Master the Art and Science of Breathwork

Module one covers the journey of the breath starting from the entry points: mouth and nose. It is estimated that 30-50% of people in the world breathe through the mouth. This negatively impacts oral health, nervous system balance, posture and physiology. Conversely, nasal breathing is what we are evolutionarily and biologically designed to do. It benefits the body by improving diaphragm recruitment, optimising blood chemistry, and utilising a "miracle molecule" called nitric oxide. You'll learn how to improve diaphragm range of motion and function, and help your clients reap the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing: improved core and posture, enhanced cardiovascular and lymphatic function and even improved digestion. Exercises Inside the Practitioner Program, you will learn exercises to restore and retrain diaphragm function, such as how to find and reboot your diaphragm, plus a ribcage exercise and thoracic mobility.

To master breathwork, you must understand the breath's journey: not just from outside the body to inside, but also its journey throughout the body and into your cells. This is the difference between ventilation and respiration. Understanding the role of carbon dioxide is absolutely vital in breathwork. CO2 is not "waste" as we’re so often taught. It has many important functions, but can also create problems. Improper breathing disrupts CO2 balance. This changes the pH of the blood and feels unsettling for most people—like stress or anxiety, and causes the brain to be on high alert. This is an extremely overlooked cause as to why many people live in a constant state of stress. How do you solve this? By increasing CO2 tolerance. To increase CO2 tolerance, you must first establish a baseline by measuring it. You will learn two assessments to establish your clients’ CO2 tolerance: BOLT score and Max Exhale Test. Additional exercises on increasing Nitric Oxide and using the "Physiological Sigh" are also covered.

The relationship between the nervous system and the breath is critical. It starts with the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is responsible for functions in the body outside of conscious control. For example, heart rate, digestion, and cellular repair. Because the ANS performs functions outside of our control, it is thought that we can't control the ANS. However, there's one ANS regulator we can consciously use: The breath. By controlling the breath, we are able to influence the autonomic nervous system. This means, helping direct the body to perform the processes outside our conscious control! This is one of the most effective skills you can have for yourself and others. Why? Because many people live in a state of constant stress. Our defenses are up all the time. Traffic, news, meetings, emails, all keeping our nervous system engaged as if we are being chased by a predator. This destroys our health. In a state of stress, the body’s repair systems are im paired. We lose energy, strength and vitality. Processes of recovery are neglected. The solution requires two parts. First, your client must have simple tools they can use at any time to influence the nervous system. You will learn two effective exercises for that: Up + Down Regulation, and Tummo Breathing Practice.

There is an intimate link between emotional states and respiratory patterns. When we are upset, we breathe a certain way. When we are excited, we breathe in a different way. Emotions are the driver of much of our behaviours. Unfortunately many of us have low emotional IQ, finding it difficult to differentiate between emotions. Am I angry or frustrated? People find it even more difficult to shift from one emotional state to another. Many practices tell you to "think positive" or "distract yourself". But the most effective way to deal with this is to go to the cause. That is, to actively shift the emotional state. Breathwork is a powerful tool in shifting between states and being able access and release ‘stuck’ emotions. Inside Functional and Therapeutic Breathwork, you'll find a set of exercises based on the principles of emotional regulation, such as an exercise called 'Open + Expand // Relax + Let Go'. Aside from mental wellbeing, there's one key reason why emotional regulation is critical for a state of optimal health. Coherence. This is when your body's systems interact harmoniously. Depleting emotions make our systems incoherent. The heart sends chaotic signals to the brain. We may experience this as anxiety or overwhelm. We can't think clearly, remember things, or make effective decisions. Coherence, on the other hand, feels like a sense of peace. Like the body and mind are working together. Like everything is happening as it should. Teaching clients to shift into a state of coherence allows for better decision making, emotional flexibility and a sense of calm amidst the chaos. The beauty is that when we repeatedly do something, we adapt to it. Helping your clients establish an ongoing, consistent practice will help to create a new baseline.

Breathwork is not just a conscious practice for emotional regulation and accessing altered states. It is also the fundamental basis of how to perform at our peak, and recover just as effectively. Unfortunately dysfunctional breathing is extremely prevalent in the athletic community. Whether someone is a beginner to exercise and looking to improve their cardiovascular health, or an elite level athlete looking to optimise their performance, breath is a critical (and overlooked) piece of the puzzle. We will learn how exercise can be a potent antidepressant, but how dysfunctional breathing can halt someone in their tracks before reaping the benefits. We will learn about the importance of intra-abdominal pressure, breath control, intermittent hypoxia and the phenomenon of blood stealing. You’ll learn how to teach someone an effective ‘gear’ system to optimise their breathing, energy production and waste management. We will look at simple but powerful assessments of ‘positional faults’ that commonly occur when someone lacks optimal control of their diaphragm. Just think - if you can’t effectively breathe in a certain position, you don’t have control of that position. This will lead us to the prescription of certain exercises to improve postural and respiratory control. How well someone performs is 100% dependent on how well they recover. Far too much emphasis is put on performance, with not enough on recovery. You will learn powerful strategies for reducing heart rate and blood pressure, managing blood flow, and shifting the nervous system into a state of recovery.

I've been a physiotherapist for 10+ years. And I've seen pretty much every breathwork program out there. Most of them ignore the safety aspect. Breathwork does not need to be intense. Breathwork should not be one size fits all. You should learn to create a tailored approach for everyone you work with. That's why, inside Functional and Therapeutic Breathwork, we have a whole module dedicated to safety. In this module, you’ll learn: What types of breathwork should not be used with pregnant women, epilepsy patients, and patients with serious cardiovascular disease. How to appropriately support people who suffer from panic attacks, high anxiety, high blood pressure, migraines, severe trauma. How to help clients or patients with PTSD or trauma symptoms. (And how to recognise your own limitations as a facilitator and when to refer to dedicated professionals in this space) You’ll know how to create the right environment so your clients have a positive experience. Learning how to: "Read" the energy of the room and create a meaningful experience. Understand the role of music to facilitate emotional release, a relaxing experience, or a powerful reset. Use your pitch and tonality to create an auditory landscape for the experiences you create. We dive into the cause of common “symptoms” that breathwork practitioners are likely going to experience, such as: Tetany (muscle cramps, primarily in the hands). Why it happens, how to prevent it, and how to manage it if it comes up. Lightheadedness, dizziness, and physical tension. Fear, anxiety, apprehension And you’ll also learn a great exercise to release emotional tension.

Many breathwork techniques have limited application. They can only be practiced in a controlled environment: with the “right” music, laying down, and with no distractions. But what happens when someone is having a difficult conversation? Or they’re in a difficult situation at work? Or experiencing anxiety? Or low energy? You can’t always shut yourself off in a room, lock the door, kill the lights, and lay down on the floor to do a 30 minute breath session. Effective breathwork works anywhere, anytime, no matter the external situation. Inside Functional and Therapeutic Breathwork, you’ll learn how to adapt breathwork to your client’s needs, so they can use it in when they actually need it. Something we feel strongly about at Breath Body Therapy is the difference between principles and methods. You will be learning the principles that underlie all breathwork methods. You will learn several techniques that help with specific interventions, such as cyclical hyperventilation, buteyko breathing + resonance frequency breathing.

Now we begin to expand on what is covered in Modules 6 and 7. Breathwork is not only a science, but also an art. Yes, there’s an ideal structure for breathwork, just like there is for yoga, music, exercise. But you, as the individual facilitator can influence breathwork and tailor it to your client’s needs, for the results you aim to create for them. You’ll learn the powerful distinction between expectation and intention and the role that they play on the experience. Breathwork induces an altered state and in this state powerful changes can be made. It is with care, responsibility and above all trust that the practitioner / client relationship here is used in a positive way. Learn what methods to use, the setting of the environment, the role of external and internal factors on the outcome. You’ll learn how to: Use movement to “transition” between states, if your client comes carrying stress or worry into a session. Help your client safely share the experience, express their emotions, facilitate growth and healing, and create lasting results. Include additional steps to improve the breathwork experience and ease your client into an ongoing breathwork practice. Lasting change does not often happen in one session. Your role as a practitioner is to help clients create a lasting practice. This is where real change occurs.

American psychologist Abraham Maslow dedicated his life to learning about Peak Experiences (PEs). He wanted to know how those moments of bliss happened, what caused them, and if he could create those at will. Colin Wilson, Maslow's apprentice, gathered his mentor's findings and shared them in a book, Super Consciousness. In the book, he says one of the most reliable ways to create Peak Experiences is through the breath. (A near death experience will do the trick, but many of us don't have that "luxury" every day.) Now, you may have practiced breathwork. In some cases, you may have experienced that it makes you feel different. Sounds are clearer. Colors are brighter. Mind is still. It feels like a sense of "bliss". This is what Maslow calls Peak Experience. In other cases, you may feel like breathwork is intense, unearths certain memories, and feels “hard” in the moment. Same breathing, different results. Why? The difference is due to four primary factors: rate, rhythm, depth, tone. We assess those four factors in depth, and learn how we can modify each to create specific results. We also dive deep into the changes that happen in your body during and after breathwork. In this module, you'll learn about: Brain activity. You'll understand how breathwork changes neural activity and how it can be influenced with the four factors mentioned above. Brainwaves. Learn how brainwaves move from beta to alpha, and even to Theta or Delta. Each wavelength is indicative of a certain state. These states are associated with creativity, relaxation, and even dream-like states or detached awareness. The Wim Hof Method has been shown to induce Gamma wavelengths, which brings with it a state of bliss "indescribable by words", as the practitioner described it! Neurotransmitters. Breathwork releases endorphins, dopamine, and possibly dimethyltryptamine (DMT). These can induce light, peaceful states all the way to psychedelic experiences. You’ll also explore some Eastern wisdom on breath, particularly: Energy centers and chakras: how these chakras relate to nerve plexuses, and how to use these nerve centers to move energy from the body, release stagnant energy and enter a state of peak consciousness. *NOTE: The study of the Peak Experience can be somewhat speculative, however we will dive into the evidence behind the proposed mechanism of action. Maslow dedicated his entire life to studying PEs, and he didn't find a "concrete" answer.

Being able to work with a wide variety of clients on a wide variety of issues comes down to having repeatable frameworks. Breathwork is not a one size fits all approach, it requires personalisation. You will come away from this module understanding how to support your clients to meet their health and performance goals. So whether you are working with the stressed out CEO, the high performing athlete, the anxious new mum or the individual wanting to deepen their self connection, you will have confidence, competence and clarity.

Now that you are confident and competent in your understanding and application of the breath, you will learn exactly how to find your ideal clients. What good is a tool that you are unable to share with others? It took me years of trial and error and investing over $20,000 to learn effective strategies for finding, acquiring and retaining clients. In this module we are going to define the 3Ps (Person, Problem, Promise) and help you craft a unique offer that combines your skills and experience with the knowledge gained inside this program. We will work with you to define your niche, craft and share your offer, use value based pricing and effective marketing methods for finding your first or next client. Most health practitioners are stuck using a transactional model. However, switching to a transformational model helps them to have more impact and more income. You will receive multiple handouts and worksheets so you can get absolutely CLEAR on who it is you are going to help, and how you are going to help them. You will learn the power of education in addition to experience. Most people are on a search for practical knowledge that helps them solve a problem, and you now hold that knowledge. In the final stages of the Functional and Therapeutic Breathwork Training you will learn that you don’t just offer breathwork but you offer transformation. This is what people are searching for. By positioning your services as the vehicle that takes someone from where they are now (current situation), to where they want to be (desired situation), it is an easy decision for them to invest in your services. Whether you are hoping to create a brand new offer for a brand new client, or wishing to weave breathwork into your current offering. We will work together to put together a program that guarantees you get your clients the results they desire.