Read before practice
Safety information
Breathing practices can change alertness, carbon-dioxide balance, heart rate and physical sensations. Use a comfortable pace and treat every safety warning as part of the practice.
Not medical care or an emergency service
Breath of Life does not diagnose, prevent or treat disease and cannot assess whether a technique is safe for you. If you have severe symptoms, chest pain, fainting, difficulty breathing that does not quickly resolve, signs of stroke or another emergency, stop and contact your local emergency service.
Core rules for every practice
- Practice seated or lying down in a safe, stable place with normal room air.
- Never practice while driving, cycling, operating machinery, standing at height, in or near water, in a bath, or anywhere faintness could cause harm.
- Do not force a deep breath, fast rhythm or breath hold. Choose a lighter or shorter practice when uncertain.
- Stop immediately and return to normal breathing if you feel dizzy, faint, numb, confused, panicked, have pain, visual changes, palpitations or unusual shortness of breath.
- Do not continue merely to complete a timer. Recovery and safety take priority over progress, streaks or goals.
- Avoid practice when intoxicated, extremely fatigued or unable to follow instructions safely.
Ask a qualified clinician first
Get individualized medical advice before using breath holds, rapid/intensive breathing or other advanced techniques if you are pregnant or may be pregnant, are under medical care, or have a history of:
- heart or vascular disease, arrhythmia, uncontrolled blood pressure, stroke or aneurysm;
- epilepsy, seizures, fainting or unexplained loss of consciousness;
- serious lung or respiratory disease, recent severe infection or unexplained breathing difficulty;
- glaucoma, retinal problems, recent eye, chest, abdominal or other surgery;
- panic disorder, psychosis, severe trauma reactions or another condition that altered breathing sensations may aggravate.
This list is not exhaustive. A clinician who knows your health history should decide what is appropriate.
Breath holds and intensive techniques
Breath holds, repeated deep breathing and faster rhythms have higher risk of dizziness, tingling, fainting or distress. Use them only after reading the in-app safety gate, never compete with a timer, and end the hold at the first clear need to breathe. Do not deliberately hyperventilate before a hold. If a technique feels wrong, select a gentle even rhythm or stop.
Age requirement
Breath of Life is intended only for people aged 18 or older.
After stopping
Remain seated or lying down, breathe normally and allow symptoms to settle. Do not resume until fully recovered. Seek medical advice if symptoms are severe, recur or do not resolve promptly. Report a reproducible app safety issue to breathoflife.support@gmail.com without sending unnecessary medical records.