Air Hunger Explained: Causes of Chronic Breathing Tension, Yawning, Sighing, Breathlessness

Liberating the Natural Breath is an online breathing journey and community created specifically to help people experiencing Air Hunger (or Chronic Breathing Tension, Hyperventilation, Chronic Yawning and Sighing) find their way toward easeful, natural breathing. Created by a psychotherapist who found his way through Air Hunger earlier in his life and a breathing-specialized Alexander Technique teacher, Liberating the Natural Breath is an innovative, thorough, and holistic approach that is founded upon long-established bodies of work. We are committed to providing a path forward for people with non-medical Air Hunger, helping them to rediscover that their body and their system do know how to breathe and can reestablish their inherent, easeful breathing if given the right support.

This video explores natural breathing and the Alexander Technique. These principles may be helpful for understanding non-medical symptoms such as chronic breathing tension and non-medical air hunger, dyspnea, sighing, yawning, feelings of struggling for air and breathlessness, shortness of breath, gasping for air, reaching for air, muscle tension, hyperventilation, belly-breathing, chest-breathing, feeling like you can't breathe or can't get a full breath, can't get a full breath in your lungs, or feeling like you're having a panic attack. This video is not intended to address medical issues in any way. Rather, it is an educational video about the Alexander Technique; our capacities for awareness, choice, and habit; and how we can learn to recognize the ways we unintentionally interfere with the natural movement of our breath. This video and the course are both offered by Emergent Inquiry, LLC.

This is an educational video about how the Alexander Technique and self-awareness can be used to reduce habits of interference in the body’s natural ease and coordination. Neither this video nor the associated self-paced course are intended to address medical conditions or mental health conditions. This video and any associated services are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.

Emergent Inquiry, LLC recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any information to your individual situation and seek one-to-one guidance from a certified Alexander Technique teacher if you decide to pursue the application of Alexander Technique principles to your own physical or mental habits.

Copyright 2021 Emergent Inquiry, LLC

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Thank you for watching.

[carmonpubg]

Thank you so much for sharing this insight.

My first experience was during the Covid19 lockdown. After that, it went away for a couple of years. It came back during the Christmas holiday last year, I was alone and I thought that I was going to die. I tried to call everyone and told them about it. I had a really chest pain and back pain, I couldn't get enough air. I tried to calm myself down and slept through the night. When I got up in the morning, I felt like nothing had happened.

Time that I feel not getting enough air.
1. Alone
2. Thinking about death
3. Have conscious of my breathing
4. Thinking about my childhood
5. Worry about the future

Time that I don't feel it.
1. Working
2. Busy
3. Focusing on doing things
4. Happy time

[bodyblend]

guys i have this at the moment and what helps significantly is consciously slowing down my breathing and having extreme prejudice against trying to go for the deep breaths as yor body doesn't actually need them(in my case) and it only starts when i am aware of my breathing, but once i slow down and focus and relax it helps a lot.

[junior]

My Air Hunger Journey:

First of all, let me tell you about my background, I’m 31 years old healthy male, living in Germany, never drink never smoked, physically active, no family records regarding any cardiac/respiratory condition.

Late January 2022 I started having the first symptoms, difficult breathing while exercising, that feeling of forcing your neck and chest muscles to reach a satisfying breath, normal breathing looked like wasn’t enough, I immediately thought it was some sort of cough or flu, after taking several “off the shelf” medicine for weeks I noticed I was getting worse.

A month later I had my first Panic Attack, Saturday morning, right after I started a cardio workout ( that I have being doing every day for the last 5 years ) I had a very hard time trying to reach my breath I felt that I was dying and went straight to the emergency room, after a few hours I felt better and initial exams showed that I was completely fine.

After that day, I took a long rest, no exercises, just doing the regular work, during this period I switched jobs for a full remote role. I felt great, for months all symptoms were gone I haven’t had a single issue, slowly getting back to the gym feeling a 100%.

I thought the problem was gone but late December 2022 I started having the same symptoms again, and I’m having trouble ever since . I started paying close attention to every symptom and after weeks of research I finally realized I’m suffering with Air Hunger, Pseudo-Dyspnea, False Shortness of Breath, Unconscious Respiratory Disorder, or whatever you wanna call it.

Some evidences that made me realized what I have:

* The main symptom is difficult breathing, usually triggered by any simple physical activity like staircases, or weight training. Sometimes it comes when i’m fully at rest like watching Netflix or browsing through the internet on my phone.

* another symptom is the feeling that I’m stuck with a burp on my throat and I’m constantly trying to get it out

* In the last 3 months I went to different 2 doctors to rule out any medical condition, after over 10 exams including cardiac, respiratory, allergies, asthma, etc…., on paper, I am a 100% healthy. Not a single medical evidence that could point to the issue.

* No trauma or recent accident happened, apart from this issue I’m really happy with my life, It is very unlikely I’m suffering from any kind of anxiety.

* If I get interested or really focused on something, looks like all symptoms are gone (when I play video games or while I work on something that need 100% of my attention) but as soon as I do something that reminds me I have to breathe the problem comes back.

* No problems sleeping, no other physical issues.

* I have tried every kind of Breathing Exercise, Yoga and Stretching technique, some of them gives me a quick relief but no solution.

* It all started after my Pfizer covid Jab.

LOOKS LIKE IT IS ALL IN MY HEAD

I don’t want to control my breathing, we are designed to have this process being done automatically and unconsciously. Looks like my body is signaling to my head that I’m not getting enough air, but I am, I know I’m good but this feeling of not getting enough oxygen is always there.

I really want to fell normal again, any help is appreciated.

[laurao]

Thank you 😢for this I’ve been experiencing it and it’s horrible shortness of breath and chest tightness

[MorrisseysthFriend]

This describes me 10000%. When i explained my symptoms to my doctor she looked at me like I had two heads. To think that this is so common and well known but she was completely clueless makes me lose confidence in medical professionals.

[handsomeX]

Mine isnt too severe. I'll only feel the need to take a deep breath when I'm overthinking my breathing. And even then, the need to take a deep breath isnt overwhelming. Started about 2 weeks ago, off and on. It doesnt occur when I'm working out or laying down and relaxing. This is how i knew that this wasnt a medical issue. Its definitely mental. It happens enough for it to be a slight annoyance, but no so much to where i start to panic. Thank you for the video. It all makes sense now.

[wzupppp]

Finally someone who understands my issue

[MenteyExito]

Thank you, thank you! Exactly what I feel. I will sign up to your course!

[FightingALion]

I’ve never found out what this problem was till today, thank you very much, I’m going to watch you follow up videos on it!

[muhammadbaffa]

Omg. I’ve been having this air hunger for about 2 years now. And it feels really awful. Nobody understands me when i try explaining to them, not even my doctor so I thought maybe I’m the only one in this world with this problem and that’s when i realized maybe I’ll just have to live like this for the rest of my life. But then something brought me to this channel. Thank you sooo much 🙏🏽❤

[johngore]

I’m 8:53 seconds into this and so far this is exactly what’s happening with me. Years now I’ve had this, 2014 perhaps. I finally decided to Google “urge to yawn” and came upon this video. I didn’t know air hunger was a thing. And the tension i definitely feel. I look forward to finding some relief hopefully.

[jesperjee]

Wow....this is exactly what I've experienced for 20 years! I suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for a long time and attributed it to that. Nowadays it comes and goes for me but It never completely goes away. I am a singer also and it makes it a struggle.

[jchtylmegekr]

Finally something that sounds like my issue. I also have a shoulder twitch that seems to be provoked both physically but also mentally. Then I feel anxious and I feel strange tightness around my sternum. Everything including the trouble breathing comes at once. Doctors think I’m crazy!

[wavystars]

I have been dealing with what may be this for 3 years. Wokeup one day and struggled to breathe. Been constant ever since. I do a weird sensation and try to “catch” breath. Looks like a yawn and air shoots out of my nose. Sometimes mucus buildup too as I’ve always had asthma that I thought I had grown out of. I’m 22 now and this started when I had just turned 19. We still aren’t sure if Covid, the vaccine, anxiety, sleep apnea, slight smoking (quit since), and/or allergies added to/caused this. Bizarre and frustrating to this day. My oxygen levels are normally above 97. However breathing is always hard, seems shallow a lot, and manual, etc. Thank you for always trying to help. I hope after watching all these I have a shot at improvement.

[simontcampbell]

Just watching this video cured me of my current symptoms! i think the fact that I can pinpoint what it is has put my mind at ease. I've had this off and on for about a year now and was getting worried i might have an underlying health condition. Currently I'm just fighting every urge to take a giant breath as they come, one at a time. It's still trying to come, but i stop myself each time I feel like i'm going to force it and continue slow breaths through my nose without forcing anything. If I find myslef starting a big breath consciously I immediately switch to exhaling through my nose. It seems to be working...about 10 mins back to normal breathing, they are still coming but I think i've beat it finally this time. It's been 2 days of it.

Does anyone else get constant tension in their feet? When i have this air hunger I find myself constantly scrunching my toes, like I'm trying to release tension through them, and also less frequently I have this overwhelming urge to "forcefully shudder" my whole body. The yawning drives me nuts! It's like i can't fully yawn and I keep trying even though I know its not going to work fully. Even after i catch a yawn after a few failed attempts it feels so unsatisfying!

So glad I found this :)

[neilnoon]

As I gained some weight through the winter I noticed this issue. Being that Im 6'7", I was always a stocky built in my younger years. I never had this problem. Im 51 now and dont shed the weight as easily. I thought I was going to be stuck in this pattern forever. It does go away. Have faith. Relax. You just need to sort of forget to try and breath. All of the sudden its gone. It has left you. I found there was really nothing I needed to do. Just let go of trying to control it. It seems impossible I know.
I was there. Just let go. Put your mind to other things and all of the sudden the normal you is back.
Number one thing that helped me was Stop trying to be in control..
Youre not. You dont need to be!¹
Your body will do it for you. Good Luck. 😊

[vanjacalantropo]

I think I have this, need to take a deep breath while talking, eating or if I’m overwhelmed. Thank you.

[HannahWho]

I've been struggling with this off and on for my entire life since I was around 6 or 7 years old. Thank you for making this video.

[AJ]

Another thing that can happen with the chest tightness is globus sensation (knot in throat feeling) from anxiety and this constricts everything even more so it feels like you’re choking and can’t breathe. You will start coughing a lot and clearing your throat and guess what: that constricts and irritates the airways even more!