breathwork sessions in liverpool & CAMBRIDGE
Breathwork is a powerful practice that uses conscious breathing techniques to help you reconnect with your body, release stored tension, and cultivate emotional clarity. Whether you’re brand new or experienced, each session offers a safe, guided journey into your inner landscape.
Kinda Magic Liverpool breathwork sessions are held by certified breathwork instructor Caroline Knight in various locations around the city, and as part of larger events. Sessions are often paired with soundbaths or ecstatic dance sessions, so check out our sessions below to find a session that suits you. Each session will be different, featuring different types of breathwork and combinations of various techniques.
What to Expect from a Breathwork Session
1. A Warm Welcome & Intention Setting
We begin with a gentle check-in to ground your energy and understand how you’re feeling physically and emotionally. You'll be invited to set a personal intention for the session. This could be anything from releasing stress to gaining insight or simply reconnecting with yourself.
2. Guided Breathwork Practice
You’ll be guided through specific breathing patterns designed to activate your nervous system, release blocked energy, and create space for transformation. Sessions may include music, verbal cues, and moments of silence to help you drop deeper into the experience. You’ll remain comfortably lying down or seated, fully supported throughout.
3. Emotional Release & Deep Insights
It’s not uncommon to experience a range of emotions—tears, laughter, tingling, or a profound sense of calm. Breathwork gently opens the door to the subconscious, allowing you to process and release what no longer serves you. Every experience is unique and unfolds exactly as it needs to.
4. Integration & Closing
After the active breathing phase, you’ll have time to rest and absorb the effects of the practice. We’ll close with grounding techniques and an opportunity to share or reflect, helping you leave the session feeling balanced, clear, and connected.
What to bring:
Wear comfortable clothing, bring plenty of water, a blanket (if required) and a yoga mat or cushion. Sitting on a cushion is most comfortable and helps to align the spine correctly when cross-legged. Most importantly, come with an open mind and a willingness to explore.
UPCOMING BREATHWORK SESSIONS - LIVERPOOL & CAMBRiDGE
Join upcoming breathwork sessions happening in Liverpool & CAMBRIDGE:
what is breathwork (pranayama)?
Pranayama, the yogic science of breath control, through the practice of breath regulation. In the West we often refer to Pranayama breathing as ‘Breathwork’, particularly when offering sessions focussed solely on breathing, rather than as an accompaniment to yoga. Breathwork involves intentional inhalation, exhalation, and holding the breath in specific sequences, many of which have different goals. The general goal of breathwork is to connect both body and mind, as well as to initiate a wide range of healing processes in the being, and support and optimise the body’s natural functions.
Although pranayama and modern breathwork practice both involve controlling the breath, pranayama could be considered deeper and more philosophical. The word pranayama derives from Sanskrit; prana meaning life force or vital energy, and ayama meaning extension or control. Together, pranayama refers to the conscious regulation of breath, a practice that allows one to influence the flow of energy throughout the body and mind. Within traditional yogic texts, pranayama is considered a core aspect of spiritual development, enabling practitioners to calm the fluctuations of the mind and prepare for deeper states of meditation.
The five pranayamas - Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, Kapalabhati Pranayama, Bhramari Pranayama, Ujjayi Pranayama, and Bhastrika Pranayama - are incredibly powerful techniques to enhance overall health and well-being.
In contemporary Western yoga settings, pranayama is often introduced as a breathing technique used to enhance physical practice, reduce stress, and increase mental focus. It is taught in a variety of forms, from simple breath awareness exercises like dirga pranayama (three-part breath), to more structured techniques such as nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), ujjayi (victorious breath), and kapalabhati (skull-shining breath). These are frequently included at the beginning or end of yoga classes, offered as tools to centre the mind or shift energy within the body.
Despite its growing popularity, pranayama is still sometimes treated as an optional add-on in the West. Yet in classical yogic philosophy, it holds a central place. It is one of the eight limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Pranayama is the thread that connects movement to stillness, the body to the mind, and the individual to the infinite. It is essential to recognise pranayama not as a secondary practice, but as a vital and transformative element at the heart of yoga itself.
the Origins oF Pranayama & YOga
The origins of yoga remain partially unclear due to its ancient oral tradition and the secretive way teachings were passed down. Early writings were recorded on fragile palm leaves that deteriorated easily over time. The origins of yoga are so ancient that no definitive beginning can be pinpointed.
Although yoga can be traced back more than 5,000 years, some scholars propose it may date as far back as 10,000 years.
According to legend, the first yogi was Shiva, who is said to have achieved enlightenment thousands of years ago on Mount Kailash. He is believed to have passed his knowledge on to seven disciples, known as the seven rishis, who are considered the progenitors of many global spiritual traditions.
Though the story of Shiva remains mythological, it forms a symbolic basis for yoga's spiritual depth.
The history of yoga can be understood in four major phases, each marked by distinct developments in practice and philosophy.
Pre-Classical Yoga
Yoga first emerged in the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation in northern India over 5,000 years ago. The earliest mention of the word “yoga” appears in the Rig Veda, the oldest of India’s sacred texts.
The Vedas are a compilation of hymns, chants, and rituals intended for Brahmans, the priests of the Vedic period. As time passed, yoga was further shaped by Brahmans and mystical sages known as Rishis, who codified their practices and beliefs in a vast collection of scriptures known as the Upanishads.
Among the most revered yogic texts is the Bhagavad Gita, believed to have been composed around 500 BCE. The Upanishads transitioned the external sacrificial rituals of the Vedas into internalised practices, advocating the surrender of ego through knowledge (jnana yoga), selfless action (karma yoga), and introspective insight.
Classical Yoga
Before this period, yoga encompassed a wide range of inconsistent beliefs and methods. The Classical era brought coherence to these varied practices through the Yoga Sutras, compiled by the sage Patanjali in the second century CE. This foundational work outlined the principles of Raja Yoga, also known as classical yoga. Patanjali formulated yoga as an “eight-limbed path”, detailing a step-by-step process toward achieving spiritual realisation or samadhi. He is often considered the father of modern yoga, and his teachings remain central to contemporary yoga traditions.
Post-Classical Yoga
Centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters began developing new systems that focused on revitalising the physical body and extending life. These systems diverged from the ancient Vedic philosophies and embraced the body as a crucial vehicle for spiritual progress. This led to the development of Tantra Yoga, which introduced unconventional methods for purifying both body and mind. These practices aimed to dissolve attachments to the physical realm and reach spiritual liberation. The evolution of these body-centred approaches laid the groundwork for Hatha Yoga, the form most commonly practised in the Western world today.
Modern Period
Yoga began reaching Western audiences in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A major milestone occurred in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda delivered a series of influential talks on yoga and universal spirituality at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. During the 1920s and 1930s, Hatha Yoga gained renewed popularity in India through the efforts of T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda, and others. Krishnamacharya founded the first Hatha Yoga school in Mysore in 1924, and Sivananda went on to establish the Divine Life Society on the banks of the Ganges in 1936. Sivananda also authored over 200 books and opened nine ashrams and many yoga centres globally.
Krishnamacharya trained three notable students - B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar, and Pattabhi Jois - who would each develop their own influential styles. Meanwhile, in 1947, Indra Devi opened a yoga studio in Hollywood, helping to popularise yoga in the West. Today, Hatha Yoga includes a wide variety of schools, each highlighting different elements of the practice.