"And you don't have to say anything to someone who's grieving, Don't try to cheer them up. Just say that it's gonna hurt really bad for a while, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. This year it's your turn, next year it might be my turn, we'll all get through this together."

After suffering debilitating anxiety for 6 years , I decided to take my health into my own hands . Giving up alcohol , giving up being with negative people , stop watching the news , exercise daily , ate a full plant based diet , got qualified in mindfulness , and meditate 45 mins daily , getting into nature as much as I can .. 90% of the time we have to save ourselves it's in our own hands Edit: it's crazy looking back at this comment I never expected so many people to engage in the comments. Update a few years later after leaving this comment. I am still alcohol free never had a drop ever again , I am eating fish and eggs (plant based diet faded away) , I exercise daily and train in the gym its my life , my mindfulness breath work is non existent at the moment hence why I returned to watch this video. Oh and I now live in Paris (used to struggle with panic attacks afraid to leave my house) now I live in Paris. Life's crazy journey. Hoping to get back to my mindfulness breath work 1 hour session a day. So helpful.

“Some doors only open from the inside. Breath is a way of accessing that door.” ✨ That was so powerful!

When he said "Some doors only open from the inside." I cried.

with voice like that it doesn't matter what you're saying, people will calm down and go to trance just listening.

His voice is gold.

“By 2020 depression and anxiety will be the biggest disability” he wasn’t wrong with that 😅

Note to self: Breathing exercise begins at 14:20. Thank you so much, Max Strom and TEDx. This is going into my self-care toolkit.

As a psychotherapist/counsellor myself, I recognize a master when I see and hear one. This guy has a rare presence that emanates calmness and benevolence.

I could listen to this man speak all day...what a voice, what a presence

Just a little note, meditation does not tell you to sit down and STOP THINKING. It actually asks you to sit down comfortably , on a chair is fine, start observing your BREATH as it goes in and out and if thoughts arise let them go and gently return to the BREATH. Doing this will gradually calm the thinking and the body and mind will relax🙏 Learnt this for free😉

I did three really important things for my disease prevention and overall wellness: - I stopped chronically breathing through my mouth...big no-no - I started using the BreatheEasy Lung Exerciser for inhalation and exhalation breathing therapy - and I sleep with a small piece of tape over my lips to keep my mouth closed during sleep...stops snoring, apnea, dry mouth and more My chronic fatigue and asthma both are gone now and my outlook on life is exceptional because I’m sleeping better and have more energy. I’m 54.

Thanks for the breath technique. The actual learning on how to do the exercise starts at 14:30

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." ~ Romans 12:15

Its 2020 and they were not lying about depression and anxiety being the most common illnesses...its honestly a public health crisis

He said anxiety will be at an all time high come 2020! He was indeed correct!

So blessed that this man was my yoga teacher in LA. Truly a humble, gentle person and a genius.

Just say “It’s gonna hurt really bad, for a while. I’m not going anywhere.” Beautiful advice.

He has an amazing voice, I could listen to him 25/7. He uses wonderful sentence structure and richly accurate content. Best EVER speech on breathing. I teach breathwork, and have studied, taught and taken workshops for decades. We call it Pranayama in my yoga practice. But I’m a non-yoga breath-work coach also. I never get sick (caveat: I did get COVID)

His voice is healing in itself.....

This should be seen by every person on the planet

He could make millions recording relaxation recordings. Especially for falling asleep. His voice is sooo relaxing. And he’s incredibly kind.

the WHO predicted by 2020 depression and anxiety would be the number 1 disability. They sure hit that nail on the head.

Meditation involves intentional breathing. Breathing is part of meditation. What Mr. Strom says about anxiety & grief & breathing is so very bang-on. Great discussion.

It is a tweetable: "Some doors only open from the inside, breath is a way of accessing that door" Thank you Max! Great lecture

People underestimate the immense power of breath.

This is one of the best TED talks I've ever seen. The gentleman explaining the subject with such ease is very charismatic. He has a very soothing voice, high self-esteem, and radiates incredible inner peace and calmness. Thank you very much!

I’ve figured out how to heal my body mentally and physically with breathing and reflexology. From acl injuries, imbalances, nerve injuries. Just gotta get people to believe me. I got all the workout and info to back it up

I wish every one I ever loved knew this.

You can download his final breathing exercise here: www.dropbox.com/s/o36zaxvzgciqvzl/Breathing.mp3?dl=0 (I edited the last minutes, turned into 5 minutes and uploaded in Dropbox as an MP3 file)

I am a Wim Hof disciple, his breathwork and cold exposure has truly changed my life. Breath is Life!

This gives chills when he metioned 2020.

“It’s really gonna hurt, and I’m not going anywhere...” one of the most powerful/helpful statements about/for grieving I’ve ever heard.

We have forgotten this, many cultures have breath work. Good to be reminded.

Practised in India for thousands of years… happy westerners are following and realising the potential… YOG people YOG.. Do it

Thanks for this. I realized I never dealt with the grief of my grandmothers passing. Just started working as much as possible. Then came the physical problems. Dizzyness, panic attacks, constant anxiety and stress. Forced me to ditch clients to reduce my workload in a desperate attempt to stay sane. The fear of the anxiety and attacks only made the situation worse and I ended up in a spiral. Recently I learned about mindfulness and yoga, things I would never have taken seriously in the past. And it really does work. Slowly but surely rebuilding my confidence and feeling of wellbeing. I still never cry, but I did shed a tear when this man talked about the CEO's brother passing. Been there. Thank you.

This guy has a healing voice, a true superpower to help people heal!

One of THE best talks I've ever watched!! Very well articulated and expressed! This guy is amazing!

Caught this 7 years after it was broadcast. What an amazing video and what a based, balanced gentleman. I am inspired.

Dear Lisrener, as you read the many nice comments about this man ? They don't know him - but most of us feel comfortable with this speaker, purely through the sound, not the sense but purely from the sound of his voice. If he were speaking in an unpleasant tone we would not listen to his message so well - and he would become stressed by his inability to be heard - in other words the stress we take on board is usually a reflection on what we are unconsciously giving our. After 2-3 years of regular daily practice one would not let a day go past without at least one 20-30 minute session of Yoga Breathing, through the breath we make contact with the infinite and we desire to be friends and help others most of all. Love to all, Albert.

0:31-0:36 Immediately felt his voice as the most soothing and inviting tone I’ve ever heard. Appreciate this whole video.

Thanks Max. I remember when you were a student at Yoga Works in Santa Monica. Its very good that you are teaching and introducing these disciplines to so many. Bravo!

Now, in the COVID19 period so many psychologists use loads of breathing techniques in patients with constant stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia. Half a year ago I would not guess that most of my time at work I would have to spend with these exercises! Life is full of surprises.

Before I retired from nursing , I worked in a Hospice for 5 years. One of the things I noticed was that many of the patients looked like they hadn't taken a deep breath in years .

So much good in this. I just want to add that nose breathing v mouth breathing is hugely beneficial and transformative. It changed my life in a very dramatic way where meds and therapies failed when I added meditation.

Very nice. These are very ancient deep breathing technics from India. Thanks for promoting it for the betterment of society.

Pranayam, Yoga, Ohm Chanting and million more is a beautiful gift of Hinduism to this world. Please start following the gifts sooner to not be late...Hare Krishna 🙏🙏

“Some doors only open from the inside.” Wow.

wow this is a tool that I learned in rehab that I use every night fall asleep and I also use to meditate. I'm really glad it got the proper respect it deserves thank you for doing what you do sir

It's amazing how our breath can heal so many trapped and unwanted emotions in the body.

7 years old & I still listen all the time.

"It's gonna hurt really bad for a while and I'm not going anywhere. I'm here..." I just lost it when he said this. I started crying like a baby and couldn't stop the tears from running down my cheeks. These words brought out emotions I hadn't realized I was still suppressing. I thought about all the times I needed hear this from someone... and didn't. And all the times I needed to say this to someone...and didn't. What a beautiful enlightening presentation from as wise and beautiful man! So glad to have found this video. I think I finally just leaned how to truly heal. ❤

The most intresting part of this video that Max Storm talks about is his findings of the relationship between Greif and Anxiety.

Max: You haven’t breathed the death of your brother. You suppressed your feeling and held your cry. This cause stress and depression. Wonderful talk! When my wife died many ears ago, for the first 2 years gusts of grief suddenly arose during my work and daily life. Even at times when my mind was on something else. Tears flow on my face for no reason. Eventually this subsided. Was I like the case of the brother who passed away? Have I breathed the death of my wife?

I revisit this TED from time to time as needed. A blessing

however messy India might be, the world owes it big for yoga and meditation.

This video needs so many more views.

I have been investigating farms & slaughterhouses for almost 2 years. I kept the grief of seeing the dying animals in, in an effort to keep my focus and it came back as crippling panic attacks and anxiety. Thank you for this video. I thought I would be in this pain for the rest of my life.

I call my cry as a storm of a century. I cry a very big cry every ten years. The first one when I was on the bus to my US Army Advanced Training class. I started to cry from 7: 30 to 4:30 nonstop in the 1990s. On my wedding day 2000, I cried from 6 am to 11:45 am. Someone told me to take Tylenol for pain; I did not pay attention. When the night comes at the restaurant, I have muscle pain all over my face for crying so long. This is a result of suppressing anger, stress, disappointment, and anxiety. I have PTSD since my childhood due to the loss of my parent to the Genocide period from 19975 to 1979 in Cambodia. Meditation and breathwork help me release those stress and anxiety. I will try this method.

Breathing is cheaper than drugs, alcohol, and other addictive temporary relief, which has been my problem for too long😟

Definitely healing. Max Storm has a very calming voice. I have listened to various Meditation talks. What you realize is that only a few have that voice that makes one to focus and interesting to listen further . And this video is one of them . Thank you .

One thing I learned about anxiety is if your inside all day breathing in your own co2, it can cause really bad anxiety attacks and fatigue. Make sure you get fresh air.

Watching this in 2021 is very prophetic to me. Some of the things you brought up are just getting worse, and I am joining the movement of teaching breathwork and meditation to corporate employees. Thank you for the education and inspiration. ♥ ♥ ♥

This guys voice is so freaking calming i almost fell asleep just by his voice!

He teach us not only the theory of tremendous effect of breath work , but exact way of how to do it. Thank you, Max.

A thought came to me as I heard him talk about this important and urgent topic, it was, "this man is using all the talents God gave him in such a beautiful way, not hiding them". Well done forever.

Max, you briought relief. Thanking heaven for you.

This was SO fantastic. I absolutely loved every minute of this talk. Plus, the speaker has such a calming tone of voice - what a perfect pairing to instruct pranayama. There are incredible benefits to practicing yogic breath work!

I just tried this and wanted to stop about halfway into it. I was begining to feel some pretty difficult emotions that I know I try to run away from. Thankyou Mr. Strom for your compassion and willingness to share. Be Happy everyone.

You were amazing sir. After years I actually understood the correct way of breathing.

WOW, it's now 2021 and they are spot on!! - wake up people.!!

Brilliant presentation and the voice and talking speed of this guy, superb!. My jaw felt on the floor when he told the story about grief since the same story happend to me. I will pay more attention on my breathing from now on and hope sincerely that it helps. thanks Mr. Strom

One of my favourite ted talks, Max has a great calming delivery, I’ll be sharing this with my friends. Invaluable, simple instruction we all can use immediately.

Tai ji and qigong Vietnam Vet here this talk is close to these oriental practices/exercises. Breathing, consciously every day heals but also opens the mind to real success in life. at 81 I continue to spend several periods of concentrated practice . For me it also leads to inclusion of the importance of a spiritual component of truth as to what is real.

Breathing work is some powerful stuff. If more folks use it the world would be a better place. Thanks Max

Yes you are so right about grief and breathing. Traditional health practices will relate the lungs and grief. Thank you so much for your sharing.

Yes, the goal is not to conquer the emotions by hiding them from plain view, but to let the floodgates open. Max Strom, thank you for demonstrating emotional honesty. The meaning of your words are so raw and real.

This TED talk was first presented six years ago. Today, with the stress of the Pandemic upon us, Breath is even more relevant to alleviate/relieve the depression of isolation, stress, and anxiety. To me, it seems like a natural source to explore.

2022 I needed this, and thank you, the world is sad right now like you said. Knowledge is everywhere, but it takes one to do the work to get help, with a world that is always taking taking & taking. We need more people like you, I hope all is well with you in these times.

Your voice Mr. Max is like a loving hug. Thank you. This is amazing and absolutely spot on.

Charismatic man with a great deep confident voice and amazing speech

Our qigong teacher has suggested that we build a library of a thousand breaths to serve each need of a body system as it arrises in the field. What is crucial is that we are paying attention and chose appropriately from our library. These needs are specific to body awareness system by system and need to be sorted.This has been a useful addition to my collection. Many thanks.

This is so true. So soon after after starting breathwork I always feel such sadness. Thank you for sharing this, Max Strom. 😍😍

Holy Shit, I've struggled with my breath for so long with ptsd and pure ocd, but that short at the end has really helped. Thank you. Xx

I'm glad I came across this again! Such a great talk. Proper breathing is amazing for our wellbeing.

"Some door only open from inside". Breath is a way to access that door. Wow. What a powerful, insightful, inspiring line. Made my day. Thankyou for this most beautiful piece of wisdom.

13:00 This is absolutley correct. When my mom died none of my friends would have anything to do with me. Tey didn't show up at the funeral either. I thought that was really messed up.

Qi Gong, Breath Work, is the first skill I teach in my Tai Chi class. Then Meditation, the most personal time in your whole life.

Fabulous. And what a congruent model. We need this more than ever. I use HeartMath as my primary and preferred method and I play around with others. They're all wonderful and oh so simple, if only we would do it! Breath work helps with emotional management and is absolutely essential to our wellbeing, more than ever in these increasingly fast paced times.

What a powerful talk! Thank you for sharing this with this training with the world, Max! So grateful for you! For me, meditation and breathing have enabled me to release and heal my PTSD and ADD. I have never felt better since I picked up meditation and breathwork as daily training since 2008. Anyone who's watching this or reading this comment, please pay attention to what's been taught - this is solid GOLD and your life will change - you just gotta give it a try and stick with it for a little bit before judging it. I have been meditating since 2008 and haven't missed a day ever since. I became so passionate about meditation and breathwork that I became a meditation trainer and started my own meditation-based workshops in Sedona, AZ.

Mr. Strom, Thank you for sharing this utterly valuable yet often dismissed as a simple breathing exercise. This is the most useful TedX presentation I have watched and listened to. Thank you again.

Came here after doing the Wim Hof breathing technique for the first time and crying unexpectedly. I’d heard the technique released trauma, but it was my first time and I wasn’t expecting anything to happen except maybe lightheadedness. But I do struggle to sit with my thoughts and emotions, I tend to drown them out with near-constant music and comfort television. I do feel like I’ve opened a door from the inside… wow. Thank you for this talk. 🤍

I love your voice - it’s soothing and calm. Keep up the good work!🌸

INCREDIBLE...SHARED AND SHARED...AND BREATHING IN AND OUT RIGHT NOW!!! I need Max Strom in my life!!

GENESIS 2:7 YAHUA our creator gave us the breath of life ,his RUACH ELOHIM. I gave up my cell phone 6 years ago and started the Wim Hof breathing method recently and I feel amazing.I am so glad to live in the cold part of the world .Quebec ,Canada! HALLELUYAH!

So true, letting go of what we fear in our feelings especially grief , sadness and regret of past mistakes. Thank You for this share.

what a beautiful message.. be there for each other in person and breathe with intention. It has really helped me. Thank you from England

Beautiful talk Max. Thank you. Agree that breathing well is best place to start, meditation to come after. Blissful breathing technique: 1. Gently breathe in filling belly, then ribs, then upper chest. Feels like gently inflating a balloon. Brief pause. 2. Gently breathe out, relaxing all tension. Feels like a deep full-body sigh. 3. Pause after exhale, let sounds wash over you, relax until next gentle inhale. Repeat as long as you want. Slow, comfortable, gentle. Works best when lying down, relaxing into the floor. Also effective when you sit. Experiment, find out what works for you. There are tons of videos on youtube about the benefits of breathing well. I can recommend some if you want. I struggled with long-term hyper vigilance (from high crime rate area). I'm amazed at how quickly and how well breathing correctly gets me into a blissful state. I believe our distractible tech culture reinforces anxiety because the ping-pong short attention-span mimics state of high alert. Jumpy behaviour leads to jumpy breathing. Breathing correctly sounds so simple ... and lame. But really, it's my main gateway to happiness & health. Best soundtrack - if you need one - is the ebb and flow of gentle ocean waves. Free 100% natural Valium :))))) xxx

SO POWERFUL! I first felt anxiety at 6 years old after struggling through school because I was dyslexic and dyspraxic. Fear of the future was overwhelming. This turned into debilitating anxiety and panic attacks that I suffered with for over 10 years. This led to alcoholism and addiction and depression. YAY! But, then Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh books led me face the monster. Echkart Tolle allowed me recognise, I was subscribing to the past and to fully dive into the NOW. So I did and my world turned around 🙃 I dissolved ALL the above, married my dream wife and built a business that allows me to live where I please and guide people to heal and transform their lives too. The breath allowed me to transmute my pain and suffering into a gift for others. The power of the breath will help you return to love, happiness, peace. Enjoy trying to remember... to ENJOY EVERY BREATH you take. Heheeee that's the trip! It's the first and last thing you'll ever do. Love it, honour it and embrace it. What a gift 🥰

This guy can heal anyone just with his calmed and no non-sense talk