What is breathwork?
You breathe thousands of times a day, almost always without noticing. Breathwork is what happens when you do notice. You choose how fast, how deep and how long you breathe, and you pay attention to what that does to your body and your mind.
Breathing is one of the few bodily functions that runs on its own and that you can also steer. That makes the breath a direct way in to your nervous system. Fast, shallow breathing belongs to tension and alertness. Slow breathing with a long exhale belongs to rest. When you change your breath, you send your body a different signal.
The word covers very different practices. On one end are gentle exercises of a few minutes that you can do at your desk. On the other end are longer, intense sessions with a facilitator, in which you breathe quickly and without pausing for a while. The two feel very different, and they ask different things of you.
Why breathwork often suits people who live in their head
Many people who contact Stars Frequencies run their lives from their head. They plan, analyse and keep everything under control, and they notice that feeling has drifted further and further away. For them, breathwork is often an easy first step. You don't have to believe anything or understand anything. You breathe, and you notice what happens.
What people often describe after their first conscious breathing session is surprise. Something that sounds so simple can touch more than they expected: a sigh from deep in the belly, tears, or an unexpected calm. That isn't a sign that something is going wrong. It shows that your body was holding on to something your head couldn't reach.
The same thing Rosa says before every ceremony applies here: letting go is not a condition. It is a result. You don't have to force yourself to relax. When your breath slows down, your body often follows on its own.
Breathwork at home: a gentle way to start
You don't need a course to begin. Two simple exercises are enough to feel what conscious breathing does for you.
Slow, even breathing
Breathe in through your nose for a few counts and out again for the same length, with no pause in between. Keep the rhythm calm and even for a few minutes. Many people notice that their thoughts slow down as soon as their breath finds a steady rhythm.
A longer exhale
Here you make the exhale longer than the inhale, for example four counts in and six or eight counts out. The exhale is the part of the breath linked to rest. This exercise works well after a busy day, before a difficult conversation, or in the days before a ceremony.
If you feel dizzy or short of breath, simply go back to breathing at your own pace. Breathwork isn't a performance. Five calm minutes every day are worth more than one long session in which you push yourself too hard.
Breathwork and trauma release breathwork: what's the difference?
Breathwork is often used as the name for the more intense forms of conscious breathing. You breathe quickly and continuously for a while, usually without a pause between in and out, often lying down and with music. That brings your body into a heightened state. Tingling in the hands and face, shaking, warmth or emotions rising to the surface are common.
Trauma release breathwork is a form of breathwork aimed at tension that has been held in the body for a long time. The idea behind it: when you are startled or threatened, your breath becomes high and fast, or stops for a moment. Sometimes that pattern stays, long after the situation has passed. A different breathing rhythm can make the pattern noticeable, and create some room around it.
Be careful with what you expect from it. Participants often describe breathwork as intense and sometimes freeing, but it is not a solution for serious complaints and it is not a promise. If you carry something heavy, such as intense memories or reactions that overwhelm you, look for professional help first. Intense breathwork isn't right for everyone either: if you have heart or blood pressure problems, epilepsy, or you are pregnant, talk to your GP first.
A ceremony is not a substitute for medical or psychological help. Read more about safety
Is breathwork part of a truffle ceremony at Stars Frequencies?
No. A truffle ceremony at Stars Frequencies does not include breathwork. What every ceremony does include, private and duo ceremonies too, is meditation and sound healing with singing bowls. They give your mind something to follow and help your body settle, without you having to do an intense breathing technique yourself.
Stars Frequencies guides truffle ceremonies in Amsterdam, in a small group of up to 8 people (€295 per person) or privately (€495). The day takes about 7 hours and Rosa is in the room for the whole ceremony. Beforehand there is a free 30-minute intro call, with questions about your health and any medication. You can read all about the day itself on the page about the truffle ceremony in Amsterdam.
The difference in short: in breathwork, you are the one doing something, with your breath, at a pace that can be intense. In a ceremony you don't have to do anything. You lie down, you listen, and the meditation and the sound carry you.
Breathwork during the truffle retreat at the Elsterdome
If you would like to combine breathwork with a truffle ceremony, the truffle retreat at the Elsterdome on 17 and 18 October 2026 is the place for it. Breathwork is on the programme there, guided by Kim. You have two days, so the breathing session and the ceremony don't have to fit into a single day.
Would you rather start with a single day, a ceremony in Amsterdam is a calmer first step. About half of the participants are doing it for the first time. No experience needed.
Breathwork before a ceremony
Even though breathwork isn't part of the ceremony itself, calm breathing in the days before can help you arrive with more space. People who already know what it feels like when the body takes the lead instead of the head often walk into the day with more trust.
A few minutes a day of practising the longer exhale is enough. You'll find more about what to do in the days before your ceremony in the guide to preparing for your truffle ceremony.