Wind musical instrument is also a great way for learning how to breathe. I have started learning flute in my twenties and found out that I do not breathe properly. Find a good teacher. Yoga also helps.

With flutes, there are many, I have end up with shakuhachi, which I use in its original context, as a tool for meditation. When playing meditatively, it is easier to concentrate on your posture and breath, going through your body again and again, removing any unnecessary tensions. You can be more "in" the body, less in your head. Great practice!

Just playing it for 20 minutes changes your mood. Good luck!

It can help with lung capacity issues as well because both brass and woodwinds give your lungs a really good workout but make sure to keep your instrument very clean, especially the mouthpiece and the top of the tubes because you can easily contract a fungus that ends up in your lungs through them.

Would a harmonica work for this purpose, do you think?

It could, but I cannot tell from my experience. Searching for "harmonica breathing exercise" gave me results with exercises that are similar to exercises for other instruments.

And I would add that whatever you find that works for you, keep doing it. Again and again. Like brushing your teeth. Because those causes may tend to slip back in after some time.

> Literally learning how to breathe (i would oddly hold my breath)

How did you go about learning?

For me it was a bit of a combination.

Main one was the breathing exercises in mediation. Which teach you how focusing on breathing can help steady yourself if tension, anxiety, nervousness, etc overtake you.

Secondarily was i was taking some Pilates classes. Seeing how breathing was important during movements helped reinforce the notion. Plus it helps you get more oxygen in and you tire less

Overall it was retraining my body to keep breathing :)

I'm onto the same track, there's something called myofunctional training/exercies which seem related but I've yet to try it. Would love to hear others opinions on it.

Would love to know as well. I often find that I've been holding my breath for quite a while whether I'm reading or working and suddenly will gasp for air.

Responded above, basically learning to breath in meditation showed me how much i was holding my breath.

Now it's almost unconscious when I'm sensing anxiety/tensions rising. I'll start focusing on my breathing to bring me back to a calmer state

One item that I would consider adding to this toolkit is Feldenkrais practice. It has a reputation as a gentle and highly personal method for retraining deeply engrained bodily habits. There are practitioners all over the world who can do one-on-one hands on therapy, or you can look for recordings of guided practices.

A quick google search found this lesson [1] and I'm sure there are plenty of others.

[1] https://feldenkraisproject.com/lesson/easing-jaw-neck-should...

Thanks. Realized I hold my breath too. Did you just pay attention and stop when you noticed?

And how did you find a good therapist? I feel like it would be a hard domain, but helpful if I found a good one.

With the breath holding, or other things in your body, it takes a few stages. First is just noticing when something happens in a non-judgmental way. Just a neutral awareness of it. For me this was a challenging part because if I did notice the breath holding I would mentally chastise myself and try to force the air more violently. After that it’s becomes more about taking that neutral awareness and doing something for it. Either taking some deep breaths or checking in with myself to see if I’m feeling anxious.

It’s a continual practice, no one ever gets perfect at it. But building up the skills let’s you ride that bicycle :)

As for therapists it’s really a personal call. Research some ones in your area. Most will list their qualifications and their therapy modality. And then give them a call and ask for a consultation. Kinda like a first date you chat over the phone or in-person. You will get a personal sense on how they respond to your question or needs. I called 5 and picked one after those consults.

My main reason was I felt more at ease with the sound of their voice

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

This is a very useful answer. My 2 cents: I would add hypnotherapy to the list of possible treatments - with focus on looking at your emotions. Trauma or unresolved emotional issues almost always result in “Body Armouring” or Psychosomatic symptoms of some kind. Depression and back pain go hand in hand. - I’m a psychologist and hypnotherapist.