Alternate Nose Breathing: It’s good for your client, and it’s good for you.
A grounding moment for clients and counselors
CareLink Media LLC | Alternate Nose Breathing
It was near the end of a tough session. My client—mid-thirties, struggling with panic attacks—had just described how he sometimes felt like his chest was caving in when things got overwhelming. His words were racing. His breath was shallow. You could feel the tension.
“I can’t catch my breath when it starts,” he said. “It’s like my body forgets how to calm down.”
I paused for a moment, then asked, “Would you be open to trying something with me? It’s simple. A breathing technique. Just a minute or two.”
He nodded.
I walked him through it slowly: “Take your right hand and use your thumb to close off your right nostril. Breathe in nice and easy through the left. Now, close the left nostril with your ring finger, release your thumb, and breathe out through the right.”
We continued for a few cycles—alternating sides, slowing the rhythm.
Within a minute, something shifted. His shoulders dropped. His speech slowed. He looked at me and said, “That... actually helped.”
I nodded. “Yeah, it’s a strange little trick. But it gives your body something to focus on. It brings things down.”
Alternate nose breathing isn’t complicated. It just asks you to breathe with intention—one side at a time. It creates a rhythm that interrupts the spiral. It anchors you back in your body, back in the moment.
Since then, I’ve introduced it to other clients too—those dealing with anxiety, grief, high stress. It’s not a fix-all, but it’s a helpful tool to have in the bag. One of those quiet, unexpected things that reminds us both: there are ways to slow down, even when the world feels too fast.
