What is this? 

As we go through our day, musicians rarely really stop to think about how we breathe. Pianists and string players are not normally taught to connect with the breath, which is so helpful for phrasing and technique. Even those who are trained in maximum breath efficiency during performance such as singers or wind and brass players are still not as likely to question breathing at rest, during exercise and while asleep. However, underlying breathing patterns have a profound influence on performance and a range of health conditions. Particularly relevant for performers such as musicians and those in professions that require a lot of speaking such as education, corporate or sales, breathing is intimately connected with stamina, expressivity, performance efficiency, concentration, anxiety and general baseline health.

Over four hour-long weekly sessions presented live online, Functional Breathing for Musicians will introduce how breathing affects performance, posture, onset of fatigue, movement (including injury prevention) and anxiety. You will discover how to harness the power of the breath for peak creativity to achieve your full potential through a range of traditional yoga pranayama breathwork practices as well as the scientifically grounded Oxygen Advantage® and Buteyko breathing re-education methods. These techniques will help increase circulation, energy, focus and resilience while enhancing your overall health and fitness levels.

Live classes will be supplemented with bespoke personally-adjusted exercises, handouts and unlimited email support during the course.

About the instructor: Dr Xenia Pestova Bennett is an internationally active concert pianist and lecturer in musical performance at the University of Nottingham. She combines her research and experience in performance anxiety with extensive accredited training as a yoga, breathwork and meditation instructor. Having studied in the UK, The Netherlands and Canada, Xenia holds a Doctorate in Performance from McGill University. Her wellness training includes completion of a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training qualification led by Eleonora Ramsby-Herrera in 2019, 100 hours of Yin/Yang Yoga and Mindfulness (primary and secondary levels amounting certified by Yoga Alliance) with Sarah Powers in 2018, Oxygen Advantage® functional breathing and Buteyko Method instructor training with Patrick McKeown, and Yoga Mindset Coaching training (basic level) with Karina Ayn Mirsky in 2021. In addition to performing and teaching, Xenia offers coaching on anxiety management to individuals and organisations. Her past and present clients and collaborators include Ad Agio Workshops for Musicians; British Association of Performing Arts Medicine; Contemporary Music Centre (Ireland); Facebook London; Goldsmiths, University of London; Leeds Conservatoire; Moving on Music; Sound and Music; Triyoga UK; TU Dublin; Queen’s University Belfast; University of Aberdeen and the University of Nottingham.

Access: via Zoom. Please note: class size is limited.

Dates: Thursday 20, 27 January; 3 and 10 February, 6-7pm

Prices and Registration: please visit this page

Please note: course fees are non-refundable.