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About

What is Functional Breath Coaching?

Functional breath coaching focuses on optimising breathing patterns to improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It emphasizes practical, science-based techniques to enhance the efficiency of how we breathe in daily life, during exercise, and in stressful situations. 

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Functional breath coaching is often used by athletes, professionals, and individuals with specific health concerns (e.g., asthma, anxiety, insomnia, snoring, sleep apnoea, panic disorders). It blends principles from modern physiology with ancient practices like pranayama or mindfulness, tailored to each person’s needs.

Goals of Functional Breath Coaching

  • Breath Efficiency: Teaching how to breathe in ways that maximize oxygen delivery to the body while minimizing unnecessary effort.

  • Stress Management: Using breathwork to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

  • Performance Enhancement: Helping athletes and individuals improve stamina, endurance, and focus through effective breathing strategies.

  • Health Benefits: Addressing common issues like poor posture, sleep disorders, anxiety, and chronic pain by correcting dysfunctional breathing patterns.

Key Principles

  • Nasal Breathing: Encourages breathing through the nose, which filters, warms, and humidifies air while promoting better oxygen absorption.

  • Diaphragmatic Breathing: Focuses on engaging the diaphragm rather than shallow chest breathing, supporting deeper, more effective breaths.

  • COâ‚‚ Tolerance Training: Improves the body’s ability to handle carbon dioxide, enhancing oxygen delivery to tissues and boosting resilience under physical or mental stress.

  • Breathing Cadence: Guides individuals to adopt slower, controlled breathing patterns, often tied to specific rhythms (e.g., 5-6 breaths per minute).

Diet and Breath

Nutrition plays a crucial role in functional breath coaching, as diet directly influences COâ‚‚ production, blood acidity, and overall respiratory efficiency. This is because metabolism and the biochemical processes in the body are closely linked to the respiratory system. 

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Carbs produce more COâ‚‚ during metabolism compared to fats and proteins. Individuals with respiratory issues or those training for endurance might benefit from adjusting macronutrient intake to optimize COâ‚‚ levels.

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A lower carbohydrate, higher fat diet may reduce COâ‚‚ production, which can sometimes benefit those managing conditions like COPD or asthma.

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Foods influence the body’s acid-base balance, which affects how COâ‚‚ is processed and eliminated. Acidic foods (like processed foods or red meat) may shift the body toward a more acidic state, requiring the respiratory system to compensate through increased breathing rates. Alkaline-promoting foods (like leafy greens, certain fruits, nuts) may help stabilise blood pH, supporting more efficient breathing.

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Nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and calcium play a key role in muscle function, including the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles. Deficiencies in these can affect breathing patterns.

Sodium balance is also important, as it impacts water retention and blood pressure, which indirectly influence breathing.

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Anti-inflammatory diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytonutrients may support lung health and better oxygen exchange.

What's Involved

  • Breathing assessments to identify dysfunctional patterns.

  • Exercises to increase lung capacity, strengthen the diaphragm, and improve posture.

  • Nutritional guidance for balanced CO2 production, blood acidity and overall respiratory efficiency.

  • Relaxation and mindfulness practices that integrate breath control.

  • Tools like breath-holding exercises, paced breathing apps, or biofeedback devices.

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Functional Breath Coaching
Programs and Sessions

Functional Coaching is an effective way to help you breathe better, sleep better, and feel more energised throughout your day. 

 

While it often takes years to slowly and unnoticeably fall into unhelpful breathing patterns, we can start turning them around with just a little daily commitment. You’ll likely notice relief by the second week, but for lasting results take place, expect the real changes to build up over about 3 months of self-practice. It takes some effort for these new habits to stick—but don’t worry, I’m here to guide you the entire way.

 

From the very first session, you’ll learn techniques that are profoundly simple—or simply profound – yet make a real difference in how you feel. We’ll work together to spot any dysfunctional breathing habits and create a plan that’s tailored to you. You’ll have easy exercises to fit into your daily routine, and I’ll be there to support you outside of our scheduled sessions too.

 

What to Expect:

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The basic program consists of 5 live online sessions over 4 weeks. On Week 1, we’ll meet twice, and then once a week for the remaining 3 weeks. This gives you time between sessions to practice, notice your progress, and adjust the techniques. This setup allows you to build a good foundation for incorporating the method into your life and let the changes stick

 

The 12 week program offers extended coaching and support during this important period. True habits don't form in 21 days, as we are often told, the reprogramming of deep habits often takes a little longer. Re-learning is made easier with solid recurring guidance of a dedicated coach.

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Corporate Clients:

If you'd like to bring these Healthy Habits to your workplace, and invest in the health and stress management of your employees - let's talk - schedule your Free Discovery Call below. 

1:1 Program

Personal Sessions with a dedicated coach allow you to focus solely on your needs and goals with breathing exercises that are tailored specifically to you.

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Choose from two available Programs:

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  • 4 Week Initial Program 

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4 Week program gives you a great foundation for informed self-practice after. Learn the techniques for management of your symptoms. 

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Intro Session + 4 Practical Sessions over 4 weeks (5 sessions total).

60 minutes per session

Cost: €199.-

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  • 12 Week Extended Program 

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The 12 Week Program offers extended guidance and support during this important period. True habits don't form in 21 days, some bad habits take a little longer to reprogram. Unlearning the bad and establishing the good habits is made easier with solid recurring guidance of a Certified Coach.. 

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Intro Session + 12 Sessions over 12 Weeks

60 min per session

Cost: €550.-

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Single Session: €50.-

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Method

The Buteyko breathing method - a set of functional breathing techniques, designed to not only improve performance and endurance in athletes and but also help manage symptoms of asthma, snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, panic attacks, and anxiety. It uses something as simple as it is powerful - our breath.  

Services

Do respiratory discomforts affect your quality of life? Do you struggle with Insomnia, Snoring, Elevated heart rate?

Learn how you can benefit from Functional Breath Coaching.

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Descriptions and Rates for Individual, Group and Corporate clients.​​

My Story

My name is Alyona Tenitski, Certified Functional Breath Coach and Yoga Instructor.​

Currently based in Lisbon, Portugal, I am originally from Estonia, where I spent my childhood training in ballet and rhythmic gymnastics.

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