Why People Cry in Breathwork

Many people worry about crying in breathwork. Some apologise before a session even begins. Others say they’re afraid that if they start, they won’t stop. But tears in breathwork aren’t a sign of weakness or losing control. They’re a sign that the body has finally found a safe enough space to let emotion move.

Crying in breathwork happens because the breath reaches places that the mind cannot.

When breath deepens, the emotional body opens.

The physiology behind breathwork tears

When you breathe in a steady, connected rhythm, the diaphragm moves differently.

The chest opens.

The ribcage expands.

The areas where grief has been held begin to soften.

This change signals to the nervous system that the protective bracing can loosen. When that bracing loosens, emotion rises. Tears are simply the release mechanism.

Tears come when:

• the diaphragm unclenches

• the heart space opens

• old memories surface

• the nervous system shifts out of freeze

• the body feels safe enough to let go

Crying isn’t an emotional event.

It’s a biological release.

Why tears come so suddenly

People often say it feels like something just cracks open.

One moment they’re breathing.

The next, tears fall.

This happens because breathwork bypasses the mental filter that usually dampens emotional expression. When you’re in your everyday state, the mind often overrides or suppresses emotion to keep you functioning.

During breathwork, that filter softens.

The emotion that had been held back simply moves.

Why tears are relieving, not destabilising

Tears in session don’t create chaos.

They create room.

You may notice:

• softer breathing afterwards

• warmth in the chest

• a sense of clarity

• tension releasing from the shoulders or jaw

• deeper rest after the session

People often say they feel lighter, not because the grief is gone, but because part of the weight has been allowed to move.

Why some people cry and some don’t

Not crying doesn’t mean you aren’t releasing.

Some people sigh, shake, yawn, tremble, sweat, or feel warmth.

Each body has its own language.

But when tears do come, they come because the body finally feels safe enough to reveal something true.

Tears don’t mean something is wrong

They mean something is working.

They mean your system is letting go of its grip.

They mean your emotional body is being met with care.

If you know someone who may benefit from breathwork for grief, or if you’d like a safe space to let emotion move without pressure, you’re welcome to explore my grief-tending breathwork sessions. The body knows how to release. Breath simply gives it the path.

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