01/08/2026
Ok so this video is longer than 3min, it’s clearly not done with AI 🤣, and I’ve not edited it - it’s raw and real!
I’m explaining and demonstrating a functional breath to you , and I’ve shortened the practice a little .
Here is the full practice if you’d like to do it at your leisure:
Sit upright or lie down, and feel your breath for a moment . How does it feel to you right now ? Short , long, shallow or deep? Soft or jagged?
Now place your hands on your belly and breathe into the belly , breathing through your nose, 10 times .
Then move your hands to your ribs and breathe 10 times into the space of your ribs , side front and back.
Now move your hands to your chest and breathe into the space of your chest, try not to raise your shoulders, 10 times.
Now let’s put it all together, you can place one hand on your belly, one hand on your chest, start the breath from the belly, into the ribs, then the chest, and exhale releasing and relaxing . You can breathe into and out through the nose or in through the nose and out through the mouth.
This is our functional breath, also called breath wave or yogic full breath.
This is our starting point when practicing Breathwork. This calms the nervous system, it prepares us for other breaths like transformational breath work, up regulating Breathwork and down regulating Breathwork .
It is crucial that you know how to practice functional breathing before starting any Breathwork , otherwise it can accentuate your issues such as anxiety, trigger a trauma response and general unease.
If you’d like to learn how to practice Breathwork safely, learn about your own breath and learn to control it , then join me for my upcoming workshop at The Yoga School Cairns on Saturday 8th August 3-430pm.
There are only a few spots left, as we limit the workshop to 20 students .
Love to see you there 🥰🙏
