Testimonials and Reviews from Liberating the Natural Breath participants

John McCall, retired firefighter, age 71
written one month after joining LNB

Since the early 1970’s I have suffered on and off from a condition we now call ‘Air Hunger’. Even now medical experts have differing views on the condition and in many cases, if not all, have had no solution.

Over the years of suffering I tended to describe my condition as a constant search for ‘a sigh’ or a ‘sigh of relief’. When Google came into the picture I tried many searches including ‘gasping for air’ and ‘not being able to get a breath’ and at one point was convinced that I perhaps suffered from GERD. I tried all sorts including many remedies for indigestion and heartburn, but of course nothing worked. What made it worse was the anxiety that it also caused thus making the condition worse.

Only recently having been suffering again for the past three years did I do another Google search and came across almost by accident Simon’s Liberating the Natural Breath.

At last I had found someone who described the condition to a ‘T’ and fully understood what I had tried to explain to many medical experts over the years.

Within three weeks of embarking upon the Liberating Breath course my ‘air hunger’ is almost completely gone. I still have my moments, but practicing the ‘constructive rest’ and following the Alexander Technique principles those moments are becoming more manageable and less and less.

I am currently still continuing in Stage 1 with a view to moving to stage 2 shortly and will certainly move onto stage 3 incorporating Liberating the Natural Breath into my life.

I cannot thank Simon and the team enough for putting this course together and encourage anyone reading this brief testimonial to embrace this course with open arms. It’s a Godsend and for me almost a life saver.

Karen Dumont, teacher, Louisiana
written two months after joining LNB

This course has been extremely helpful. Not only has it helped me to understand why I might be encountering breathing tension, but it has helped me to look in deeper to try and figure out what some of the underlying causes or triggers have been. I had struggled with air hunger for a year before finding Simon's videos. I had been to numerous specialists including a gastroenterologist, cardiologist, and pulmonologist. All my tests came back normal, and so I was at a loss as to why I could be experiencing this air hunger or shortness of breath. Everything that Simon said made so much sense both on a physical level and emotional one. I plan to revisit some of the modules again, as the lessons/sessions are packed with so much helpful information and tips, so I just want to make sure that I am fully understanding everything. I attended the office hours and found it very helpful hearing more about the experiences of others. I'm so grateful that I found Simon's video and this course. I was really beginning to think that I was the only one experiencing air hunger and was at a complete loss as to what could be causing it. I'm happy to report that my breathing now feels 95% better. I am now breathing more naturally on a regular basis and have less periods where I experience breathing tension; when I do experience those, I’m now able to calmly and gently work through them allowing the natural breath to return.

Rachel Pastiva, Nonprofit Director, Michigan
written six months after joining LNB

As anyone on this forum can attest, finding Simon is like finding water in the desert. Until I discovered his video on YouTube, I had been on a journey alone, lost and confused with no point of reference to show me the way forward in a landscape that had overnight become unrecognizable to me. Not only did Simon understand air hunger and what I was going through, he had compassion for it and offered a way out of it. With Simon's help, I spent this past spring learning how to get out of my own way and allowing my breathing to be what it already knows how to be. I cannot fully express how Simon's program changed my life and how grateful I am for it!

Paul Standing, Ashland, New Hampshire
written during first month of joining LNB

I thank you for this course, it has helped immensely. $129 well spent, worth every cent. Give this course a go. I have had Air Hunger for over 30 years, it comes and goes. Since doing the course I am slowly but surely improving my breathing like never before. For ages I have yawned and tried to force a breath. Changing this is not easy and requires commitment and practice from oneself, but what a difference it makes. Thank you again.

Lea P., middle school special education teacher, New York
written two months after joining LNB

One thing I would like to start off by saying is, you will feel better. Air hunger can be a VERY scary thing and you may feel like it will last forever, but it will not. That is something I needed to hear in the beginning of my journey.

I first started experiencing air hunger about 5 months ago, but only when I was rushed and eating. It went away very quickly after I took a few breaths and started to eat normally. I would also like to add that I have had OCD and regular anxiety for years prior to air hunger even starting (some people do, some people don’t, but it is important for me to mention that I did). I noticed a shift in my breathing to feeling the air hunger more frequently around 3 months ago when I went on a vacation that I didn’t really want to go on, which added to my anxiety. I attribute the air hunger to an unbalanced nervous system. One night I decided to research this, which was a good and bad thing. It was good because I found Simon on YouTube, but it was bad because I watched so many people’s videos on air hunger that it made the anxiety a little more intense. I was just hoping it would go away, and when I was hearing some other stories I felt discouraged/nervous and happy at the same time. It was the first time I heard the term air hunger, and it made sense.

Many people have many different experiences with air hunger and breathing tension, and I have to say I have been very blessed on my journey because I have been healing so quickly and wasn’t dealing with it for that long. Simon’s course is amazing. There is a lot to unpack but when you do it slowly with all the supports given, you can understand it and apply it to your life. It’s been two months since I signed up for the course, and I am now working with breakthrough 2. I won’t lie and say I never feel the urge to reach for a breath anymore. However, it is NEVER as intense as it once was and it only shows up when I am stressed, thinking about it, or in a rush. This is something that I think breakthrough 2 is designed to address.

I am so grateful for Simon and Amira. This course has been beyond helpful in every way. I really hope any person who is experiencing air hunger finds this wonderful community.

The last thing I want to say is. You will get better. You are stronger than you think, and you can do this. Your body can and will heal.

Deb King, Reading Specialist, Pennsylvania
written six months after joining LNB

My sincerest thanks to Simon for this course that has helped to significantly improve my natural breathing. I highly recommend the beneficial and supportive monthly office hours!

C.J. McRae

C.J. McRae is not a participant of Liberating the Natural Breath, but rather a friend of the LNB community. He made it through his struggle with air hunger before the LNB course was launched with the help of Simon’s original 2011 essay and an excellent Alexander Technique teacher. While the tools and guidance in the LNB course can make this process a whole lot easier, clearer, and quicker—and it can be used effectively either with or without Alexander Technique lessons—C.J.’s story and what he learned along the way is both inspiring and instructive.

Here’s a condensed, 20-minute video of a conversation Simon and C.J. had soon after the launch of the LNB course back in 2021. It was the first time the two had ever spoken beyond email. The full 75-minute conversation is available in the LNB course.

The materials on this page and the associated online course are not intended to address medical conditions or mental health conditions. These materials 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 utilize the guidance contained in the course Liberating the Natural Breath before attempting to apply these principles to your own breathing. Full terms of service can be viewed here.