Your First Breathwork Session: What to Expect
Your First Breathwork Session: What to Expect
Most people arrive not knowing what to expect. That's fine. Here's exactly what happens, from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave.
Most people arrive not knowing what to expect. That's fine. Here's exactly what happens, from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave.
July 5, 2025
July 5, 2025
You don't need to prepare anything.
I mean that literally. There's no reading to do, no technique to learn beforehand, no particular state of mind to arrive in. Wear something loose and comfortable you can lie down in. Eat light, a snack a couple of hours before is better than arriving full. Skip the coffee if you can, it makes the body a bit noisier than it needs to be, though tea is fine. That's the whole checklist.
Curious and slightly unsure is exactly the right way to arrive. Most people who come to their first breathwork session in Amsterdam have done some research and still don't quite know what they're walking into. That uncertainty is normal and it doesn't get in the way of anything.
We start by talking.
Not with a form, not with a clinical intake, just a conversation. What's brought you here, how you're feeling today, whether there's anything useful for me to know before we begin. I'm not looking for a full history. I just want to know who's in the room with me.
"The breath meets you where you are that day. There's no wrong way to arrive."
This part matters more than people expect. The session works better when there's already some ease between us, and a few minutes of real conversation does that more effectively than any warm-up exercise. By the time you settle in to breathe, you already know I'm not a stranger.
Then you breathe.
You settle in, sitting or lying down, whichever feels right in the moment. Music starts. I guide the pace and stay with you the whole way through, watching, adjusting, sometimes breathing alongside you when that helps you find the rhythm.
A Tetra Breathwork session runs about ninety minutes, moving through different breathing stages that each do something distinct in the body. Some people feel a great deal, emotion, sensation, something shifting that they can't quite name. Some feel calm and steady throughout. Some feel very little and leave wondering if it worked. All of those are valid sessions. There's nothing you're supposed to produce and no version of the experience that means you did it wrong.
The part that surprises most people.
We close slowly. There's a long rest at the end where the breath returns to normal and whatever stirred has room to settle. This part matters as much as the breathing itself, maybe more. Don't rush it.
Most people feel different leaving than they did arriving. Lighter, quieter, more present, sometimes a little raw in the way that comes after something real. Some need a gentle afternoon. Drink water, eat something that feels nourishing, and be easy on yourself for the rest of the day. The session often keeps working quietly after you leave, and that's exactly as it should be.
If you want to try a first breathwork session in Amsterdam, the free intro call is where we start. Come and ask me anything first.
You don't need to prepare anything.
I mean that literally. There's no reading to do, no technique to learn beforehand, no particular state of mind to arrive in. Wear something loose and comfortable you can lie down in. Eat light, a snack a couple of hours before is better than arriving full. Skip the coffee if you can, it makes the body a bit noisier than it needs to be, though tea is fine. That's the whole checklist.
Curious and slightly unsure is exactly the right way to arrive. Most people who come to their first breathwork session in Amsterdam have done some research and still don't quite know what they're walking into. That uncertainty is normal and it doesn't get in the way of anything.
We start by talking.
Not with a form, not with a clinical intake, just a conversation. What's brought you here, how you're feeling today, whether there's anything useful for me to know before we begin. I'm not looking for a full history. I just want to know who's in the room with me.
"The breath meets you where you are that day. There's no wrong way to arrive."
This part matters more than people expect. The session works better when there's already some ease between us, and a few minutes of real conversation does that more effectively than any warm-up exercise. By the time you settle in to breathe, you already know I'm not a stranger.
Then you breathe.
You settle in, sitting or lying down, whichever feels right in the moment. Music starts. I guide the pace and stay with you the whole way through, watching, adjusting, sometimes breathing alongside you when that helps you find the rhythm.
A Tetra Breathwork session runs about ninety minutes, moving through different breathing stages that each do something distinct in the body. Some people feel a great deal, emotion, sensation, something shifting that they can't quite name. Some feel calm and steady throughout. Some feel very little and leave wondering if it worked. All of those are valid sessions. There's nothing you're supposed to produce and no version of the experience that means you did it wrong.
The part that surprises most people.
We close slowly. There's a long rest at the end where the breath returns to normal and whatever stirred has room to settle. This part matters as much as the breathing itself, maybe more. Don't rush it.
Most people feel different leaving than they did arriving. Lighter, quieter, more present, sometimes a little raw in the way that comes after something real. Some need a gentle afternoon. Drink water, eat something that feels nourishing, and be easy on yourself for the rest of the day. The session often keeps working quietly after you leave, and that's exactly as it should be.
If you want to try a first breathwork session in Amsterdam, the free intro call is where we start. Come and ask me anything first.
- Oscar Abad, Breathwork Facilitator
- Oscar Abad, Breathwork Facilitator
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Good questions.
Honest answers.
Everything people tend to wonder before a first session, answered straight. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.
Still wondering about something? Write to me and I'll answer personally.
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
Breathwork covers a range of breathing patterns, each with its own effect on the body. The heart of my practice is connected breathing: deeper and faster than everyday breathing, with no pause between the inhale and the exhale. Kept going for a stretch of time, that rhythm changes the body's chemistry and lets the nervous system drop out of alert mode. A session runs about ninety minutes: we talk briefly, then you settle in, sitting or lying down, and breathe to music while I guide the pace. We close slowly and leave time to land before you head back into your day.
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Breathwork is safe for most people, but not for everyone. Check with your doctor first if you are pregnant, or have ever had epilepsy or seizures, psychosis, or a cardiovascular condition such as high or low blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke. Not sure if something counts? Bring it up on the intro call and we'll look at it together.
Do I need any experience?
Do I need any experience?
None. Most people arrive having never tried it. The breath does the work; you just have to show up.
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
This is your practice, and you stay in charge of it the whole way through. I'll guide you and encourage you to lean in, it's called breathwork for a reason, but if something feels like too much or you'd rather take it easy, you simply soften the breath. The depth is always in your hands.
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
There's nothing you're supposed to feel. The breath can carry you somewhere deep one time and simply leave you calm the next, and now and then very little stirs at all. Every one of those sessions counts the same.
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
Loose, comfortable clothes you can move and rest in. Eat light beforehand, a snack a couple of hours ahead is better than arriving full, and skip the caffeine that day if you can. Coffee especially; tea is fine.
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
In person only, mostly in Amsterdam. As much as I'd love to reach everyone, through a screen I can't look after you the way this work asks me to, and your safety and support come before everything else. So for now, we breathe in the same room.
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
It's twenty minutes, by phone or video, whichever suits you. We talk about what's going on for you, I answer your questions, and if it doesn't feel like a fit, that's a perfectly good outcome too.
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Coming on your own is actually the best way in, with no one familiar beside you, it's easier to surrender fully to the practice. That said, you're welcome to bring a partner or a friend, and for breathing as a pair there's partner breathing, where you can also come solo and be matched with someone. From time to time I run group partner breathing sessions as well.
What's your cancellation policy?
What's your cancellation policy?
You can reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before your session. Within 48 hours of the start time, the session is charged in full. If something urgent comes up inside that window, reach out and we'll see what's possible.
Good questions.
Honest answers.
Everything people tend to wonder before a first session, answered straight. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
Breathwork covers a range of breathing patterns, each with its own effect on the body. The heart of my practice is connected breathing: deeper and faster than everyday breathing, with no pause between the inhale and the exhale. Kept going for a stretch of time, that rhythm changes the body's chemistry and lets the nervous system drop out of alert mode. A session runs about ninety minutes: we talk briefly, then you settle in, sitting or lying down, and breathe to music while I guide the pace. We close slowly and leave time to land before you head back into your day.
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Breathwork is safe for most people, but not for everyone. Check with your doctor first if you are pregnant, or have ever had epilepsy or seizures, psychosis, or a cardiovascular condition such as high or low blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke. Not sure if something counts? Bring it up on the intro call and we'll look at it together.
Do I need any experience?
Do I need any experience?
None. Most people arrive having never tried it. The breath does the work; you just have to show up.
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
This is your practice, and you stay in charge of it the whole way through. I'll guide you and encourage you to lean in, it's called breathwork for a reason, but if something feels like too much or you'd rather take it easy, you simply soften the breath. The depth is always in your hands.
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
There's nothing you're supposed to feel. The breath can carry you somewhere deep one time and simply leave you calm the next, and now and then very little stirs at all. Every one of those sessions counts the same.
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
Loose, comfortable clothes you can move and rest in. Eat light beforehand, a snack a couple of hours ahead is better than arriving full, and skip the caffeine that day if you can. Coffee especially; tea is fine.
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
In person only, mostly in Amsterdam. As much as I'd love to reach everyone, through a screen I can't look after you the way this work asks me to, and your safety and support come before everything else. So for now, we breathe in the same room.
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
It's twenty minutes, by phone or video, whichever suits you. We talk about what's going on for you, I answer your questions, and if it doesn't feel like a fit, that's a perfectly good outcome too.
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Coming on your own is actually the best way in, with no one familiar beside you, it's easier to surrender fully to the practice. That said, you're welcome to bring a partner or a friend, and for breathing as a pair there's partner breathing, where you can also come solo and be matched with someone. From time to time I run group partner breathing sessions as well.
What's your cancellation policy?
What's your cancellation policy?
You can reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before your session. Within 48 hours of the start time, the session is charged in full. If something urgent comes up inside that window, reach out and we'll see what's possible.
Still wondering about something? Write to me and I'll answer personally.
Good questions.
Honest answers.
Everything people tend to wonder before a first session, answered straight. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.
Still wondering about something? Write to me and I'll answer personally.
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
What is breathwork, and what happens in a session?
Breathwork covers a range of breathing patterns, each with its own effect on the body. The heart of my practice is connected breathing: deeper and faster than everyday breathing, with no pause between the inhale and the exhale. Kept going for a stretch of time, that rhythm changes the body's chemistry and lets the nervous system drop out of alert mode. A session runs about ninety minutes: we talk briefly, then you settle in, sitting or lying down, and breathe to music while I guide the pace. We close slowly and leave time to land before you head back into your day.
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Who shouldn't do breathwork?
Breathwork is safe for most people, but not for everyone. Check with your doctor first if you are pregnant, or have ever had epilepsy or seizures, psychosis, or a cardiovascular condition such as high or low blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke. Not sure if something counts? Bring it up on the intro call and we'll look at it together.
Do I need any experience?
Do I need any experience?
None. Most people arrive having never tried it. The breath does the work; you just have to show up.
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
How intense is it? Will it be too much for me?
This is your practice, and you stay in charge of it the whole way through. I'll guide you and encourage you to lean in, it's called breathwork for a reason, but if something feels like too much or you'd rather take it easy, you simply soften the breath. The depth is always in your hands.
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
Will I feel something? What if nothing happens?
There's nothing you're supposed to feel. The breath can carry you somewhere deep one time and simply leave you calm the next, and now and then very little stirs at all. Every one of those sessions counts the same.
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
What should I wear, and should I eat beforehand?
Loose, comfortable clothes you can move and rest in. Eat light beforehand, a snack a couple of hours ahead is better than arriving full, and skip the caffeine that day if you can. Coffee especially; tea is fine.
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
Where do sessions happen? Can I do it online?
In person only, mostly in Amsterdam. As much as I'd love to reach everyone, through a screen I can't look after you the way this work asks me to, and your safety and support come before everything else. So for now, we breathe in the same room.
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
What's the free intro call, and am I committing to anything?
It's twenty minutes, by phone or video, whichever suits you. We talk about what's going on for you, I answer your questions, and if it doesn't feel like a fit, that's a perfectly good outcome too.
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Can I come with a partner, or do I have to come alone?
Coming on your own is actually the best way in, with no one familiar beside you, it's easier to surrender fully to the practice. That said, you're welcome to bring a partner or a friend, and for breathing as a pair there's partner breathing, where you can also come solo and be matched with someone. From time to time I run group partner breathing sessions as well.
What's your cancellation policy?
What's your cancellation policy?
You can reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before your session. Within 48 hours of the start time, the session is charged in full. If something urgent comes up inside that window, reach out and we'll see what's possible.