# Did breathing exercises get me to where I am?

By [Craig Coffee](/craig-coffee)

When somebody asks what techniques I used, they're often asking about how I said a word, breathing, or things in that world. That was [the world I knew from speech therapy](/still-stuttering-after-speech-therapy). It wasn't how I found the fluency I was looking for.

For me, there was a lot of work with my thoughts and [a lot of practice in actual conversations](/stuttering-exercises-for-adults). Starting one. Listening. Responding. Learning to be around people and use my voice.

But there's something else in my recordings that matters here. In a group conversation, somebody described a breathing exercise that had helped them. I asked them to explain it again. I wanted to hear what they were doing and why.

## How did I think about that suggestion?

I said, here's how I would have used this when I was stuttering. Before I had to speak, I would have stepped away for a moment and used it to [help me feel taller](/feeling-intimidated-when-you-stutter).

That was the way I talked about it: preparation for how I felt going into a situation. In that same conversation, I said it wasn't how to fix a stutter.

The other person also talked about pausing and breathing before talking. I said that wasn't my thing. I liked spontaneity and momentum. But I thanked them for sharing what had helped them.

## My experience is the one I can explain

I've said that there are a lot of ways people work on their speech. I'm showing my way. I happen to like my way because of what it did for my own life.

I can explain the tools I practiced, the attempts that went badly, and what I kept doing. When someone brings a different experience into the conversation, I want to understand what they mean. In that exchange, I heard something I thought could be useful before speaking, even though it wasn't the route I had taken myself.

## The sequence Crimson described

Crimson explained the sequence he used: inhale through the nose for about four seconds, hold for about two, and exhale through the mouth for about six. He wanted the exhale to be longer. He said it helped him, and also said he still had difficult days and still stuttered at work.

> **Craig:** Like, so here's how I would have used this when I was stuttering.

## Related answers

- [How did music help me before I went out to speak?](/music-before-speaking)
- [What is the approach I am sharing?](/craig-coffee-approach)

[Find your question](/questions)