I don't think the above poster was claiming that breath exercises are pseudoscience, I think they were referring to the practice of claiming certain health benefits without scientific studies backing the claims. There are very real benefits that can be scientifically studied but there is also a lot of grandiose exaggeration and wishful thinking out there, as with every field of medicine throughout human history. It requires great care to sort out such things and that we learned to do so (at some level) is IMO one of the greatest triumphs of the modern scientific method.
Now, whether science has more to learn from things like pranayama is a different subject and I think there still certainly is much to learn. But that means IMO we must be very careful in what claims we make and how we back them up.
Edit: I'm not criticizing anyone or claiming anything does or doesn't work, I'm simply advocating for a scientific approach.
> I don't think the above poster was claiming that breath exercises are pseudoscience,
How do you know? Are you sure? There's a lot of that (dumb reflex skepticism). Seems that's what they're saying.
> It requires great care to sort
Care, a good teacher or information, experience, caution. All agree.
In general I think the Indians really know what they're doing in this space but in my experience a lot of Western teachings of it tries to teach it dislocated from the source of the knowledge and so it can be dangerous or not healthy like in your experience.
All in all breathing exercises are a pretty subtle practice and skill, and easy to do wrong, and surprising how powerful they can be. I think people do need to be careful when they press those buttons, because they have powerful effects and if not done right they may be doing the wrong things for that person: not a perfect analogy but to give people an idea of the respect needed analogous with taking the wrong prescription medicines.
But definitely I think people should do more because it's beneficial. But got to do it right.
> How do you know? Are you sure? There's a lot of that (dumb reflex skepticism). Seems that's what they're saying.
What? I don't know. That's why I qualified the statement with "I don't think". Perhaps I misunderstood. But I agree with the rest of everything you said.
> but in my experience a lot of Western teachings of it tries to teach it dislocated from the source of the knowledge and so it can be dangerous or not healthy like in your experience
Sorry I think there's been some confusion, I made no claims either way about anyone's teachings and have said nothing about my own experience.
No that was the second part of my comment where I'm not responding to what you're saying specifically I'm just adding on my own information. Taking the thread as an opportunity, a jumping off point to share what I think.
As OP states you should be careful. Alternate nostril breathing is a good general purpose one.
So is box breathing (aka Navy SEAL breathing).