Tartu and in retreat centres all over the country.

Just fifteen years ago there were only a few pioneering methods: Holotropic Breathwork, Rebirthing, Biodynamic Breathwork and the traditional yogic pranayama. Each has its own purpose and focuses on different aspects of the breath. Today the choice can be confusing.

So how do you choose? My advice is simple: look for a method that is trauma-informed – that understands the nervous system and knows how to hold strong experiences safely.

Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release System

The method I work with and teach is the Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release System (BBTRS), founded by Giten Tonkov. As a trauma facilitator I find it one of the most effective and gentle-but-deep approaches for working with stress and trauma held in the body.

How breath helps release trauma

In BBTRS we use breath to charge the body – to bring in energy and resources. With this extra energy and in a safe setting, the body can begin to express what has been stored inside from past experiences.

Many of our stress patterns come from survival responses that never finished. When something overwhelming happened, the body prepared to fight, to run, or it froze. If that response was interrupted – because we were a child, because there was no way out, because we had to stay "fine" – the energy stays in the system. The nervous system keeps coping, but it doesn't fully relax.

During a breathwork session, these incomplete responses can be completed. People shake, move, make sound, cry, sometimes get angry, sometimes laugh or feel deep bliss. The beauty of the breath is that it goes under the thinking mind. We don't need to analyse or understand what is coming up. We trust the body's own wisdom for self-regulation.

Sometimes memories or images from the past appear, almost as a side effect. Sometimes nothing "special" happens, and still people leave lighter, calmer, sleeping better that night.

One session or a process?

Sometimes one session creates a profound shift. More often, real change comes through a series – weekly sessions over some weeks or months. The nervous system is plastic; it can learn. But it needs time and repetition to build enough resilience to process old memories without being overwhelmed.

Patience, love and presence with ourselves are essential. Breathwork is not about pushing through. It is about letting the breath gently guide us toward release and freedom. Breathwork can support your wellbeing, but it is not a replacement for medical or psychological treatment. If you are pregnant or have a heart condition, epilepsy, high blood pressure or a serious mental health condition, please check with your doctor before intensive breathwork.

A simple breathing practice for right now

You don't have to wait for the "right" time. The present moment is all we have. So, as you read these words:

• Pause for a moment.
• Feel the air as it enters your nose. Is it cool? Warm? Dry or moist?
• Follow the breath down into your chest and belly.
• Notice the small pause at the end of the inhale… and at the end of the exhale.
• Let the exhale become a little longer than the inhale.
• Sink into your body. Relax for three more breaths.

That's it. Just this, a few times a day, can change how your nervous system feels.

Breathe life into every moment

With every conscious breath we come back into life, and we feel the deep connection of body, mind and spirit. Through breathwork we touch the depths of our being and open the potential for healing, resilience and inner peace.

If you feel called to explore, join one of our breathwork sessions in Tallinn, or come to a BBTRS training with the Body Awareness Institute in Estonia. Let the breath become your companion on the way home to yourself.

Nisarga Eryk Dobosz is a bodyworker and trainer (BBTRS®, MER®, BCST, Lomi Lomi) and founder of the Body Awareness Institute. This article is for education and self-care. It is not medical advice and does not replace care from a doctor or therapist.