Being Breathed - An Experiential Online Training for Yoga, Meditation and Movement Teachers
“We are a moving symphony of breathing, digesting, thinking and feeling.”
Being Breathed - Course Essentials
This training runs once a year on - line in March
A maximum of 12 participants.
AT A GLANCE
Live-streamed Online Training
Group Size: 12
42 Hours: 36 live contact hours online plus home study
For: Yoga, Meditation & Movement Teachers
therapists,fitness and dance teachers.
Cost: £549
Payment Plans are available, see the application form below
Scholarships: One full scholarship is available for work exchange, and one discounted place is available for financial need
DATES & TIMES
Module One (13 hours) in March
Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd March 2023 1-3pm US ET / 6-8pm UK / 7-9pm Spain
Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th March 5.30-8am US ET / 10.30am-1.30pm UK / 11.30am-2.30pm Spain
Art of Teaching - Saturday 11th March 5.30-8.30am US ET / 10.30am-1.30pm UK / 11.30am-2.30pm Spain
Module Two 10 hours) in March
Thursday 16th & Friday 157h March 1-3pm US ET / 6-8pm UK / 7-9pm Spain
Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th March 5.30-8am US ET / 10.30am-1.30pm UK / 11.30am-2.30pm Spain
Module Three (13 hours) in March/ April
Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th March l 1-3pm US ET / 6-8pm UK / 7-9pm Spain
Saturday 25h & Sunday 26th March 5.30-8am US ET / 10.30am-1pm UK / 11.30am-2pm
Art of Teaching - Sunday 2nd April 5.30-8.30am US ET / 10.30am-1.30pm UK / 11.30am-2.30pm Spain
Recordings of the live sessions will be available for lifetime streaming access.
Intro to the Being Breathed Training
Being Breathed is a certified foundational training with an inclusive, gentle somatic and trauma-sensitive approach to breath practice, traditional and adapted pranayama, breath awareness, inquiry, foundational physiology, embodied anatomy of breathing, myofascial release and somatic movement.
It is an experiential and multi-directional training created for yoga teachers (200hr certification), registered therapists, and movement facilitators wishing to gain an understanding of the many facets of breath, and safely include breath practices into their teaching, and sessions and to dive a little deeper into the benefits of a consistent breathing practice for themselves.
From the cultivation of a daily guided breathing practice for the duration of the course, and learning from a combination of presentation, inquiry, live guided sessions, live Q&A, and daily written inquiry invitations, participants gain the skills and confidence to include breath practices in classes, courses and workshops; and, if they wish, teach Being Breathed courses so that their students may find a deeper insightful relationship with their breath and enjoy a simple sustainable breathing practice.
What Participants Have to Say…
“Jo’s course has given me a safe space to very gently start to re-build my relationship with my breath, and I suspect, ultimately my relationship with life. Freaking precious stuff. Especially as I completed it with Covid.
There’s also:
Shit tonnes of nervous system regulation
Embodied anatomy
Breath science and physiology
Trauma sensitive focus
Grounding
A sensitive pathology!!
Pranayama and breath techniques and sounding
Fascial release
Movement SE inspired practices
Buckets of kindness
Art of teaching
Breath and menstrual cycle and menopause
Kicking back at the patriarchy
Fabulously permissive, gentle community to learn with
And other stuff too where I’ve been too blissed out to notice, drawn from a diverse range of sources, both ancient and cutting edge.
So Jo, thank you. Thank you SO much. You are a bloody genius. I don’t think you really know the true value of your offering.”
— Kate Codrington, Menopause Mentor and Writer
“The Being Breathed course was a deep journey that will continue to enrich my personal practice, and also my work, for a long time to come. Everything was so nourishing - the practices and explorations, the intimate group of women, and Jo's experienced facilitation which gave immense space for all of us to make the practice our own.
Personally, I found the course inspiring and a bit of a revelation as it was the first time I've explored somatic movement more consistently. Having the freedom to move from the inside out was not only deeply pleasurable but also brought about new levels of healing and integration.
Jo is a rare find - a facilitator who creates a truly safe space and encourages you to find your own answers from within. I feel grateful beyond words for the whole experience.”
— Michelle, Yoga Teacher, Bodyworker and Somatic Therapist
Specific Focus, Aims and Certification Requirements
Specific Focus
This course is an invitation to dive deeply into the subtlety of the breath, so that we may experience the wisdom of the body breathing, the joy of being breathed.
It purposefully does not include advanced dynamic breathing techniques that may not be suitable for your students and clients.
Instead, we go deeply and thoroughly into developing breath awareness, recognising and unravelling breath dysfunction, bringing essential balance in our breathing physiology, and improving our functional breathing through accessible breathing practices, foundational traditional and adapted pranayama, complemented and supported by an experiential knowledge of breathing anatomy, breath body movement synchronisation, myofascial release (MFR), and restorative gestures specifically to support improved breath awareness and structural integrity related to breathing.
“Our breath is the big revealer to our internal landscape and our unique relationship with life itself. Life is choosing to express itself through us from moment to moment through the breathing process and yet within that wonderful exchange we can experience resistance, holding patterns, anxiety, grasping and unease.
In this course we will explore, learn and unravel, you will be invited to listen deeply to the whispers riding on the breath and the sensations within your respiratory muscles so that you can better understand and respond to what stands in the way of you experiencing the substratum of aliveness of being breathed.”
The Being Breathed training is led from the above perspective, of deepening your own practice and becoming intimate with your unique respiration. From this depth of personal experience you will be guided in learning the hows, whats and whys of teaching breath practices in an accessible and inclusive way, refining your vocabulary, developing teaching skills, the capacity to co-regulate while teaching and embodying knowledge about the breath so you may confidently and safely teach foundational breathing practices.
Although we will be sharing presentations and theory, this course is not a means to gather second hand knowledge to regurgitate to your students/ clients; it is an invitation to explore information, integrate what resonates, bring it to your personal practice and do some inner work.
Aims
Participants will have gained a deeper intimacy with their own breath and established a daily breathing practice that is unique to them.
They will be certified to skilfully and confidently teach/ facilitate foundational breathing practices and pranayama and have a knowledge of dysfunctional breathing patterns. They will have the confidence to incorporate and sequence myofascial release, movement and restorative practices that relate to breathing in breath focused classes and teach with an inquiry based focus to support greater breath awareness and valuable autonomy in their students.
Each module includes presentation, live guided practice, Art of Teaching sessions and break out rooms for exploration with peers.
Certification Requirements
Attendance of the three live modules.
2 x 30 minute breathing practices daily for the duration of the course,
Documenting observations, insights and responses to practice.
Completion of Required reading and viewing
30 minute one to one session with Jo.
Recorded teaching of a breath focused class.
Also Included in this Training
The Being Breathed Manual which includes pdfs for suggested short breath practices and the Being Breathed course format
A resources collection of videos and articles
An ongoing Being Breathed WhatsApp peer group for sharing resources
For a detailed overview of the course content, see below.
My journey with breathing…
I have spent a life time in enforced intimacy with my breath, experiencing various respiratory issues, asthma, multiple bronchitis and pneumonia passed down through the generations of both my family lines.
I have had a continuous motivation to practice and study due to necessity. Nurturing and inquiring into the intricacies of breath through traditional and contemporary practices, somatic therapy and movement as a means to understanding and healing.
I began exploring Pranayama initially 30 years ago in the careful, exacting and rigorous Iyengar method and later with Godfrey Devereux embracing his sensitive somatic approach to the breath.
Further explorations in embodied and experiential anatomy with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen studies in somatic therapy with Jane Okondo and trauma therapy with Pete Levine and Sonia Gomez and extensive self-study all inform my approach at this time.
I am passionate about inclusive breath practices, the impact of language when teaching breath and guiding in a trauma sensitive way for sensitive respiratory systems, so each person may enjoy better respiratory health and develop a deeper connection with there unique respiratory system.
I look forward to sharing this course with you, Jo x
Being Breathed Training in more detail
Module 1 - Grounding and Sensing.
Presentations
Introduction
About the course
Why being breathed
Influences and Approach
Basic History of breathing practices and traditional Pranayama.
Intro to experiential and embodied anatomy related to breathing.
Breath, Gravity and movement.
Why nose breathing.
The Diaphragm
Common Breathing habits.
Techniques/ Practices
Base Line, ROM and BOLT.
Breath Sensing in movement and with props
Percussion and MFR
Touch and massage for breath
The Medusa Breath
Art of Teaching
Introduction of vocab and articulation for guiding breath sensing and awareness.
Developing skills for detecting breathing patterns.
Adaptations and sensitive options for trauma and health conditions. Breakout rooms – exploration with peers.
Q&A
Home study
2 x daily practice of 30 minutes – followed by written inquiry
Watch– video support material / read required reading
Practice teaching- incorporating this weeks studies/ practices into classes/ sessions.
Completion of worksheets.
Module 2 - Strengthening and Awakening.
Presentations
The myth of the deep breath–basic physiology and chemistry of internal respiration.
The pelvis and the Psoas in relation to breathing.
Pranayama - an overviews of techniques explored benefits and contraindications, sensitivities, alternatives and adaptations.
Techniques/ Practices
Ullola- Breath /movement synchronization for awakening and strengthening.
Sitting and resting poses for breath practice/awareness
Restorative gestures and MFR for exploring, awakening and preparing the thoracic cage, pelvis and psoas.
Awakening and strengthening the diaphragm and lungs.
Wind in the Trees breathing
Kapalabhati (shining skull) - traditional and adapted
Three part breath – Diaphragmatic, thoracic, clavicle.
Surya bheda pranayama (vitality breath)
Chandra bheda pranayama. (calming breath)
Evolved Ujjayi
Art of teaching
Developing presence and co regulation.
Importance of Vinyasa krama of teaching the techniques
covered in this module.
Adaptations and options for trauma and other health conditions
Breakout rooms – exploration with peers.
Q&A
Home study
2 x daily practice of 30 minutes – followed by written inquiry
Watch– video support material / read required reading
Practice teaching- incorporating this weeks studies/ practices into classes/ sessions.
Completion of worksheets.
Module 3 - Balance and Being Breathed
Presentations
The Nervous system and Vegas nerve related to breathing
Heart Rate variability
Trauma basics related to the breath.
Breath for up and down regulation.
Sound for breath.
Overview of contemporary breathing approaches and practices.
Cultivating and sustaining your own unique breathing practice.
Principles for creating courses and classes for your students.
Practices
Patterned breathing practices.
Nadi Shodhana.
Bhramari breathing.
Coherent breathing for resilience.
Sound and movement practice for nervous system regulation.
Being breathed practice (Suxama rechaka and Suxama puraka, svaramukta )
Somatization - Embryonic and Cellular breathing.
Art of Teaching
Importance of vinyasakrama in teaching the techniques covered in this module.
Adaptations and options for trauma and other health conditions
Breakout rooms – exploration with peers.
Q&A
Home study
One-to-one session with Jo
Completion of all worksheets.
*Recorded teaching of a breath focused class. (within a month of course completion)
Here’s what previous participants have to say…
“Being Breathed is a must for any curious teachers looking to gain further insights into what happens when we breathe, what their own breathing habits and patterns might be and how to help others with breathing, in a very compassionate, supportive, sensitive and trauma informed way. For me this felt like a breathing course of undoing, of unravelling, of peeling back unhelpful layers and conditioning and coming right back into the core or heart of things, free from unhelpful habits, patterns and conditioning. It was subtle yet powerful which I love. Jo is an expert in this field from her own experience, and her embodied knowledge in this area is second to none. She is also an amazing teacher who can break really complex information into easily digestible bitesize chunks that she drip feeds into you alongside wonderful practices that help support this knowledge through a felt sense experience. Being online also felt like a bonus for me during this course as being at home I felt safe in my own space to explore the materials but also very connected to others. Jo is a master at building community and holding space online and it really did feel just as good as an in person experience. If you are interested in deepening your own connection to your breath and helping others to do the same you should really do this course. In these times we are living in now these skills are really needed and Jo delivers all of this in a really unique and embodied way.”
“The Being Breathed course has been so empowering with the knowledge from different fields in its subtle ways. Having a small group means you get to connect with each other faster - and in a way create a small family. The awareness of the impacts of your habits and breathing are experienced first hand and it is an interesting learning curve and process that gives you the tools to manage whatever is coming up for you. At the end of the course I felt balanced and quietly confident as my practice deepened. I recommend this course to anyone, not just yoga teachers. Jo is an excellent teacher that guides you in a very deep experience and is able to offer her time for anything that comes up which I found so valuable. This means I have a clarity, guidance and whole new knowledge that I am so keen to share. Lastly this course is really fun! You get to move in ways you may never done before and your body will be nourished with lots of yummy feelings!!! Who would have thought Breathing can deliver this?”
How to Book
Complete the application form below and you will be sent payment information once approved.