Breathwork Training for Yoga Teachers: How Breathing Classes Can Enhance Your Teaching

Are you a yoga teacher looking to expand your practice and transform your teaching? While there are many ways to compliment your yoga teacher training — think meditation, dance or movement offerings — incorporating breathwork classes into your practice can enhance your teaching and provide another benefit to your clients as they journey towards better heath and wellness. 

It’s no secret that yoga and breathing go hand in hand. From the moment we step onto the mat, the rhythm of our breath becomes a driving force behind each pose and movement. Our deep inhalations and exhalations enable us to move through our asanas, helping us to get a deeper stretch, while welcoming calm and peace throughout our practice. 

Yoga teaches us to find stillness in motion, and it is through conscious breathing that we can unlock inner peace and self-discovery. And, when combined with the transformative power of breathwork, we can expand our awareness even further and connect us to the very essence of our being. 

By embracing breathwork techniques and integrating them into your yoga class offerings, you can amplify the impact of your teachings, nurture holistic well-being, and guide your students toward a profound mind-body connection. 

Pranayama: The Power of Breathwork Yoga

Chances are that you are incorporating a form of breathwork into your practice already! Breathwork yoga, often referred to as pranayama, is the art of conscious breathing. “Prana” translates to “life force” or “vital energy,” and “ayama” means “extension” or “expansion.” It goes beyond the physical postures, and invites us to explore the intricate connection between breath, body, and mind. Pranayama can be understood as the extension, expansion, or regulation of one’s vital energy through specific breathing exercises.

Pranayama techniques involve conscious manipulation of the breath, such as regulating the duration, pace, and pattern of inhalation, exhalation, and breath retention. These techniques aim to balance and enhance the flow of prana within the body, harmonizing the physical, mental, and energetic aspects of one’s being.

Pranayama is considered a foundational aspect of yoga practice, alongside asanas (physical postures) and meditation. It helps calm the mind, increase self-awareness, and prepare the practitioner for deeper states of meditation and spiritual exploration. Additionally, pranayama techniques can have various physiological benefits, such as reducing stress, improving respiratory function, and promoting overall well-being.

As pranayama requires focused attention and conscious control of the breath, it serves as a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness and connecting with the present moment. 

Through regular practice, pranayama enables individuals to harness the transformative power of the breath, leading to a deeper understanding of themselves and their connection to the world around them.

Benefits of Advanced Breathwork Training

While you may have the art of pranayama down, learning how to teach breathing classes – aka facilitate breathwork – requires further training. Breathwork encompasses a broader range of breathing techniques and practices. While it draws inspiration from various ancient traditions, including pranayama, it is not limited to the context of only yogic breath. 

Breathwork has gained popularity as a standalone practice and has been adapted and developed by different teachers and practitioners across different disciplines, such as psychology, personal growth, and holistic healing. 

Breathwork techniques include specific patterns of breathing, connected breathing, breath awareness, and various other approaches to conscious breathing. The aim of breathwork is often to promote emotional healing, release stress and tension, induce relaxation, enhance self-awareness, and facilitate personal transformation. Those who practice breathwork can experience profound emotional breakthroughs, often in just one session. 

And, as a yoga teacher, learning to facilitate breathwork is another tool you can add to your wellness toolkit. It will also help you increase your impact, your influence — and your income. 

Learn more about our Level 1 Breathwork Facilitator Training here. 

Additional Benefits of Adding Breathwork to Your Yoga Offerings

Mind-Body Harmony: By practicing breathwork regularly, your clients can develop a profound sense of unity between the body and mind. Conscious breathing calms the nervous system, reduces stress, and allows us to be fully present in our practice and teachings.

Enhanced Energy Flow: Breathwork classes help clear energy blockages, allowing prana (life force) to flow freely throughout the body. This increased energy flow revitalizes our practice, leaving us feeling more vibrant, focused, and centered.

Emotional Regulation: Breathwork techniques enable yoga teachers to help their clients access and release stored emotions. By creating a safe space for students to explore their emotional landscape, you can foster healing and growth within your classes.

If you haven’t experienced the benefits of breathwork for yourself, you can access a free breathwork course here.

How to Integrate Breathwork into Your Yoga Studio

Dedicated breathing classes often need their own class time. As a Level 1 Elemental Rhythm Facilitator, you’ll learn how to guide your clients through our powerful Breakthrough Experience. Offering breathwork classes will mean that you’ll be able to add a new, unique and transformational offering to your schedule. 

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Start with Your Own Personal Practice: Begin by exploring breathwork techniques during your own yoga practice, and take breathwork classes yourself, either in person or online. Familiarize yourself with the effects, sensations and benefits before introducing them to your students.

Get the Right Training and Become a Certified Breathwork Facilitator: While you may have experience in pranayama, breathwork facilitator training will ensure you can help your clients really experience those profound, life-changing transformations they yearn for. Learn more about our Level 1 Breathwork Facilitator Training here. 

Create a Safe and Welcoming Space: Once you’re ready to teach breathwork, you will need to ensure that your students feel comfortable and supported in exploring breathwork. Explain the benefits and any precautions, and invite them to embrace curiosity and self-discovery. Visit our What is Breathwork page here, and review our blog posts for informative resources that can help your clients learn more.  

Seamlessly Integrate Breathwork as You Teach: Incorporate breathwork exercises as transitions between asanas or dedicate specific portions of your classes to focused breathwork sessions as lead-ins to your dedicated breathwork sessions. Observe and adapt to the needs of your students, gradually introducing more advanced techniques as their practice deepens.

Breathwork training is a transformative journey that holds immense potential for yoga teachers. If you’re ready to embark on this path of growth, and witness the magic of breathwork unfold within yourself and your students, you’re likely ready to become a certified Breathwork Facilitator.

Remember, the breath is the bridge that unites body and mind. Embrace it, explore it, and let it guide you on your path as a yoga teacher and a breathwork facilitator.

Namaste!