Yoga mini-training:
The breath and beyond
First - watch this
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First - watch this ↓↓↓
Why you should stop breathing “up” your nose, and what to try instead.
If I could only offer you one piece of "breath advice" it would be this. I hope it’s helpful and makes your inhales feel more satisfying.
So simple, but so effective, right?
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So simple, but so effective, right? ✦
This is not another pranayama training - it’s better.
You don’t need more techniques, you need a deeper understanding. This weekend immersion explores the different dimensions of breathing - from the anatomy and physiology, through to the nervous system and subtle energetics.
This training focuses on functional breathing - the kind that helps you navigate your day-to-day life.
Because if you can’t breathe efficiently when you’re stuck in traffic, or having a scary meeting with your boss, then the mystical techniques don’t matter - and won’t work.
2026 Dates
New dates coming soon. Join the waiting list.
Location
Geneva, Switzerland
Language
English
YACEP Certified
Yes - 12 hours
The “advanced” techniques won’t help you unless you truly understand the foundations of your breath first.
So, we’re going back to basics - but with a level of depth that will change your practice forever.
What you’ll learn
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The different dimensions of breathing.
From the anatomy and physiology, through to the subtle energetic qualities of your inhales and exhales.
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The mechanics of breathing (without the boring bits).
A recap of the respiratory system and the structures involved in each breath.
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Why belly breathing isn’t the best cue.
And what to try (or teach) instead.
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The problem with taking a deep breath.
And why it can sometimes make things worse, not better.
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An overview of the nervous system.
How your breath affects your body and brain (and vice versa).
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The connection between you breath and emotions.
And what this means for navigating the ups and downs of daily life.
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What yogic traditions say about breath and prana.
And the overlap between ancient frameworks and modern science.
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Ways to work with your breath so it stops being background noise.
If the repetitive one-movement-one-breath rhythm has started to feel a bit robotic, this will bring the sparkle back.
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The prana vayus.
My absolute favourite thing to teach. This is different from fixed pranayama practices, and provides a more flexible and integrated approach.
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A few party tricks that basically make your breath a superpower.
Did you know that the position of your eyes affects your breath? And that breathing in a certain way could instantly improve your backbends?
This training won’t just teach you how to breathe better - it will teach you how to breathe more intelligently both on and off the mat.
This weekend is for you if…
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You’re a yoga teacher tired of sounding like a broken record during sun salutations.
You want alternatives to the standard inhale-exhale cues, so your students pay more attention to you - and their breath.
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You’re a student who feels like breathing is just background noise in your asana practice.
Once you understand the why behind each breath, it becomes easier (and more fun) to make it a main focus.
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You worry you’re breathing wrong.
Whenever the teacher cues “inhale” you’re doing an exhale, and it constantly feels like you’re trying to keep up compared to the rest of class. It’s not relaxing - it’s stressful.
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You’re excited to explore more than Nadi Shodhana and Ujjayi.
This immersion will offer you much more than isolated techniques, basic breathing patterns, and well-known pranayama practices.
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Right now, breathing is something you do to stay alive - and sometimes because your yoga teacher tells you to.
But you know there’s way more to it that you’re currently missing out on.
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You know breathing is important - but it’s also kind of boring.
If your mind always wanders during meditation and it’s hard to stay focused, I’ll show you how to make breathing a more enjoyable experience so it’s easier to stay connected.
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You want to understand why “relaxing” breathing sometimes makes you more stressed.
You’re not the only one, don’t worry.
But it’s not for you if…
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You’re looking for a collection of pranayama techniques to memorise.
We cover pranayama, but it’s a small part of something much more powerful.
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You want to “fix” your breath.
It’s not broken, just misunderstood.
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You want exact answers.
When it comes to breathing, “it depends” isn’t a cop-out - it’s literally the whole point.
The topics
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Even though you’ve been breathing since birth, it’s likely you’re still a “beginner” when it comes to understanding breath on a deeper level.
We’ll look at the different dimensions of breath: anatomy, physiology, the nervous system, and the energetics.
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Explore the anatomy of your breath, and what happens in your body each time you inhale and exhale.
Understand how the lungs and respiratory system function, as well as the main muscles required to breathe.
Understand the problem with “belly breathing” and why taking a “deep” breath can be misleading.
Look at how your posture impacts your breathing - including your tongue position and jaw tension.
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A deeper look at the respiratory system and gas exchange.
Understanding nitric oxide and the differences between mouth and nose breathing.
Breathing is not about getting “more oxygen” - we’ll look at C02 tolerance, air hunger, and BOLT scores to understand the physiology of your inhales and exhales.
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An overview of the nervous system and the sympathetic and parasympathetic spectrums.
Explore how your breath affects both you body and brain (and vice versa).
Understand that there’s no universal “best” breath - it always depends.
The connection between your breath and emotions.
Why some breathing techniques can actually increase stress, instead of relaxing you.
Why calm isn’t always the goal of breathwork practices.
Your breath as a feedback system, and why it’s often better than “listen to your body” as a tool.
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Your breath is the bridge between your body, mind, and beyond. We’ll look at how to achieve an alignment between the physical, mental, and subtle.
A deeper look at prana and pranayama practices.
An introduction to the subtle body according to yogic frameworks and traditions.
Using the breath as a concentration and focus practice in relation to the 8 limbs of yoga.
Exploring the prana vayus and the various energetic aspects of inhaling and exhaling.
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This is all about the application of everything we’ve covered - how to breathe both on and off your mat for maximum enjoyment, and the best benefits.
How to work with the breath in your yoga practice - not just inhale, exhale, repeat or a one-movement-one-breath flow.
Using the breath as an anchor for meditation, or finding moments of calm within the chaos.
Using the breath as a tool for emotion management, influence, and understanding.
Combining breath and asana - how to use them as complimentary practices to enhance the overall experience.
Working with “opposite” breaths - like exhaling to Three-legged Dog, or inhaling to fold forwards.
Working with the three stages, four qualities, and five energies of the breath.
Exploring the balance of effort and ease through your breath.
Breath and movement, and movement and breath (yes, they’re different things).
Questions?
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No. This training is specifically designed for both yoga students and teachers. The information is relevant for everyone, regardless of whether you teach.
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Absolutely - as long as you have a desire to learn, you’re welcome to join.
You’ll get the most out of this training if you have an existing practice and some prior experience, but if you’re new-ish to yoga and keen to dive in from the start, then it would be wonderful to have you there.
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There’s plenty of movement, exploration, and time on the mat - but it’s balanced with discussions, Q+As, and short lectures. It’s much more of an interactive weekend workshop, not an extended asana / pranayama practice or bunch of guided classes.
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Very. Many experienced practitioners find this kind of work especially clarifying because it helps undo unhelpful habits.
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Not at all. Everything is explained in an easy-to-understand way and immediately explored through trying it out. This way the theory “comes to life” and makes sense on your mat. If you do have pranayama experience, this will help you apply that knowledge in a more practical way so it gives you tools to integrate into your life, rather than just a technique to add to your asana practice.
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Yes. Everything we cover is applicable to all styles of yoga. It’s breath specific, not style specific.
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Don’t worry - while there will be some theory and discussion sessions, we break it up with interactive exercises, playtime, and plenty of breathing and moving.
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Yes - in fact, you’ll be an asset to the group. This workshop is specifically about moving away from "standard" breathwork approaches and finding what works for the individual. Your unique experience will help us all learn more about the diversity of breathing.
Just let me know ahead of time so I can make sure you’re supported.
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Not at all. I’m anti-dogma, not anti-pranayama. Pranayama (and breathing techniques in general) are awesome, but only when they’re used in the right way - and this varies person to person, moment to moment, and breath by breath.
My goal is that by the end of the weekend you’ll be able to make intelligent and informed choices about your inhales and exhales, both on and off your yoga mat.
The details
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New dates are coming soon. Please join the waiting list to be the first to know when bookings open.
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The weekend takes place in a beautiful studio in central Geneva.
Address: Cours de Rive 20, 1207 Geneva.
It’s easily accessible via public transport, with bus and tram stops less than a minute away.
Nearest train stations:
Eaux-Vives: 15 minute walk or 5 minutes by tram / bus.
Geneva Cornavin: 25 minute walk or 15 minutes by public transport.
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New dates coming soon.
What’s included:
✔ 12 hours of comprehensive content: an in-person training packed with interactive learning, breathing, movement, and discussion.
✔ A detailed manual - written by me: full of information on everything we cover, so you can revisit and integrate the material after the weekend.
✔ Animated anatomy: cool visual resources so you see what’s happening under your skin. This is the same programme I use for my YTT students.
✔ Ongoing support: for any aha! moments that happen after the weekend, or questions that come up in future classes.
✔ Yoga Alliance certified: 12 hours of continuing education credits (YACEP) for yoga teachers. Certificates provided.
✘ Travel, accommodation, and meals are not included.
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New dates will be announced soon. Please join the waiting list to be the first to know when bookings open.
New dates coming soon · Spaces are limited
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