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The Science of Breathing
Fully Online. Accredited. 100+ Bite-Sized Lessons That Go Deeper Than “Inhale, Exhale.”
Do you know when breathing techniques can do more harm than good?
Can you explain why some students feel anxious when they breathe deeper?
Are your breath cues regulating the nervous system — or just filling time?
This full accredited CPD is a path to healing — for you, your students, and your teaching.
Discover how breath steadies the nervous system, supports trauma recovery, and transforms your teaching into something deeply human.
Master all things Yoga and deepen your own practice with our
Online CPD courses designed to unlock anatomy, philosophy, sequencing, and self-discovory.
C.P.D course with ZAHIR AKRAM
OM YOGA Magazine Yoga Teacher of the Year 2024 🏆
Deepen your skills. Honour your practice. Keep evolving.
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🎥 Watch a sample lesson led by Om Yoga Magazine teacher of the year 2024, Zahir— no fluff, just real learning
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What You’ll Learn
🌬️ Techniques That Truly Work
You’ll explore a wide range of breathing techniques — from optimal nasal breathing and alternate nostril, to box breathing, ujjayi, lion’s breath, and even the forgotten power of the pause between breaths. Learn the physiological sigh - a breath that truly transforms the nervous system.
These are tools you’ll actually use — in class and in life.
🫁 The Truth About Breath
Learn the truth behind common breathing myths and why carbon dioxide is more important than we’ve been told. Understand the dangers of mouth breathing, what a yawn really means, and how breath affects the brain, body, and nervous system.
🦓 Stress, Healing & Homeostasis
Explore how breath helps restore balance through the lens of basic neuroscience and stress research — from homeostasis and the vagus nerve to Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.
Discover the link between optimal breathing and recovery from stress, trauma, and even stomach ulcers.
🕉️ How Shiva Taught Parvati to Breathe
Learn how the first yogi, Shiva, shared the wisdom of breath with yoga’s first student — his wife, Parvati — over 15,000 years ago.
And perhaps most fascinating of all — how these timeless teachings still align with what modern science is only just beginning to understand.
Questions Answered - Do ancient breathing techniques and modern science agree… or contradict each other?
Who This CPD Is For?
This training is for anyone who wants to understand breath on a deeper level — beyond the generic yoga cues we’ve all heard.
You don’t need to be a scientist. Just curious.
Maybe you’re a yoga teacher who’s tired of saying “inhale up, exhale down” without really knowing why…
Maybe you’ve sensed that your students aren’t breathing well — or that you aren’t either — but haven’t known how to change it…
Or maybe you’ve personally felt the power of breath and want to teach it with more clarity, more confidence, and more care.
You might be:
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A yoga teacher ready to deepen your anatomical understanding of breath
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A PT, therapist, or movement coach wanting to integrate breath into your sessions
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A teacher rebuilding confidence after burnout or disconnection
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Or simply someone who wants to make breath more intentional — in practice, and in life
Wherever you are in your teaching or personal journey, this CPD meets you with depth, not dogma.
You teach breathing cues — but do they align with how the nervous system actually works?
Student Stories
🧡 “Zahir teaches with so much heart”
“This isn’t your average CPD. It’s warm, it’s clear, and it’s surprisingly funny — Zahir’s humour made learning actually enjoyable. You can feel how passionate he is about breath, and that passion is contagious. Everyone should take this, not just yoga teachers.”
— Priya N., Yoga Teacher
Image - Taken at our award winning studio. Here, I teach how to breathe first & move second.
📹 “The visuals and clarity are next level”
“The videos are filmed in the actual yoga studio, which makes it feel personal and grounded. Zahir explains things visually — which helped me connect the science to my body. It’s the first time I’ve truly understood why we breathe the way we do in yoga.”
— James R., PT & Boxing Coach
Image - At our Yoga Studio. A big question with lots of nuances - how do we breathe in backbends?
🌬️ “This is the ABC of yoga”
“This course made me realise that nothing else we teach in yoga matters without breath. It changed how I teach and how I live. It’s clear, heartfelt, and essential. This isn’t just about breathwork. It’s about being human.”
— Lana B., New Teacher & Mum
Image - Here, course leader Zahir shows how dysfunctional breathing can show up in yoga poses.
Take a look inside the course — what you’ll see when you enroll
Here’s exactly what’s included when you enroll:
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A Self-Paced Course That Feels Like a Personal Mentorship
✅ 48 structured LESSONS with 20+ video lessons
✅ 30+ CPD hours — accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals (UK)
✅ ♾️ Lifetime access — learn in your own time, revisit whenever you need
✅ 🔁Free future updates — stay current as the science of breath evolves
FAQ's
Is this just for yoga teachers?
→ No. If you breathe, you’ll benefit. Yoga teachers, PTs, therapists, and curious humans are all welcome.
How long do I have access?
→ Lifetime access. No deadlines. No pressure.
Do I need prior anatomy knowledge?
→ Not at all. This course explains everything simply — even complex ideas are made easy.
Can I count this for CPD hours?
→ Yes. It’s accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals UK.
How long will it take to complete?
→ It’s self-paced. You can binge it in a weekend or spread it out over months.
Image - Teaching basic breath mechanics as part of our in-house teacher training. It really is the core of being a good teacher.
Recent BLOG Posts
Still not sure? Read one of my blog posts and get a feel for how I teach
— no strings.
About Me
👤 Meet your teacher - Zahir Akram
Hi, I’m Zahir. I’ve been teaching yoga since before Instagram knew what a Downward Dog was.
Over the years, I’ve taught in gyms, retreats, and packed studios. But what I really teach — is how to think. How to ask better questions. How to become a teacher that’s both human and precise.
In 2024, I was honoured to be named Favourite Yoga Teacher by Om Yoga Magazine. Our studio — Akram Yoga — was also voted Yoga Studio of the Year.
If you’re looking for someone who’ll teach you with humour, honesty, and real depth — not dogma — I think we’ll get on.
I absolutely LOVE what I do. That will be evident more and more as you make your way around the website, my BLOG page and even our Youtube Channel.
You really couldn't be in safer hands 🙏🏽
"These courses are truly a lifetime’s work, and I'm so grateful to have a platform to share everything I've learned over the years with you. My goal is for you to walk away feeling more confident in your understanding—not only so you can teach with assurance but also to empower you to be yourself and to question conventional yoga wisdom. Too often, this wisdom, even with the best intentions, causes more harm than good. I hope you can use what I teach to continue sharing the magic, helping others evolve and heal, just as yoga has done for me—and for you."
ZAHIR AKRAM
I’ve dedicated half my life to understanding what makes us who and what we are. My studies have taken me from anatomy to philosophy—from the Greeks, who first dissected the human body, to the yogis who say we are not the body. This journey has led me from my parents' birthplace in Kashmir, to the bustling streets of Calcutta, and the serene landscapes of Nepal. I’ve broken down and dissected everything, from the mechanics of breathing to the intricacies of Bandhas.
I’ve had a complex relationship with yoga. I’ve loved it, critiqued it, fallen out of love with it, had enough of it—and yet, I keep coming back. My understanding of yoga isn’t just a collection of other people’s words or theories. It’s a tapestry woven from my own experiences, filled with moments of doubt, rediscovery, and personal growth.
Yoga has given me the strength to forge my own path, and that’s exactly what I hope to share with you. As the Sufis say, “In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.” This course isn’t about rigid rules or seeking absolute truths. It’s about finding what feels true and right for you, with a heart-centered approach to learning.
ZAHIR AKRAM
