What is Functional Breathing

Functional breathing is your natural everyday breathing pattern — the foundation of how your body and nervous system regulate.
It’s how you breathe when you’re not thinking about it — during work, rest, or conversation

It's gentle nasal breathing, steady rhythm, balanced CO₂ + O₂ exchange.
When your baseline breath is functional, It keeps your nervous system regulated, supports digestion, focus, energy, sleep, posture, core stability and emotional stability

When your breathing becomes dysfunctional from a biochemical perspective (Over-breathing - breathing too fast, through the mouth) CO₂ tolerance is reduced.

Low CO₂ can lead to breathlessness, anxiety, fatigue, and poor oxygen delivery.

Functional breathing:

• Improves CO₂ tolerance so oxygen can be released efficiently to tissues.

• Reduces symptoms such as breathlessness, air hunger, dizziness, and anxiety.

When your breathing is dysfunctional from a biomechanical perspective (shallow, chest-dominant, held), the diaphragm can’t descend and generate pressure properly.
This reduces intra-abdominal pressure, compromises spinal stability, and forces other muscles to overwork — often leading to sudden strains during simple movements, ongoing backache or persistent pain, and neck and shoulder tension.

Functional breathing plays a huge role in how well your diaphragm is recruited — and the diaphragm is more than a breathing muscle.
It’s a core stabiliser that works together with your pelvic floor, deep abdominals, and spinal muscles to protect your spine during every movement.

Functional breathing:

• Improves lung efficiency.

• Reduces unnecessary tension in the neck, shoulders, and jaw.

• Supports better movement, posture, and spinal stability.

• Helps breathing remain steady during exercise and daily activities.

When your breathing becomes dysfunctional from a biopsychological perspective (shallow, mouth-based, fast, erratic), your system lives in survival mode. You may feel anxious, fatigued, or disconnected — even when nothing’s “wrong.”

Functional breathing:

• Helps regulate stress and anxiety.

• Improves emotional resilience.

• Enhances focus, sleep, and recovery.

• Builds confidence and trust in the body.

To support functional breathing The oxygen advantage focuses on:

Breathing Chemistry

Mechanics of breathing

Breathing & the Nervous System

Functional breathing exists when all three pillars are in balance:

Chemistry allows oxygen to reach where it’s needed.

Mechanics make breathing efficient and effortless.

Psychology keeps the nervous system regulated and resilient.

Functional breathing for anxiety

Functional breathing for asthma

Functional breathing for children's growth and development

workshop coming soon!

workshop coming soon!

Dates for April coming soon

workshop coming soon!

Exam Ready:

The physiology of focus

Monday 30th March

6 - 7pm

Carterton community centre

Marigold Square, OX18 1AX

Understanding exam stress — and how to work with the body, not against it

Exam Ready:

The physiology of focus

For Teens & Their Parents

Exams don’t just test knowledge — they test the nervous system.

If your teen:

• Goes blank in exams

• Feels overwhelmed during revision

• Struggles with focus or concentration

• Experiences anxiety, tight chest or shallow breathing

• Has disrupted sleep during exam periods

This workshop will help them understand why this happens — and what they can do about it.

This is not a therapy session.
This is not a “just relax” talk.
This is not a breathwork class.

This is a practical, educational workshop based on breathing physiology and nervous system science.

In this session we will cover:

• What happens in the body under exam pressure

• How breathing patterns affect focus, memory and stress

• Why going blank is a physiological response — not a lack of ability

• Simple, practical techniques teens can use during revision and in the exam hall

• How parents can better support their teen’s stress response

Teens will leave with tools they can use immediately.
Parents will leave with understanding and clarity.

Ideal for:

Teens facing GCSEs, A-Levels or school exams who experience stress, overwhelm or focus challenges.

Monday 30th March
Carterton Community Centre - small hall
Marigold Square, Carterton, OX18 1AX

Price: £15 per family

Suitable for most people, please contact me before booking if you have any significant respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.

Parents who are pregnant may attend , but please do not take part in the breathing exercises given

To book a family ticket for the Exam Ready workshop please complete the form.

Family tickets are for a maximum of 2 parents and 3 children, younger sibling are welcome, please ensure they remain seated and supervised at all times.

After submitting the form you will be redirected to the confirmation page with secure online payment link

If you select BACS payment, you will receive an email with the bank details within 48 hours

Please make payment as soon as possible to secure you place, places are limited

Book you place on the Exam ready workshop

Functional breathing for backache and persistent pain

When exercise, stretching, and therapy haven’t helped, the missing link may be your breathing.

You may have been told to:

• Strengthen your core

• Stretch more

• Improve your posture

• Move more

• Relax more

These things are all important, but if your breathing mechanics are off, you may be unknowingly placing excess load on their body. When breathing is inefficient, the spine and ribcage lose natural support, muscles work harder than they need to, and tension accumulates

Breathing patterns can be dysfunctional for many reasons, and it only takes breathing being a little off, and not obviously dysfunctional for tension and pain to occur.

This workshop offers a different starting point, building a strong foundation for your core.

Why breathing matters more than most people realise

Breathing is not just about oxygen — it plays a structural and biomechanical role in how your body moves and stabilises.

Your breath influences:

• Spinal support and posture

• Rib cage mobility

• Neck and shoulder tension

• Core stability

• How force is transferred through the body

When breathing mechanics are compromised, the body compensates through excessive muscle tension, altered movement patterns, and increased strain — especially in the lower back, neck, shoulders, and hips.

This workshop is not:

• A relaxation class

• A meditation session

• A yoga or fitness workout

• A passive treatment

• A breathwork class

This workshop focuses on functional breathing mechanics — how you breathe during posture, movement, and daily life — and how this directly affects pain, tension, and movement efficiency.

Rather than chasing symptoms, we address the foundation of movement itself.

Who this workshop is for

This workshop is ideal if you:

✔ Experience ongoing backache or persistent pain
✔ Have neck and shoulder tension that doesn’t fully resolve
✔ Feel stiff, compressed, or restricted in your body
✔ Pull muscles easily despite being fit or active
✔ Have tried physio, massage, exercise, or rehab with limited long-term success
✔ Feel frustrated and unsure what else to try

It may not be suitable if you are looking for:

• A quick fix

• Passive hands-on treatment

What you’ll learn

By the end of the workshop, you will:

• Understand how your breathing patterns affect posture, tension, and pain

• Learn how inefficient breathing increases spinal load

• Learn how to improve your rib cage movement and mobility

• Reduce unnecessary neck, shoulder, and lower back tension

• Improve postural support from the inside out

• Learn practical breathing techniques you can use daily

• Leave with tools to move more freely

What to expect on the day

This is a gentle, educational, and practical workshop suitable for all fitness levels.

You can expect:

• A simple breathing assessment

• Science and evidence-based approach to breathing

• Guided breathing retraining exercises

• Rib mobility exercises

• A calm, supportive environment

There is no requirement to be flexible, fit, or experienced with breathing practices.

About the approach

This workshop is based on Oxygen Advantage® principles, with a specific focus on the biomechanical dimension of breathing — how breathing supports posture, movement, and load management.

Rather than focusing solely on relaxation or performance, this approach integrates breathing into how your body actually functions throughout the day.

About your instructor

This workshop is led by Rachel Campling, a certified Oxygen Advantage® instructor
I work with people who feel that traditional approaches haven’t fully resolved their pain, helping them rebuild movement confidence by addressing breathing mechanics, posture, and nervous system regulation.

Workshop details

Date: More dates coming soon
Time:
Location: Balance Studios, Witney, 0X28 1YH

Duration: 1 hour
Price: £25

Frequently asked questions

Is this workshop suitable if I’m currently in pain?

Yes. The workshop is practical yet gentle, and designed for people experiencing pain or tension. With an emphasis on education and bringing an awareness to your breathing, all rib mobility exercises can be adapted to suit you.

Do I need to be fit or flexible?

Not at all. This workshop is suitable for all fitness levels.

Is this breath-holding or intense breathing work?

No. This is not breath-holding, hyperventilation, or performance breathing. The focus is on restoring natural, efficient breathing patterns that support posture and movement. some breathing exercises may include a pause of of 1-5 seconds aligned with your capabilities

Will this replace my physio, massage, or exercise programme?

This workshop is not a replacement for medical or therapeutic care, but it will complement other treatments and exercise well by addressing breathing mechanics that may not yet have been explored. Hopefully with continued practice, you will require less massage or physio.

Is this evidence-based?

Yes. The workshop is grounded in breathing science, biomechanics, and movement physiology, drawing from Oxygen Advantage® principles and clinical observation.

What if I’ve already tried breathing exercises?

Most breathing approaches focus on relaxation or stress reduction. This workshop focuses specifically on breathing mechanics and structural support, which is often a missing piece in pain-focused work.

Is this suitable if I’ve had injuries or surgery?

In most cases, yes — but it may be best to contact me to discuss your situation, you can book a breathing assessment call or email me

Can I do do this workshop if I am pregnant?

No, Oxygen Advantage functional breathing training is not suitable for those who are pregnant, but please contact me if you are beyond the first trimester for some information on simple things you can do to support your breathing.

Can I do do this workshop if I have a serious respiratory or heart related illness?

Oxygen Advantage Functional breathing training, and this workshop in particular is gentle and safe for most people, with no breath holding exercises.

If you have any medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high or low blood pressure serious respiratory conditions, please consult your doctor first.

if you have any other health conditions and you feel unsure please contact me, I'm happy to answer questions and discuss any specific needs you have.

Can i do this workshop if i have a disability?

I am happy to make adaptions to accommodate those with a disability, please contact me to discuss your needs before booking.

Get in touch

Workshops are currently in planning, please get in touch for more information, or to be notified when dates become available.

Phone

07591273139

Email

rachel@physiologyflow.co.uk