Transforming Lives Through Breathwork: Insights from the Oxygen Advantage Instructor Course

Breathing is something we do every moment without thinking. Yet, the way we breathe can shape our health, focus, and emotional balance in profound ways. After spending four days in Galway, Ireland, attending Patrick McKeown’s Advanced Oxygen Advantage Instructor course, I returned with more than just new skills. I came back with practical tools that have already eased my lifelong stuffy nose and exercise-induced asthma. More importantly, I gained knowledge to help children develop healthy breathing habits that support their concentration, sleep, and emotional wellbeing.

This post shares key insights from the course and how I plan to bring this knowledge into my work and community.

Why Functional Breathing Matters for Children

One of the most eye-opening lessons from the course is the impact of breathing habits formed early in life. If children do not develop functional breathing habits, especially nasal breathing, by age five, they face a higher risk of:

• Attention difficulties

• Lighter, less restorative sleep

• Increased emotional reactivity

  
  

By age eight, these challenges often become more apparent. Nasal breathing is a foundation for healthy oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange and nervous system balance. When children breathe through their mouths or over-breathe, it can disrupt these processes.

This knowledge has made me more aware of how my own children breathe and how important it is to guide them toward better habits.

Practical Benefits I Experienced Personally

Before attending the course, I hoped to enhance my breathwork training. What I didn’t expect was immediate relief from my own breathing issues. For years, I struggled with a stuffy nose and asthma triggered by exercise. Using techniques learned in Galway, I noticed:

• Improved nasal airflow

• Reduced asthma symptoms during workouts

• Greater ease and calm in breathing

  
  

These results show how breathwork can offer practical health benefits beyond relaxation or meditation.

How I Will Use This Training in My Work

The course equipped me to work with a wide range of people, including children, athletes, and women with specific respiratory challenges.

Here’s how I plan to apply what I learned:

• Bringing breathing education into schools

Teaching children functional breathing habits to support focus, emotional regulation, and sleep quality.

• Hosting talks and clinics on sleep issues

Addressing sleep apnea, insomnia, and nighttime mouth breathing, with attention to how symptoms differ between men and women.

• Educating women on female respiration

Focusing on chronic over-breathing and hyperventilation, which can affect women differently.

• Incorporating simulated altitude training

Helping athletes and sports teams improve performance through controlled breathing techniques.

Finishing up a guided breathwork session in the wellness garden.

Introducing the 1:1 Breathing Assessment & Guided Session

To make this training accessible, I have added a new service to my website: a one-hour Breathing Assessment & Guided Session priced at £65. This session includes:

• A comprehensive breathing assessment tailored to your age, gender, and health

• Guided breathing techniques designed specifically for your needs

• A personalized breathing program to practice daily

  
  

Sessions can take place indoors in my treatment room or outside under the gazebo, where comfort is ensured with heaters, blankets, and hot water bottles.

This personalized approach helps people integrate functional breathing into their daily lives, improving health and wellbeing over time.

Why Breathwork Education Is More Important Than Ever

Frenetic modern lifestyles often lead to shallow, mouth breathing. This can lead to chronic over-breathing, reduced oxygen efficiency, and related health problems. Teaching functional breathing early can prevent these issues and support lifelong health.

By focusing on breath education, especially for children, we can help build stronger foundations for learning, emotional balance, and physical health.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Breathing Today

You don’t need to wait for a course to start improving your breathing. Here are some simple steps to try:

• Practice nasal breathing

Make a habit of breathing through your nose, especially during rest and light activity.

• Slow your breath

Aim for about 6 breaths per minute to encourage calm and efficient oxygen exchange. Just one or two minutes of breathing in this rhythm will send signals of safety and calm to your brain.

• Check your posture

Keep your chest open and shoulders relaxed to allow full lung expansion, channeling the air down into your tummy and filling your lungs from the bottom up.

• Try guided breathwork

Attend one of my talks, events or clinics learn simple breathing exercises that fit your lifestyle. Alternatively, you can book a 1on1 breathing assessment and guided breathing session with me.