Breathwork for Life, with Véronique Gauthier

Welcome to this online course about the breath! Here, I share a little about my background and why I think breathwork is so important. I'll give you an overview of the course content and the learning objectives, plus I invite you to consider the breath from various angles, and to explore it for yourself for at least 20 minutes a day.

Before we get started, we’ll clarify a few preliminary concepts. I’ll talk about some of the different schools of breathwork, you’ll learn the answer to the key question, 'What is the difference between Breathwork and Pranayama?', and I’ll explain why it’s important to explore both Eastern and Western practices in this course.

This module focuses on why we breathe and what happens when we breathe. Research about the breath has exploded over the past years and we now understand a lot more about what happens when we breathe. This module focuses on the biochemistry of breathing and reviews the fascinating processes that take place when our body is being breathed. We'll look at the difference between outer breathing and cellular respiration, and the various gases that are involved during both. We'll also identify a common breathing dysfunction, as well as one of the three pillars of optimal breathing: nasal breathing.

Key concepts we'll cover:

Co2 vs O2

• The role of oxygen (O2) vs Carbon dioxide (Co2) in breathing and cellular respiration.

Blood pH

• How breathing and blood pH levels are linked.

Co2 tolerance

• The importance of Co2 tolerance.
• How to measure using the BOLT (Body Oxygen Level Test) score and how to improve it.

Nitric Oxide

• The role of Nitric Oxide (NO) on our health.

Nasal Breathing

• What happens when we breathe through the nose and when we breathe through the mouth?

Dysfunction & Optimal breathing

• Nasal vs mouth breathing

In this module, we'll focus on the mechanics of breathing. We'll start with the primary muscle of breathing – the diaphragm – to understand why Dr. Jack Feldman argues that without a diaphragm, you're an amphibian! Then we'll turn to other muscles involved in breathing. This will lead us to the second pillar of optimal breathing: diaphragmatic breathing.

Key concepts we’ll cover: 

The diaphragm

• Why the diaphragm is a key muscle in terms of evolution. Its function in breathing.

Intercostal muscles

• Their contribution to breathing.

Accessory muscles

• Which muscles are accessory and when to use them.

Pelvic floor muscles (PFM)

• What should the PFM do when we inhale and when we exhale?

Dysfunction & Optimal breathing

• Diaphragmatic vs upper chest breathing

In this module we consider: What is the link between the breath, our thoughts, and our emotions? Firstly, we'll review the 'old' model of our nervous system before turning to Dr Porges' Polyvagal Theory. One key topic in Breathwork is how our breath relates to the Autonomic Nervous System. We'll then look at Heart Rate Variability as a useful indicator of the health of our nervous system and how to improve it. Then we’ll explore the third pillar of optimal breathing: slow breathing. Additionally, we'll look at Breath Intelligence (BQ), which is a simple method to assess our body-mind system created by Dr Ela Manga and Viola Edward. It allows us to track what our breath has to say about our physical, mental and emotional health.

Key concepts:

The brain and the nervous system

• The 'old' model of the nervous system and its different parts.

Polyvagal theory

• What happens when we are under stress, and which nervous complex is activated when we are?

How breathing affects the ANS

• The correlations between the various components of breathing and the ANS.

Heart rate variability (HRV)

• Why this indicator shows how 'healthy' our nervous system is and how to improve our HRV.

Dysfunctional & Optimal breathing

• Fast vs slow breathing.

Breath Intelligence (BQ)

• The 10 parameters of Breath Intelligence

In this module we'll explore what ancient yogis discovered about life force energy and how their maps of the subtle body correlate with what we now know about our nervous system and breathing. These key concepts shed light on how the vital energy circulates through our body, but they can also be used in conscious breathing practices to bring out particular qualities we want to develop.

Key concepts we’ll cover:

Nadis & Chakras

• How Nadis and Chakras correlate with the breath and the nervous system.

Gunas

• How Gunas correlate with the breath and the nervous system.

Vayus

• How Vayus correlate with the breath and the nervous system.

In this module, we practise a series of breathing techniques, from traditional pranayama as well as more recent Breathwork origins. They are divided into four categories: warm-up, energising, relaxing, and balancing. 

But first, we'll revisit each breathing component before looking at a technique often used as a warm-up. 

Key concepts covered:

Components

• The qualities of inhalations, exhalations, inner and outer retentions and how these breathing components can be combined to warm-up, energise, relax or balance our nervous system.

Warm up

• Using Viloma breathing as a warm-up practice.

In this class, we'll practise a series of energising breathing techniques. I encourage you to try each one, then take some notes about any shift in your bodily sensations, thoughts or emotions. You can navigate these techniques as you wish, based on how you feel.

Techniques covered:

- Surya Bhedana

- Double inhale

- Warrior breath

- Kapalabhati / Skull shining breath / Breath of Fire

- Bhastrika 

- 20 Connected Breaths

- Wim Hof breathing

- Simha / Lion's breath

- Breath of Life

In this class, we'll practise a series of relaxing breathing techniques. I encourage you to try each one, then take some notes about any shift in your bodily sensations, thoughts or emotions. You can navigate these techniques as you wish, based on how you feel.

Techniques covered:

- Chandra Bhedana

- Bhramari / Bumblebee breath

- Ujjayi

- Sitali & Sitkari

- Ratio breathing

In this class, we'll practise a series of balancing breathing techniques. I encourage you to try each one, then take some notes about any shift in your bodily sensations, thoughts or emotions. You can navigate these techniques as you wish, based on how you feel.

Techniques covered:

- Nadi Shodhana

- Box Breathing

- Coherent Breath

- Dirga Pranayama

So far we’ve looked at what recent researchers and Breathwork facilitators have discovered about the breath, as well as what ancient yogis discovered thousands of years ago. We also practised individual breathing techniques. 

In this module, we'll put everything together and learn breathing sequences that can prove useful in daily life. The aim is to explore how we can combine techniques to manage certain situations better.

Breathwork for different situations:

- Scenario 1: Seven minutes to reset at lunchtime

- Scenario 2: Moving from work to leisure mode

- Scenario 3: Getting up and ready for your day

- Scenario 4: For when you suddenly feel anxious

In the previous module, we practised short sequences that can be used in daily life. In this class we'll focus on overcoming sleep issues.

In this class we'll focus on recovering from a respiratory condition, like the flu or Covid. We'll start with a gentle warm-up for the body, followed by some breath awareness before exploring some breathing techniques that will help us recover faster.

The focus of this class is not to overcome any specific health condition but to improve and maximise our fitness level. We'll start with a gentle warm-up for the body, followed by breath awareness before exploring some breathing techniques - especially breath retention - to increase our overall fitness level.

In this final class, we review the course learning objectives, recap what the three pillars of optimal breathing are and reiterate the importance of observing the breath. The breath is one of the most precious and powerful tools we have and I hope that you now feel better equipped to use it and improve your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.