Breathwork Training for Massage Therapists: How to Add Breath to Your Bodywork Practice

Why Massage Therapists Are Adding Breathwork

You have felt a client's breath catch at a guarded area, then let go on the exhale once they feel safe. Breathwork training teaches you to cue that on purpose. Clients learn to notice a clenched jaw or a braced belly, and to let a breath come instead of forcing it.

What Breathwork Training Covers

Box breathing and 4-7-8 are the easy part. A full Breathwork facilitator training adds physiology, contraindications, trauma-informed facilitation, music, integration, ethics, and business.

The pacing is different: once breath and emotion start moving, you follow the client instead of your massage sequence.

Scope of Practice and Continuing Education

Massage therapists should not diagnose trauma or treat mental health disorders. Depending on your state and training, you can:

• Invite a client to notice their breath when you reach a guarded area
• Cue slow exhales during deep tissue work
• Teach diaphragmatic breathing for downregulation
• Offer a separate Breathwork session with clear consent
• Refer clients to counseling or medical care when needed

Whether a Breathwork course counts as massage therapist continuing education is up to your state board. If CE hours are what you need, we run a 24-hour continuing education weekend for massage therapists, and that page lists the provider details to check with your board.

Breathwork Techniques Massage Therapists Should Understand

Technique	Intensity	Common Use	Massage Therapy Fit
Diaphragmatic breathing	Low	Relaxation, grounding	Easy to cue before or during sessions
Box breathing	Low to moderate	Focus, CO2 tolerance	Good for clients who like structure
4-7-8 breathing	Low to moderate	Sleep, anxiety support	Useful as home practice
Coherent breathing	Low	Nervous system balance, heart rate variability	Good for downregulation
Conscious connected breathing	Moderate to high	Somatic processing, emotional release	Better as a standalone Breathwork session
Holotropic-style breathing	High	Altered states, deep process work	Requires strong screening and container
Surrender-based Breathwork	Moderate	Nervous system release, integration	Suits trauma-informed work

Liquid Breathwork is surrender-based. We do not coach people to scream or chase intensity. A client on the table may already feel exposed, and a forceful push can overwhelm them.

What Liquid Breathwork Training Includes

• three days in person (24 hours) or a separate 12-week online cohort
• 55 students enrolled
• Taught by Ryan McBurney and Shelby Von Oepen, RN, BSN, with a layer of clinical safety from her 14 years of nursing
• Facilitation and method training led by Ryan McBurney, founder and lead facilitator of Liquid Breathwork

Each cohort is capped at 6 students, so everyone facilitates and gets feedback.

Format	Dates	Tuition
12-week online cohort	Starts October 6, 2026	$1,497
Phoenix metro 3-day intensive	October 23-25, 2026	$1,997
Phoenix metro 3-day intensive	November 6-8, 2026	$1,997
Scottsdale 3-day intensive	February 5-7, 2027	$1,997 early bird

See the curriculum on our Breathwork training page, or read about the 12-week online Breathwork training if you cannot travel.

Safety and Contraindications

Some techniques shift CO2, cause tingling, bring up emotion, or activate the sympathetic nervous system before the client settles. Medical clearance or a modified practice may be needed for:

• Pregnancy
• Epilepsy or seizure history
• Serious cardiovascular conditions
• Recent surgery
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Glaucoma or retinal issues
• Severe asthma or respiratory conditions
• History of psychosis or psychiatric hospitalization
• Active substance use instability
• Complex trauma without support

You already screen clients for bodywork. Shelby’s nursing background adds a clinician’s eye to that screening.

How Massage Therapists Can Use Breathwork Professionally

1. Pre-session grounding

Guide 2 to 5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing, extended exhales, or coherent breathing before you start the massage.

2. Breath awareness during massage

Cues like "Notice if your breath wants to move into this area" or "Let the exhale be easy" keep the client connected without turning the massage into a Breathwork session.

3. Standalone Breathwork sessions

Conscious connected, somatic, or surrender-based Breathwork needs more training, its own consent and screening, and time after for integration.

4. Group workshops and retreats

A stress or sleep workshop draws on clients who already trust you. At retreats, Breathwork pairs with massage and sound healing. It does not replace therapy or medical care. More on group formats in our guide to Breathwork for therapists, groups, and clients.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing Breathwork Training

1. How many training hours are included?
2. Is there live practice with feedback, or only videos?
3. Does the method match how I want to work?
4. Who teaches the clinical science?
5. Does it cover contraindications, scope, and pricing your sessions?

Ours: three days in person (24 hours) or a separate 12-week online cohort, live practice in a group of 6, and an extra layer of clinical safety from an RN.

Who Breathwork Training Is For

Breathwork training for massage therapists fits if you want to run standalone breath sessions or lead small groups. Skip it if you want a credential without practice hours, or want to push clients into cathartic release.

Breathwork as a Business Add-On for Massage Therapists

Therapists add private sessions, group classes, retreat add-ons, corporate events, and partnerships with yoga studios and counselors. None of these add hands-on labor. For pricing and setup, read our Breathwork business guide and compare it with the full Liquid Breathwork training.

If you are a licensed massage therapist looking for CE hours, start with our Breathwork continuing education for massage therapists, a live three-day weekend in the Phoenix area.

Breathwork Training for Massage Therapists FAQ