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George’s Intro
Start with an easy breath. I’m George, a BWY yoga teacher, creator of the Online Yoga Lesson Planner and yoga card deck maker. I’m also the person trying to fit an entire teaching idea onto a yellow sticky note.
I created these six breathing handouts to give students something useful to take home after class. Clear steps are easier to remember than “that thing we did just before relaxation”. Each page offers a practice or teaching topic, an easier option and a little room to notice what happened.
The set includes Abdominal Breath, Alternate Nostril Breath, Bellows Breath, a Comfortable Breath Chart, Breath Counting and Complete Breath. Bellows Breath is marked for teacher-guided learning; the other pages offer gentle starting points you can adapt to your students.
Download the Six Breathing Handouts
All six in one document
Both versions contain the same six handouts, with one topic per page. The pages have white backgrounds for printing. Edit the wording, add your class details and print just the page you need. You do not have to give everyone six pages of homework after Savasana.
What’s in the Six Handouts?
- Abdominal Breath: noticing the gentle movement of the abdomen, with a supported sitting or lying option.
- Alternate Nostril Breath: a clear left–right sequence without deliberate breath holds.
- Bellows Breath (Bhastrika): guidance on learning this more demanding practice with a teacher, plus an ordinary-breathing alternative.
- Comfortable Breath Chart: natural breathing and short optional equal counts, without long holds or targets to chase.
- Breath Counting: counting natural out-breaths from one to five, then starting again.
- Complete Breath: exploring movement around the abdomen, ribs and chest as an easy, connected breath.
Use the set over several classes, or choose the page that suits today’s group. The six topics are a resource bank, not a sequence everyone needs to complete in one sitting.
Keep the Breath Comfortable
Less effort often helps. Start with ordinary breathing and let students choose a supported position. Avoid encouraging the biggest possible breath, a forced exhale or a count that leaves someone gasping. The NHS guidance on breathing exercises also emphasises gentle, comfortable breathing without forcing.
Invite students to keep their eyes open if they prefer. If focusing on breathing feels unsettling, they can notice their feet, the support beneath them or sounds in the room instead.
Stop the exercise if it causes dizziness, breathlessness, pain or distress, and return to ordinary breathing. Seek medical advice for symptoms that persist or cause concern. Students with a relevant health condition should follow their healthcare team’s individual advice.
Bellows Breath needs individual guidance. Bhastrika involves forceful breathing and is not the default choice for a mixed class. The handout explains when to choose the gentle alternative. It replaces the old instructions to add rounds and hold the breath for a self-selected duration.
My Seven Breathing Practice Tips
- Choose one clear focus. Notice movement, follow a simple pattern or count out-breaths. You do not need all three at once.
- Make the position comfortable. Offer a chair, cushion or supported lying position. Sitting in Lotus is not an entry requirement.
- Demonstrate before you begin. Explain hand placement and any switching pattern while students are breathing normally.
- Begin with a short practice. Try a few comfortable breaths or about a minute. Leave room to stop earlier.
- Let each person set the pace. A shared count is optional. Nobody needs to keep up with the person next to them.
- Pause and notice. Ask what students observed without requiring them to feel calm or report a special experience.
- Offer a useful reminder. Send home the relevant page and suggest a realistic time to revisit it. “When the kettle is on” may be easier to remember than a grand new daily regime.
Try One Minute of Breath Counting
Sit comfortably and let your breathing continue naturally. Silently count “one” at the end of an out-breath, then “two” on the next. Continue to five and begin again at one.
If you lose count, simply restart. Do not take a bigger breath to catch up. After about a minute, let the counting go and notice the room. You can finish sooner or use sounds as your focus if that suits you better.
Getting to seven is not a disaster. It is just your mind adding a small bonus round.
Make the Handouts Your Own
Add your class name, a familiar cue or a little more space for notes. Keep the comfort guidance alongside the steps so that each page still makes sense when printed on its own.
For more teaching ideas, explore my Blissful Breathing Card Deck. Choose techniques you understand and can adapt to the people in front of you.
Make Room for Breathing in Your Plan
A quiet practice needs time in the class plan too. Use the Online Yoga Lesson Planner to organise your sequence, add your teaching notes and leave space for breathing and relaxation.
George’s Conclusion
Choose one comfortable starting point. Download the handouts, pick the page that fits your class and give students time to explore. A few easy breaths and a clear cue can make a useful practice.
And if someone forgets the count, welcome them back to one. We are teaching yoga, not auditing the breathing department.
