Fast Breathing or Faster-than-normal-breathing in the context of Breathwork is characteristically carried out as a form of Conscious Connected Breathing.
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In Fast Breathing sessions, participants will gradually increase their breathing cycle to about thirty to seventy breaths per minute. Mind that a normal, average respiratory rate for adults varies between twelve and twenty breaths.
In fact, Fast Breathing as a consciously performed exercise is basically a form of “induced hyperventilation” or “controlled hyperventilation.” Hyperventilation results in lower levels of CO2 in the blood stream, which constrict the blood vessels and can create psychedelic, visual, and emotional mental effects because of the reduced blood flow — and thus reduced Oxygen (O2) amount — to the brain.
You can learn more about the use of hyperventilation as a conscious breathing technique in our post Hyperventilation and Breathwork – How Do they Relate to Each Other?
Additionally, you can read more about the breathing technique that is considered the counterpart of Fast Breathing in our post about Slow Breathing.
