Breathwork Health & Safety Acknowledgement
Last updated: 13 July 2026
Rewire Coaching FZCO ("Rewire", "we", "us"). Every Rewire user accepts this acknowledgement in the app before their first breathwork session, and it can be re-read at any time in the app under Settings → Health & Safety. It forms part of our Terms of Service. This page is the reference copy.
Read this first - the most important part
Some Rewire audios - like walking pep talks - are designed to be listened to on the move. Breathwork audios are not.
Never practise activating breathwork or breath holds:
- In or near water - including baths, showers, pools, or the sea
- While driving or operating machinery
- While standing, walking, or moving - always be seated or lying down in a safe space
Do not participate in activating breathwork or breath holds without medical clearance if you:
- Are pregnant (any trimester)
- Have epilepsy or any seizure disorder
- Have any heart condition or history of cardiovascular disease
- Have a history of fainting or unexplained loss of consciousness
If any of these apply, the regulating (calming) sessions may still be suitable for you, but please speak to your GP first.
Cold water exposure sessions: all breathwork happens on dry land, seated, before you go near the water. Never combine breathing techniques or breath holds with being in the water. Enter the water breathing normally, and never practise cold water exposure alone.
Everything below expands on this. Please read it in full: it exists to keep you safe.
About these sessions
Rewire offers audio-guided breathwork sessions facilitated by Alanna Simpson (Certified Breathwork Facilitator, Rewild Breathwork; MSc Neuroscience of Mental Health, King's College London). These sessions include a range of techniques - among them regulating breathwork, activating breathwork, Wim Hof-style breathing, holotropic-influenced breathing, breath holds/retention, and breathwork designed to accompany cold water exposure.
Breathwork is a powerful somatic practice. When practised safely and appropriately, it can produce profound shifts in nervous system regulation, emotional wellbeing and mental clarity. However, certain techniques - particularly those involving rapid breathing, hyperventilation patterns, or breath retention - carry physiological risks for individuals with specific health conditions.
This is not a medical service. Nothing in the Rewire app constitutes medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Full health information - contraindications
Some breathwork techniques, particularly those involving breath holds, retention, rapid breathing or hyperventilation patterns, are contraindicated for individuals with certain conditions. These include but are not limited to:
Cardiovascular & circulatory
- History of heart disease, heart attack, or cardiac surgery
- Cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat
- Angina
- Pacemaker
- History of stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- History of brain or aortic aneurysm
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension)
- History of blood clots, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or pulmonary embolism
Neurological
- Epilepsy or any seizure disorder
- History of fainting or unexplained loss of consciousness
Respiratory
- Severe asthma (active or poorly controlled)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Active respiratory infection
Reproductive
- Pregnancy (any trimester)
Ocular
- Glaucoma
- Detached retina or other serious ocular conditions
Blood & metabolic
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes (blood glucose regulation may be affected)
Mental health
- Severe or acute mental health conditions including psychosis or schizophrenia (any phase)
- Recent psychiatric hospitalisation
- If you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, or severe anxiety: activating breathwork can surface intense emotions and physical sensations. We recommend starting with the regulating sessions and, if in doubt, speaking with your mental health professional first.
Other
- Recent surgery, physical injury, or fracture (within 12 weeks)
- Active ear infection or perforated eardrum
- Any medication that affects blood pressure, blood sugar, or seizure threshold - please consult your GP or pharmacist before participating
Additional contraindications for cold water exposure sessions
- Any cardiovascular condition or uncontrolled high blood pressure (cold immersion places sudden demand on the heart)
- Raynaud's syndrome or cold urticaria (allergic reaction to cold)
- Never enter cold water alone, and never combine breathing techniques or breath holds with immersion
If any of the above apply to you, we strongly recommend consulting your GP before participating in any breathwork session within the Rewire app.
Regulating breathwork sessions (such as box breathing, 4-7-8, and slow diaphragmatic breathing) carry a lower risk profile. However, if you have any of the conditions listed above, please seek medical clearance before use.
During a session - what's normal & when to stop
Activating breathwork commonly produces tingling in the hands, face or body, light-headedness, temperature changes, and emotional release - including tears or waves of feeling. These sensations are a normal response to the breathing pattern and typically pass within minutes of returning to normal breathing.
Stop the session immediately and return to slow, normal breathing if you experience:
- Chest pain or tightness
- Severe or persistent dizziness
- Numbness or tingling that does not ease when you slow your breath
- Extreme distress or panic
You are always in control. You can pause, slow down, or stop at any point in any session. There is no benefit in pushing past your body's signals - the practice works best when your system feels safe.
Do not participate under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs.
Not medical advice
The content provided in the Rewire app is for general wellbeing purposes only. Alanna Simpson and Rewire Coaching FZCO are not medical practitioners. The breathwork techniques offered are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions you have regarding a medical condition.
If your circumstances change
This acknowledgement is a one-time confirmation - but your health isn't static. If your circumstances change (for example, you become pregnant, receive a new diagnosis, or have surgery), please stop using activating breathwork and breath-hold content and review the contraindications above before continuing. You can re-read this acknowledgement at any time in the app under Settings → Health & Safety.
Your acknowledgement
By tapping "I Agree" in the app, you confirm that:
- You are aged 18 or over.
- You have read and understood the health information and contraindications above, including the environment warnings (breathwork is never practised in or near water, while driving, or while standing, walking or moving - even though some non-breathwork audios, such as walking pep talks, are designed for movement).
- For any cold water exposure session, you understand that all breathwork must be completed on dry land before entering the water, that you must enter the water breathing normally, and that you will never practise cold water exposure alone.
- If any of the contraindications apply to you, you have consulted or will consult a qualified healthcare professional before participating in breathwork sessions.
- You understand that breathwork - particularly techniques involving breath holds, retention, or rapid breathing - carries physiological risks, and you are voluntarily choosing to participate.
- You will not participate under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs.
- You accept personal responsibility for your decision to engage with the breathwork content in the Rewire app, and for stopping a session if you experience any of the warning signs described above.
- You understand that if your health circumstances change, you should review this acknowledgement before continuing to use breathwork content.
- You understand that this acknowledgement does not constitute a waiver of any statutory rights you may have under the laws of your country of residence.
Acceptance is a one-time confirmation, made in the app. A standing safety note also appears in the description of every audio that includes activating breathwork, breath holds, retention, or cold water exposure.
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