Functional breathing is essential in maintaining optimal physical and mental health. Correct breathing improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the body and brain.
Learning to breathe correctly with breath retraining can help to improve respiratory issues associated with asthma and post-viral breathing issues (including post-covid-19 care); sleep disorders such as snoring, wakefulness, and obstructive sleep apnoea; panic disorder, racing mind, and anxiety; pain conditions; and stress. Functional breathing can help improve exercise performance, recovery, and stamina.
Dysfunctional breathing can lead to a number of symptoms of poor health including fatigue, poor concentration, impaired memory, disturbed sleep, allergies, breathlessness during exercise, frequent sighing and yawning, cold hands and feet, poor circulation and Raynaud’s Syndrome, muscle cramps and spasms, heartburn and reflux, bloating, headaches and migraines, tingling in extremities, anxiety, panic attacks and much more. (reference: Dr. L.C. Lum, an Emeritus of the Department of Chest at Papworth and Addenbrooke’s Hospitals, in Cambridge, England)
Conditions we work with include (but are not limited to):
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Snoring
- Sleep apnoea (including CPAP machine usage)
- Hyperventilation syndrome
- Asthma
- COPD
- Breathing difficulties
- Insomnia
- Chronic pain
- Long-Covid
- Fatigue (including Chronic Fatigue / ME)
- Migraines
- Poor stamina or tolerance to exercise
What to expect
Breath retraining, or functional breathing sessions, are one-to-one clinical sessions via video from the comfort of your home, or in person in our clinic in Warwickshire (CV36) during which your current breathing patterns are analysed and your symptoms, lifestyle, and goals discussed. You will be taught how to breathe correctly and be given exercises to practice daily. Many clients see improvement after the first session, and require anywhere from 3-7 sessions.
Like all forms of exercise, the greatest benefits are seen with practice and dedication. It takes repetition and time to develop new habits and to build new neural pathways so that the new habit becomes automatic.
Clinical Breathwork sessions are conducted by Alissa Powell, who is certified in Buteyko Breathing, Pranayama yogic breathing, Oxygen Advantage breathwork, and qigong. For more information visit my Breath Therapy website.
Visit the Nutritional Therapy page
Paperback Book Available on Amazon Worldwide or as individual printable downloads
Animal Breathing Exercises for Children: Mindful Breathwork for Ages 5+
What people are saying...
“Working with Alissa has been nothing short of brilliant. Earlier this year I found myself struggling with more anxiety and feeling unable to manage stress. I wanted techniques to support and breathwork has really helped. Alissa is a wealth of knowledge and debunked some big breathing myths for me. She is such a kind and warm soul, and I felt so held by her. I generally feel a much calmer person, more able to cope and manage the daily stresses, and feel a much happier Mum to my toddler son (and breathwork during a toddler meltdown really helps!). Thank you Alissa!”
“I am very grateful for Alissa’s professional and caring support, and I strongly recommend it. Good, healthy breathing is essential to my work as a trauma counselor and digital wellbeing specialist. It is vital for my self-care and wellbeing. I have learned a lot about healthy breathing, and I can already feel a huge positive impact of this work on my health. Thank you!”
“This wonderful lady has changed my life in 5 weeks. I had a chronic cough for decades for which I had been taking inhalers and mucus reducing medicine. She is an inspiration! My coughing has reduced. I sleep better. I feel better. I look healthier and I can’t believe the change. Even my husband dares admit how I am changed – for the better.
I highly recommend the course and the encouraging friendly nature of Alissa.
Three cheers and may the improvements continue.”
“It was always a pleasure to attend breathwork sessions with Alissa. She explained all the exercises clearly and patiently and was very personable.
I do feel I have benefited from the course and would recommend it.”
“I reached out to Alissa when I was having an acute bout of what I call stressed breathing. My diaphragm was very tight and I was yawning a lot. I would frequently feel as though I wasn’t getting enough air.
Alissa taught me about the physiology of breathing, the importance of nose breathing as well as skills to retrain my breathing.
Thank you Alissa. You were great. Your energy and inspiration really encouraged me to keep going and I’m very grateful. I now have to skills to teach myself in future.”
“Newly diagnosed with lung disease, I sought help with breathing techniques from Alissa. However you get more than excellent breath training – Alissa treats the ‘whole person’. She is very kind, always professional and alongside this Alissa takes time to listen and reassure.
Happier and more relaxed at the end of our sessions- I would not hesitate to recommend Alissa.
Presently, my symptoms are improving and my medication reducing. Thank you very much Alissa!”
“For the past 6 months my quality of life has changed for the completely: I sleep soundly, I exercise without the need for my inhaler, and my stress levels have completely reduced. I was introduced to Buteyko techniques by Alissa and my life has significantly changed since. I no longer rely on my inhaler.
I will continue to be grateful to Alissa and her coaching methods. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
“I have long covid and it was recommended to me to try breathwork with Alissa. I thought I’d give it a try as I’m open to anything that might help my recovery. I didn’t know what to expect…. Well, it was wonderful.
Breathwork is something else, so relaxing, so special. I think it has really helped my recovery and helped me heal. And nobody better to guide me on the journey. Alissa is so kind, warm and genuine. I was apprehensive before I started but she put me at ease immediately. She is so thoughtful; she really cares and makes it such an enjoyable experience.”
“I gravitated towards Alissa after hearing some fabulous testimonials about her breathwork sessions and I have loved my sessions with her. The actual sessions are deeply calming and I have come away from them with a new tool to help me navigate the stresses and strains of life with less impact on my mental health. I have felt much calmer after implementing Alissa’s breathwork practices into my daily life and I couldn’t recommend her more highly.”
“Learning to breathe correctly for the first time at 50 has honestly changed my life. I am sleeping better, my anxiety has reduced and I’m finally managing my sleep apnoea which caused me such problems. Alissa is an excellent coach and I can’t recommend her highly enough!”
“Alissa combines breathwork expertise with compassion. Her ability to diagnose and connect virtually has allowed me to understand my own dysfunctional breathing patterns better and correct them. Alissa has armed me with several tools to control my breath in the face of anxiety.”
From the referring practitioner: “K” loved her session with you and has been implementing the breathing exercises. She’s doing great and her daily bowel movements have really decreased!
“Alissa helped me get rid of the breathlessness I was feeling during exercise and at rest which lingered months after having Covid-19. I now feel much more fit and am back to running again.”
“I can confidently recommend Alissa to all who need to improve their breathing and who would like to experience the many benefits of breathing properly.
I first met with Alissa having been diagnosed with ‘dysfunctional breathing’ that was causing me to gasp for breath after quite minimal effort. In the space of two weeks, I was able to do far more and felt I’d been given a whole new lease of life.
Alissa introduced me to a variety of breathing exercises that are helping me feel much better and that I continue to practice each day. A very grateful patient.”