Functional Breathwork FAQs

Functional Breathwork is a gentle, science-based breathing method designed to improve how we breathe by encouraging calm, controlled nasal breathing. This technique helps reduce over-breathing and supports better oxygen delivery throughout the body.
 
Functional Breathwork is commonly used to support conditions such as asthma, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and breathing pattern disorders. By improving breathing efficiency and building tolerance to carbon dioxide, functional breathing can help promote a sense of calm, enhance energy levels, and support overall wellbeing.

If you would like to find out more about our services and how we work, please do get in touch.

Functional Breathwork sessions are especially helpful for those experiencing:
 
– Mouth breathing
– Sleep-disordered breathing (e.g. snoring, sleep apnoea)
– Asthma or chronic coughing
– Anxiety or stress-related breathing
– Postural dysfunction or fatigue
– ADHD or focus issues (especially in children)
– Post-viral symptoms (e.g. long COVID)
 
Your practitioner will always consider any existing health conditions and adapt exercises accordingly to ensure safety and comfort.

Functional Breathwork offers a range of benefits by helping to restore natural, functional breathing patterns. It supports the body’s ability to self-regulate and can improve both physical and emotional wellbeing.
 
Key benefits may include:
 
– Improved breathing efficiency through reduced over-breathing
– Enhanced oxygen delivery to the body’s tissues
– Support for respiratory conditions such as asthma or nasal congestion
– Better sleep quality, including reduced snoring and sleep apnoea symptoms
– Greater calm and focus, helping manage stress and anxiety
– Improved athletic performance and recovery through better breath control
– Increased energy and resilience in daily life

Functional Breathwork and Myofunctional Therapy work together to promote healthy, functional breathing and orofacial development — both placing strong emphasis on restoring nasal breathing, a core goal of Myofunctional Therapy.
 
Starting with Functional Breathwork helps lay a strong foundation. Through calm, controlled techniques, it retrains breathing patterns, increases awareness, and encourages gentle nasal breathing. This prepares the body for the muscle-based work of Myofunctional Therapy—such as improving tongue posture, reducing over-breathing, and calming the nervous system.
 
By addressing compensatory habits early, Functional Breathwork makes the transition into oral exercises smoother and more effective. When combined with Myofunctional Therapy’s focus on muscle tone, swallowing, and tongue function, it enhances long-term results by reinforcing nasal breathing as a daily habit.
 
Together, these therapies create a comprehensive pathway to improved breathing, sleep, posture, and overall wellbeing.

Functional Breathwork is a gentle, non-invasive approach suitable for both children and adults seeking to improve their breathing habits, manage symptoms, or support therapies like Myofunctional Therapy. 
 
Functional Breathwork is generally safe, but some techniques—such as breath holds—are not recommended for certain groups. This includes women who are pregnant, individuals with uncontrolled hypertension, severe cardiovascular disease, or certain neurological conditions. 
 
Our approach is especially supportive for those who:

– Feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed
– Struggle with focus, sleep, fatigue or emotional regulation 
– Have asthma, allergies or regular blocked noses
– Habitually mouth breathe
– Have orthodontic or speech issues
– Are looking to improve posture and movement
– Need simple tools to reset, restore balance and recharge
– Are looking to support their family’s wellbeing
 
If you’re unsure whether Functional Breathwork is right for you or your child, please get in touch and we can discuss your needs.

Gentle movement refers to slow, mindful physical activity that is intentionally low-impact and safe for all bodies. It is designed to support the nervous system, restore mobility, and ease physical tension—without pushing into pain or discomfort.
 
In this practice, movement is guided by the breath. We begin by establishing functional breathing and tuning into full-body awareness. From this connected state, we invite movement that is conscious, deliberate, and in sync with the breath.
 
Participants are encouraged to move only within their safe, comfortable range—respecting the body’s current limitations and avoiding any actions that feel forced or disconnected from breath.
 
When breath and movement are not aligned, the nervous system can become dysregulated, and the benefit of the practice may be reduced—or even reversed. This approach helps prevent strain and maximises the restorative potential of each session.
 
Gentle movement is not about how much you do, but how consciously you do it. The goal is to build strength, stability, and awareness from the inside out—creating safety, function, and flow in your body and mind.

Combining Functional Breathwork with gentle functional movement offers more lasting and practical benefits than breath work alone, especially for beginners. 
 
While many breathwork exercises are performed when still, true functional breathing must carry over into movement. To integrate healthy breathing patterns into daily life, it’s essential to learn how to breathe well while you move. This is where functional movement becomes key.

We offer individual breathwork coaching to both adults and children from the age of five. 
 
Our breathwork coaching for adults develops a strong foundation in functional breathing and movement. Rooted in the principles of functional breathing, each session combines practical techniques and guided practice with gentle, progressive repetition. This approach empowers participants to develop self-awareness, and cultivate a sense of resilience and inner calm.
 
Our breathwork coaching for children offers a playful, age-appropriate exploration into breathwork and movement. The course encourages children to support their bodies and emotions in fun and easy ways, to help them feel calmer, focussed and emotionally regulated – at school, at home and in daily life.

The first step is to complete our assessment form. This enables us to identify if there any concerns about the suitability of the sessions, and discuss if there may be modifications that need to be made. We can then make a plan to confirm your personalised coaching sessions, and get you booked in.
 
Our Breathwork sessions are adapted to meet your individual needs, which we’ll explore further in the first session.

Our sessions are offered online, enabling you to join from the comfort of your own home. Once your booking is confirmed, you’ll receive a secure link to access your session.

Our coaching last for four weeks, with four sessions held weekly. Further sessions are available for those who wish to continue with Functional Breathwork beyond the end of the course. We’ll discuss the potential need for more sessions with you at the end of the initial four-week block.

Our Functional Breathwork coaching is designated at a Beginner level to ensure it is accessible for all. No prior experience is required to participate.

The first session begins with a Functional Breathing and Movement Assessment to understand your individual needs and ensure everything is tailored to your body and ability.
 
In each session, you’ll be given specific breathwork and movement exercises to practise, with guidance on how to perform them correctly. By combining calm, nasal breathing with simple, intentional movement, you begin to notice your natural patterns and restore ease in both breath and motion, increasing body awareness, while reinforcing the core foundations of nasal and diaphragmatic breathing.
 
Sessions are always adapted to your comfort and range, with gentle guidance to help you stay safe, supported, and connected to your breath. This synergy between breath and movement reduces tension, improves oxygen delivery, and builds a strong foundation for long-term resilience and wellbeing.
 
Our approach is similar for children. Participants will receive an age-appropriate breathwork kit in advance, which will be used throughout the sessions. Each session is interactive and adapted to suit your child’s needs and attention span, ensuring engagement and progress in a playful, supportive way.
 
At the end of the course, we’ll hold a review to reflect on your – or your child’s – progress compared to the baseline recorded in the initial session. Our final session in each of our breathwork courses is shaped around building a personal routine and toolkit for participants to apply, empowering them to sustain their wellbeing with confidence and purpose. 

Participants are encouraged to practise exercises between sessions for a minimum of 10 minutes per day. To support this, between each session you may receive additional resources — such as audio guides, written prompts, or simple visual instructions — to guide your self-practice. 
 
This continuity is a key part of the course’s success, as repetition and daily practice help embed new patterns and strengthen neuroplastic change. Our instructor will be available to provide any support via email should you have any questions outside of the sessions.

Before each session please ensure you have a flat, non-slip floor surface with at least 2 feet of clear space around you. We recommend a yoga mat to practise the exercises on, and to wear comfortable clothing that allows free movement.
 
These small preparations help create a calm and safe environment for your practice, ensuring you get the most out of each session.