Health & WellnessBeginnerPreview
Breathwork
Learn the physiology of breathing and apply evidence-based protocols — from diaphragmatic mechanics to CO2 tolerance drills — to shift your nervous system on demand. Build a daily breathwork practice that reduces stress, improves sleep, and increases sustained energy.
Complete beginners who want to use breathing techniques to manage stress, improve focus, and build daily energy without equipment or prior experience.
Course content
Workbook & downloads
Put the course into practice — a printable workbook plus editable templates you can fill in and reuse.
Preview the workbook
This workbook accompanies the Breathwork course and gives you the structured exercises, tracking sheets, and templates to move from reading about breath science to practising it daily. Complete each section alongside the corresponding course module. Return to this workbook every week to update your BOLT score and refine your practice stack.
The Physiology of Breathing
Establish your breathing baseline by measuring key metrics and diagnosing your current breathing pattern.
Exercise: Baseline Breathing Assessment
Complete all three measurements before starting any protocol. Measure in the morning before food or caffeine, seated quietly for 5 minutes. Record results in your tracking template.
- Count your breaths for 60 full seconds without altering your breathing — what is your resting breathing rate?
- Administer the BOLT test (normal exhale, pinch nose, time to first air-hunger signal) — what is your score in seconds?
- Observe your breathing for 2 minutes: does your chest or belly move first? Do your shoulders rise? Is your mouth open? Describe what you notice.
- Note whether you wake with a dry mouth or sticky throat — a reliable proxy for mouth breathing during sleep.
Worksheet: Breathing Pattern Diagnostic
Fill in each field honestly based on your baseline assessment. This snapshot is your starting point — no judgment, just data.
- Resting breathing rate (breaths per minute)
- BOLT score (seconds)
- Primary breathing location (chest / belly / mixed)
- Shoulder elevation on inhale (yes / no)
- Mouth open at rest (yes / no / sometimes)
- Wake with dry mouth (yes / no / sometimes)
- Dominant stress response pattern (hold breath / gasp / hyperventilate / other)
- Known health conditions relevant to breathwork (or none)
Checklist: Week 1 Physiology Habits
- Read the Bohr effect explanation and write it in your own words
- Practise crocodile pose (Makarasana) breathing for 5 minutes before bed each night
- Place one hand on belly and one on chest during every breathing exercise this week
- Record resting breathing rate on day 1 and day 7
- Re-administer BOLT test on day 7 under identical conditions as baseline
- Set a phone reminder labelled Check: mouth closed for every hour of the workday
CO2 Tolerance Training
Track your CO2 tolerance training sessions and BOLT score progression as you build the nasal breathing habit and add holds.
Exercise: Breath-Hold Walk Field Test
Find a quiet footpath. Exhale gently, pinch nose, walk at normal pace. Count steps until the first strong air-hunger signal. Release and walk normally until breathing fully normalises. Repeat 6 times. Record each hold in steps and estimated seconds.
- How many steps could you walk before the first air-hunger signal on your first hold? On your sixth hold?
- Did the holds feel easier or harder as the session progressed? What does that tell you about cumulative CO2 load?
- How long did it take for breathing to fully normalise between holds — was the recovery time changing across the 6 reps?
- What score would you give your air-hunger intensity (1=none, 10=maximum) for most holds — were you in the correct 3-4/10 range?
Worksheet: 4-Week CO2 Tolerance Log
Record each CO2 tolerance session. Complete a row for every session. Use this to spot trends in BOLT improvement and session quality.
- Date
- Session type (reduced breathing / mini holds / breath-hold walk / CO2 table)
- Duration (minutes)
- Air-hunger intensity 1-10 (target 3-4)
- Number of holds or cycles completed
- Breathing rate before session (breaths/min)
- Breathing rate 5 min after session (breaths/min)
- BOLT score (weekly measurement only)
- Notes / observations
Checklist: CO2 Tolerance Module Milestones
- Sustain nasal breathing during a 20-minute walk without switching to mouth breathing
- Complete 5 consecutive days of reduced breathing (10 min twice daily)
- Complete one full beginner CO2 table (8 rounds, 15s hold / 120s rest)
- Achieve a BOLT score improvement of at least 3 seconds from baseline
- Apply mouth tape for at least 5 consecutive nights
- Record resting breathing rate below 14 breaths per minute at rest
Acute Regulation Protocols
Build your personal trigger-protocol map and practise each acute technique enough to deploy it automatically under pressure.
Exercise: Protocol Testing Journal
Over one week, test each of the four acute protocols (box breathing, physiological sigh, 4-7-8, Kapalabhati) in a real-world context — not a practice session. Note the situation, the protocol, and the subjective outcome.
- Describe a moment this week when you used the physiological sigh — what was the stressor and how quickly did you notice a shift?
- When did you attempt box breathing in a non-practice setting (e.g. before a difficult conversation, during traffic)? What happened to your heart rate or sense of calm?
- Which protocol produced the fastest noticeable shift in your state? Which felt most sustainable for longer sessions?
- Did any protocol backfire or feel uncomfortable in context? What adjustment would you make next time?
Worksheet: Personal Trigger-Protocol Map
Map your common stress triggers to the most effective protocol for that situation. This becomes your rapid-reference card.
- Trigger situation (e.g. conflict at work)
- Typical stress level 1-10 in that situation
- Chosen protocol
- Protocol duration (minutes)
- Expected outcome (calm / focus / energy)
- Tried it? (yes / no)
- Outcome rating 1-10
- Notes or adjustments
Checklist: Acute Protocols Practice Checklist
- Practise physiological sigh at least once in a real stress moment (not a practice session)
- Complete 10 rounds of box breathing in one sitting
- Try 4-7-8 breathing at sleep onset for 3 consecutive nights and note sleep latency
- Complete 3 rounds of Kapalabhati (30 pumps each) without pausing
- Successfully use one protocol during a high-stress moment and record the result
- Share one protocol with someone else and teach them the steps from memory
Exercise: HRV Self-Check Before and After
If you own a wearable that reports HRV (Garmin, Oura, WHOOP, Apple Watch with third-party app), record HRV before and after a 10-minute coherent breathing session (5s in / 5s out) on three separate days.
- What was your HRV before the coherent breathing session on each of the three days?
- What was your HRV immediately after the 10-minute session?
- Did you notice any trend across the three days — was HRV response consistent or variable?
- If you do not own a wearable, describe any subjective markers you used (heart rate felt, calm felt, breath felt) and rate them 1-10 before and after.
Building Your Daily Breathwork Practice
Design, launch, and iterate your personal daily breathwork stack with a 90-day tracking plan.
Worksheet: My Daily Breathwork Stack
Design your personal three-slot daily practice using the protocols you have tested. Be specific about timing, protocol, and duration. This is your operating procedure for the next 90 days.
- Morning slot time (e.g. 6:30 AM)
- Morning protocol name
- Morning duration (minutes)
- Morning primary goal (energy / focus / CO2 training)
- Midday slot time
- Midday protocol name
- Midday duration (minutes)
- Midday primary goal (reset / stress / focus)
- Evening slot time
- Evening protocol name
- Evening duration (minutes)
- Evening primary goal (sleep / recovery / wind-down)
- Weekly CO2 table session (day and time)
- Weekly BOLT test day and time
- Accountability method (app / partner / journal)
Exercise: 90-Day Progress Review
At day 30, 60, and 90, complete a full metrics review and answer these reflection prompts. Schedule calendar events now for each review date.
- Compare your BOLT score at day 0, 30, 60, and 90 — what is the trend and is it matching expectations?
- What is your resting breathing rate now versus baseline, and what single habit change do you attribute most of the improvement to?
- Which protocol have you used most consistently, and which have you dropped? Why?
- What is the biggest real-world benefit you have noticed from consistent breathwork — sleep, stress, energy, performance, or something else?
Checklist: Graduation Milestones — 90 Days
- BOLT score at or above 30 seconds
- Resting breathing rate at or below 12 breaths per minute
- Consistent nasal breathing during all walking and light exercise
- Daily breathwork stack completed at least 5 of 7 days for 8 consecutive weeks
- Successfully used an acute protocol (not from a scheduled session) to manage a real stress event
- Completed at least one full intermediate CO2 table (8 rounds, 30s hold / 90s rest)
- Taught one breathwork protocol to another person
- Documented before-and-after subjective wellbeing ratings from day 1 to day 90
Your Action Plan
- Day 1: Administer baseline BOLT test, measure resting breathing rate, complete breathing pattern diagnostic worksheet
- Days 1-14: Practise diaphragmatic breathing in crocodile pose for 5 minutes each night; set hourly mouth-check reminders
- Days 3-14: Begin reduced breathing drill twice daily (10 minutes per session, 3/10 air hunger target)
- Day 7: Re-measure BOLT score and resting breathing rate; record in your tracking template
- Week 2: Add nasal-only 20-minute walk daily; apply mouth tape for sleep starting night 10
- Week 3: Add breath-hold walks (6 reps) three times per week; begin beginner CO2 table once per week
- Week 4: Test all four acute protocols in real-world contexts; fill in trigger-protocol map
- Day 30: Full metrics review (BOLT, breathing rate, resting HR, sleep quality rating); adjust stack based on data
- Weeks 5-8: Add morning Kapalabhati; refine three-slot daily stack; consistency is the priority
- Day 60: Second full review; introduce Wim Hof if BOLT exceeds 25 and no contraindications apply; upgrade to intermediate CO2 table
- Day 90: Final graduation review; set next 90-day targets; share results and teach one protocol to someone in your life
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