Tetany During Breathwork
Have you ever been in a breathwork session and felt that deeply uncomfortable tension in your jaw, forearms, hands, and legs?
It could be Tetany!
What is tetany?
Tetany is a state in which our muscles are in a prolonged involuntary contraction. This may be experienced as cramping, tightening, tingling, paralyzing or numbing sensations, and sustained discomfort. It is a common experience during longer breathwork journeys, especially for inexperienced breathers, and if it happens to you the first thing you need to know is that there is NOTHING TO FEAR. The second thing you need to know is that it is temporary and it will go away on its own once you return to a normal breathing pattern. It can also be seen as an opportunity for personal transformation (see “Spiritual Considerations for Tetany” below for more details).
Outside of breathwork, tetany can occur, in relative severities, due to a combination of metabolic abnormalities including hypocalcemia, hypoparathyroidism, chronic vitamin D deficiency, electrolyte imbalances, and acid-base (O2, CO2 and HCO3) imbalances in the blood.
Why do we experience tetany during breathwork?
Sustained maladaptive patterns of control in our breath over a prolonged period of time, change the oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide CO2, and bicarbonate (CHO3) levels in our blood. When the tempo of our breathing is heightened without the proper relaxed quality of breath as a necessary counter-point OR if the breathing pattern is forced through additional musculature via the throat, lips, jaw, and/or belly our CO2 levels lower (releasing too much CO2), changing the pH of our blood, making it more alkaline (basic). This leads to lower calcium carrying capacity (albumin binding of calcium) in the blood, the mineral required for regulation of muscular contraction. With a diminished ability to move and utilise calcium in the blood and within muscle tissue, we enter a temporarily functional state of ‘hypocalcemia’.
The science behind hypocalcemia and tetany?
Calcium ions play an important role in stabilizing the resting membrane potential of neurons, thereby preventing their spontaneous activation. Hypocalcemia causes increased neuromuscular excitability by decreasing the threshold needed for the activation of neurons. As a result, neurons become unstable and fire spontaneous action potentials that trigger the involuntary contraction of the muscles, which eventually leads to tetany.
Check out this really great website with videos that describe the above in more detail: https://pittmedneuro.com/ions.html
Spiritual considerations for tetany during breathwork:
Tetany typically presents as a contraction of muscles in the hands, forearms, jaw, and legs. The hands can form a claw-like shape that resembles grasping, clinging, or holding on to something. The experience of tetany offers the opportunity to explore what you are holding on to that might serve you to let go of. Your breath journey is the perfect opportunity to practice this surrender. By relaxing the exhale, dropping the weight of the body, and deepening into trust, your nervous system will register the message “it’s safe to let go”. Consider this as a message from the body that there is something to look at here. What is holding you back in your life? What old patterns are you stuck in? Are there any relationships, habits, or professional commitments that are no longer serving you? What would it look like to let go?
Helpful tips if tetany is a common experience during the breath:
Ensure the exhale is not constricted or forced. The more you can relax the exhale, the less likely tetany is to occur.
Slow down your tempo and try a gentler breath while introducing gentle movement of the hands and feet to encourage blood flow.
Practice not resisting the tetany and accept that it might happen. Do your best to surrender, let go of the fear and breath/relax into the sensation. Trust yourself to breathe through it.
Eat foods high in Magnesium. Magnesium helps to slow muscle contraction. Theoretically, if you have magnesium deficiency, you may be more likely to experience tetany during your breath.
Try “dancing between your edge” (Monika Reimann). If the sensation becomes too much, reduce the breath down to a gentle tempo. Reflect on this message from your body; What are you holding on to? When you are ready, ramp back up your conscious connected breath; You are ready to face this!
