Be A Game Changer In Wellness
Give your clients the edge – train to be an Advanced Oxygen Advantage Instructor.
Join a fully immersive 4-day retreat experience
PLUS live online classes with the creator of the Oxygen Advantage, Patrick McKeown
Science proves that breathing is the foundation for optimal health, fitness and performance, yet it is often overlooked and even neglected by the medical, health and fitness industries.
The Oxygen Advantage addresses this and puts breathwork at the heart of health, fitness and wellbeing.
As a certified coach you'll be ahead of the game with a complete set of skills necessary to achieve and maintain powerful transformations for your clients.
Your £1,995 Investment Gets You:
A 4-Day 'Retreat' Experience
This is a first for the Oxygen Advantage Programme. You'll be working with two Master Instructors learning the principles and foundations of the Oxygen Advantage. You'll also get to practise on forest walks and trail runs. Includes all food and 3 nights shared accommodation.
Live Online Training
14 hours of live, interactive online classes with the creator of the Oxygen Advantage, Patrick McKeown. All classes are recorded and uploaded to an online training portal for lifetime access.
Over 100 Hours of Study Materials
Online prerecorded video tutorials, Instructor Training Manual and specialist Zoom workshops with Master Instructors worldwide on a range of applications of the method for health and sports.
PLUS Special Bonuses
Practical coaching in the AIM Run With Ease Programme and Heart Rate Variability Module with supporting online materials, plus Hot and Cold Therapy Experience with outdoor sauna and loch dip.
Certification To Teach
After successful completion of the programme you'll get full certification to teach the Oxygen Advantage principles and protocols. This certification is for life with no need for renewal of training.
Follow-Up Mentoring
Four live online follow-up mentoring sessions with Andrew and Gray.
Your 4-Day Experience Includes:
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A fully-immersed and experiential long weekend coaching in how to teach the Oxygen Advantage by two Master Instructors
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Morning Qigong practice
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Forest hiking and trail running
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Run With Ease coaching
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Heart Rate Variability Module
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Outdoor sauna and cold water loch dip experience
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3-nights full-board shared accommodation and exclusive use of the Ardmay House Retreat Centre
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Nutritious meals prepared and cooked by our on-site nutritionist
Thursday 1 September
12:00: Pick up from Glasgow Central (optional)
13:00: Light lunch
14:00: Retreat starts with welcome and introductions
15:00: Qigong practice
16:30: The Science And Art Of Breath – Biomechanics, biochemistry and psychophysiological
18:00: The Natural Breath– Everyday breathing to reduce stress, build resilient and promote longevity
19:30: Dinner
21:00-21:30: Qigong And Breath To Aid Sleep
Friday 2
07:30: Morning Qigong
09:00: Breakfast
10:00: Nature And The Nervous System – Forest walk
12:00: Run With Ease – Movement guided by the breath
13:00: Lunch
14:00: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) – What And Why
15:30: Hypoxic/Hypercapnic Training – Simulating high-intensity and altitude training
17:00: The Benefits Of Hormetic Stress – hot and cold exposure with outdoor sauna and loch dip
19:30: Dinner
21:00: Discussion: Incorporating Breathwork Into Training
Saturday 3
07:30: Morning Qigong
09:00: Breakfast
10:00: Forest nature walk or walk/run
13:00: Lunch
14:00: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) – Yin And Yang
15:30: Transformational Breath And Movement Practice
17:00: The Benefits Of Hormetic Stress
19:30: Dinner
21:00: Open Discussion
Sunday 4
07:30: Morning Qigong
09:00: Breakfast
10:00: Run With Ease – Breathing Gears (Walking option available)
13:00: Light lunch
14:00: Retreat concludes
14:30: Transport to Glasgow central (optional)
Kit List
- The west coast of Scotland we can encounter midges. We strongly recommend that you bring along some Smidge insect repellent
- Comfortable clothing for outdoor practice and nature walks
- Waterproof trousers and top (can be provided if required)
- Suitable walking/hiking/trail running footwear
- Suitable active wear for workshops/training
- Swimwear
Kit List
- Comfortable clothing for outdoor practice and nature walks
- Waterproof trousers and top (can be provided if required)
- Suitable walking/hiking/trail running footwear
- Suitable active wear for workshops/training
- Swimwear
- Pulse Oximeter – We can recommend Contec Pulse available at https://oxygenadvantage.com/product/oximeter/
As part of your course you will receive a module dedicated to heart rate variability (HRV) training and how it fits seamlessly with Oxygen Advantage techniques.
You will gain a practical understanding of:
- What HRV is
- Why HRV is important
- How to use HRV to monitor stress
- How to use HRV to train resilience
- Yin and Yang training protocols
The benefits of HRV training has been highlighted in thousands of scientific studies over decades. Here are just some of the benefits:
- Increase longevity and health span
- Manage stress and anxiety
- Build resilience
- Reduce injury and promote recovery
- Improve cardiovascular & respiratory systems
- Improve performance
- Reduce cancer risk and progression
- Promote immune unction
- Reduce inflammation
- Enhance sleep
- Reduce blood pressure
The module is run by Master Instructor Andrew Ritchie.
Andrew has worked closely with a number of HRV specialist including Dr Jay Wiles, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Hanu Health.
Dr Wiles is an international subject matter expert within the field of HRV.
Andrew was taught directly by Dr Wiles and continues to consult with him on all things HRV.
The combination of HRV and Oxygen Advantage make this a globally unique module that will put your practical knowledge and skill set ahead of the rest.
The Run With Ease Course
As part of your Advanced Oxygen Advantage Instructor Training, you will receive the Run With Ease course which puts breath at the heart of performance.
Alongside breath, the course focuses on other fundamental aspects of health such as tension and relaxation, and fluid movement.
Since exercise seems to be becoming more and more disconnected from our body’s needs, we have designed a course that takes the focus away from the idea of ‘exercise’ and offers a more principle-centred, mindful approach to functional movement backed by the latest scientific research.
As evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman points out in his fascinating book “Exercised” – the notion of exercise is modern, weird and unpleasant, so the best way to do more is to find something you enjoy.
The Run With Ease course offers a foundational framework and skill set to develop good habits that have an effect on mood, motivation, energy levels, and our ability to enjoy running (and walking), no matter what age or fitness level.
You’ll learn how psychological considerations such as acknowledging improvements, understanding your ‘why’, defining success, overcoming obstacles, and developing a sense of community will focus the mind and reduce anxiety, leading to a more relaxed and enjoyable approach to training.
Lesson content includes:
- Why We Run – psychology and biology
- Intention and Attention – purpose and awareness
- Learning Through Process – definitions of success
- Habit Forming
- Preventing Injuries and Burn Out
- Social Motivation
- Designing Training Programmes.
Practical sessions include:
- Mobilisation and Activation – warm up
- Take a Step
- Structure and Balance
- Strength and Stability
- Qigong Flow
- Breathing Gears – walk to run, easy pace, steady pace, intervals, recovery.
You will get:
- Unlimited access to an online training portal
- PDF Coaches Manual
- PDF Client Manual
- Video lessons of practical exercises
- Regular live online group coaching and catch-up sessions.
Although this course is focused on running it’s perfectly suited for walkers too.
The course is run by Master Oxygen Advantage Instructor Gray Caws.
Gray has worked closely with a number of running specialists including Robin McNelis, England Athletic Running Coach and Cardio Physiotherapist who first introduced Gray to nasal breathing in running back in 2007. He also trained with world-renowned founder of ChiRunning Danny Dreyer and worked for several years as a Master ChiRunning Coach and ChiRunning Director of UK & Ireland. He is also a teacher of Qigong.
“Whenever an individual focuses away from the process, and only towards achieving an outward goal – the mind stops listening to the body” – John Douillard Body, Mind, Sport
“Stillness and action are relative, not absolute, principles. It is important to find a balance... not just in qigong, but in everyday life. In movement, seek stillness and rest. In rest, be mindful and attentive” Ken Cohen
“We seemed to be going really slowly… I was relaxed so much that my mind seemed almost detached from my body. There was no strain. There was no pain. Only a great unity of movement and aim. The world seemed to stand still or even not exist.” Roger Bannister
“If breathing is not normalized, no other movement pattern can be” – Karel Lewit
Your Coaches
"Join us and learn to teach scientifically proven breathing exercises that will help your clients become fitter, healthier, and stronger".
Gray & Andrew
Gray Caws
Gray is a Master Oxygen Advantage coach having worked with Patrick McKeown on the very first Masterclass and subsequent Instructor Training in 2016.
He was first introduced to the importance of breathing in sport by England Athletics coach and Cardio Physiotherapist Robin McNelis who taught the importance of nasal breathing and breath rate in running.
Gray has a relaxed, friendly teaching style that works for everyone, whatever level of fitness or experience.
Alongside his Oxygen Advantage certification he is also a Buteyko Practitioner, running coach, UK Level 4 Personal Trainer and teacher of Qigong.
“I love nothing better than to get outdoors and explore. If I need a motivational boost then to be out running, walking, and playing is where I’m at my best.
I believe the best way to optimise your health and fitness is to practise something that you enjoy, keep it simple, focus on the breath, challenge yourself but don’t overdo it!
Training through play allows you to tap into your natural, intuitive flow of breath, energy, and movement.”
Andrew Ritchie
Andrew is a Master Oxygen Advantage instructor, with a specialised interest in Heart Rate Variability. He's also the founder of Performance Breathworks and an AIM Run With Ease coach
Andrew has been working in the outdoor health and wellness industry for 20 years and has helped thousands of children and adults become more resilient and achieve their goals through a variety of activities.
Currently he works with corporates, professional and amateur sport, schools and individuals, as well as organising and leading retreats and adventure holidays.
"I'm passionate about breathwork and the great outdoors. You'll realise why when you see the amazing environment that I have the opportunity to work in.
I'm excited to be work with Gray on this, my first, Advanced Oxygen Advantage Instructor Training."
Patrick McKeown
Patrick McKeown BA, MA, is considered to be one of the foremost teachers of functional breathing. He has authored eight books, is published in 14 languages and has taught breathing for mind, body and sports since 2002.
He has worked with more than 7,000 clients from children to the elderly, from the most unwell to elite athletes.
He has channelled a wealth of experience, expertise and passion into the delivery of this simple, easy to follow training, in order to share his approach with others, so that many more people can enjoy better health, performance and quality of life.
Changing Lives
Give Your Clients The Oxygen Advantage
Improved Physical And Mental Health
Understand the science and learn practical breathing exercises to balance mind and body, improving overall mental and physical health
Clearer Focus, Better Concentration, Restful Sleep
Deliver oxygen optimally to every cell in the body to help improve focus and concentration, and sleep better
Improved Sports Performance & Better Recovery
Improve aerobic capacity and VO2 max through breath-hold exercises to simulate high-intensity and altitude training.
Payment Plans
Includes the 4-day 'retreat experience' in shared room accommodation plus all food prepared by our in-house nutritional adviser. Workshops with experienced Master Instructors Gray and Andrew. All live online trainings with Patrick and lifelong access to a comprehensive online training portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re reading this page, the chances are you’re already more than a little bit interested in the breath and what it can do for you.
You may already have completed other breathwork training and want to deepen your knowledge and practice.
Perhaps you’ve read an article or book about the breath and want to learn practical ways to apply the science.
Or, since the topic is currently trending, maybe you’ve been asked questions by your clients that you don’t know how to fully answer …
Functional breathing is a vital missing link in fitness, health and quality of life.
It is cost-effective, suitable for everyone and has almost endless applications, without the need for any costly equipment.
Yet most people are unaware that the breath can be trained.
If your energy is low, you might consider taking supplements, changing your diet, drinking more water or pushing yourself to work harder rather than exploring how breathing, sleep and mental stress may be affecting your body.
That’s a lot of money, time and effort when the answer is quite literally under your nose.
Yes, you will be fully certified to teach the entire Oxygen Advantage Programme to your clients, students and athletes.
This certification is for life with no need for renewal of training.
You are, however, encouraged to join our regular live Zoom classes with Patrick as a refresher should you require.
The Oxygen Advantage Programme is based on the two pillars of functional breathing and simulation of high altitude and high intensity training.
Everyday functional breathing has been proven to help with:
- Overall health
- Exercise performance and stamina
- Breathing during Yoga
- Lower back pain, posture and core muscle strength
- PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic disorder
- High stress and mental agitation
- Energy, focus and concentration
- Insomnia and snoring
- Fatigue and mood
- Rhinitis (stuffy nose and hay fever)
- Asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
- Diabetes and epilepsy control
- Depression and anxiety in people with comorbid conditions like bipolar disorder, that prevent the use of antidepressant medication
High altitude and intensity simulation breathing exercises have been proven to:
- Delay the onset of fatigue and lactic acid
- Improve repeated sprint ability for team sports such as rugby and football
- Improve respiratory muscle strength
- Improve aerobic capacity
- Increase production of EPO (erythropoietin) safely and legally
- Improve running economy
- Improve swimming performance
- Reduce oxidative stress
You receive instant lifetime access to our complete advanced online training portal for instructors, with video teaching modules, recording of your live classes with Patrick, online research library and downloadable PDF of training manuals.
You also receive a hard copy of the training manual and Breathing Cure book by post.
Please allow two weeks from date of registration for receipt of materials.
The live online training comprises detailed instruction in all of the Oxygen Advantage exercises and methods.
You will learn how to put the theory into practice.
You will receive all of the video modules, hard and soft copies of the instructor and athletes’ manuals, fourteen hours of live coaching with Patrick via Zoom and lifetime access to the training portal where you can revisit any of the materials in your own time.
As an added bonus, once you have completed the course, you are also welcome to sign up for any future training sessions in order to refresh your skills.
Throughout the training, support is available to you via email (hello@oxygenadvantage.co.uk) where Gray or a member of the team will answer your questions.
You may also pose questions during the live classes via Zoom with Patrick (messaging facility) and receive answers in real time.
You will be invited to join our closed members group on Facebook for OA Instructors and can also join the conversation there.
You will be added to our instructors’ mailing list and will receive regular updates from the team via email.
A mentoring programme with your coaches is also available at an additional cost. For more details on this speak to Gray.
- Full use of the Oxygen Advantage royalty free images, marketing materials and logos
- Personal Profile Listing as a certified instructor on the OxygenAdvantage.com website so that clients can find you, and the option to list your upcoming trainings on your profile. In addition, we will refer clients who contact us looking for a certified instructor in your area.
- Trademark status for the name “Oxygen Advantage®” in Europe, North America and Australia when teaching the Oxygen Advantage® (in order that the original breathing exercises are taught in a safe and effective way, the Oxygen Advantage® Programme can only be taught by Oxygen Advantage® certified instructors)
- Ongoing individual follow-up support with Patrick McKeown via email and Facebook
- Membership of our members only Oxygen Advantage® Instructors Facebook Group where you can ask for feedback, connect with other instructors and share information and ideas
- And don’t forget, you have lifetime access to your training portal, AND the additional bonus of being able to sign up for any future live training classes if you want to refresh your knowledge and skills!
Yes, you are required to pass an online multi-choice exam following your study. This exam is multiple choice answer. It can be completed and saved in stages. Also, if you do not pass the first time, you may try again until you successfully pass.
In addition to the online exam, you are also required to submit three case studies (template and instructions provided).
You will be required to teach the method to three clients (can be existing clients, friends or family) over a period of three weeks and submit written reports of the results.
Upon successful completion of the online exam and case studies, you will receive a digital certificate.
Your profile as a certified Advanced Instructor will also be added to our website for your location.
"… an enjoyable weekend of education – the small group, personal attention … layering of course content. The whole group interacted and the sessions were on the move."
Paul Collins
Owner of Paul Collins Fitness
"Gray is a great and passionate teacher with different fields of expertise. He has a broad vision on breathwork and on its practical uses. [I particularly enjoyed] the group connection and the playfulness."
Sara Bigatti
Movement & Breath Coach
"Thank you ever so much for the wonderful masterclass on Saturday. It was so well delivered, very informative and relevant covering so much ground with practical advice and approach to the exercises. I benefitted immensely from meeting the other trainees as well and it was great to learn from their interactions and the questions you addressed with examples. It was a very productive day delivered so well in a relaxed open manner. It was appreciated by me and the other attendees that we were able to take on board everything that was being taught, I really really appreciated your coaching style."
Salim
Project Manager
"Gray was helpful in listening to me, giving me feedback, and helping me to further find the voice for my brand. He also gave me good next steps to take. I also feel he is someone I can reach out to as I progress along the way, for which I am very grateful."
Robyn Reid
Some Facts About Breathing
Breathing is our first and most fundamental motor pattern. Every single person carries the breath with them every single day.
Yet a surprising proportion of people have breathing pattern disorders, sleep-disordered breathing and a poor understanding of the breath.
While you might appreciate why elite athletes or corporate high-fliers could find breath training useful, it may be less obvious exactly how far-reaching the applications are, and how you can apply them to your work.
Here are some interesting facts about why functional breathing training is relevant for everyone:
- Breath retraining can be used as a primary or adjunct therapy for physical and mental health conditions including anxiety, panic disorder, depression, sleep apnea, insomnia, hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, childhood development, behavioural disorders, asthma, menopause, headache, back pain, chronic pain conditions and even some medically unexplained symptoms.
- Breath training can also be used in sports and endurance training to improve performance by building tolerance to CO2 and reducing the ventilatory response to exercise.
- The way you breathe influences how your body processes oxygen. Unhealthy breathing can reduce the amount of oxygen that is released from the lungs to the blood, and from the blood to the tissues and cells.
- Carbon dioxide is not just a waste gas. In fact, it provides the primary stimulus to breathe and plays an important role in the dilation of blood vessels. When you ignore the importance of CO2 in favour of oxygen, you actually prevent the body from properly oxygenating.
- A low sensitivity to CO2 is beneficial for general health and for sporting performance. Studies have shown that this lower sensitivity is one of the things that separates outstanding endurance athletes from the competition (McGurk et al., 1995). If this sounds complicated, don’t worry. You’ll soon understand what it means and how to apply it.
- Mouth breathing can restrict the airways, even when you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Despite what many people may tell you, it is not a good idea to breathe like this for an extended period of time. Scientists have proven that it causes the nose to become 200% more congested than when breathing is only through the nostrils (Strohl et al., 1992).
- Many methods used by clinicians to screen for dysfunctional breathing are ineffective and return inaccurate results (Kiesel et al., 2017).
- Women who suffer premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are actually experiencing imbalances of blood gases due to cyclical hyperventilation. This means that the breath can be used to alleviate this debilitating condition (Chaitow, 2012/Ott et al., 2006).
- Slow breathing can help in the treatment of insomnia. Scientists believe it represents a better long-term solution than the over-prescription of hypnotic drugs (Ravinder et al., 2019).
- Asthma is very common in elite endurance athletes. A Swedish study of 38,603 adults who were participating in endurance competitions reported that 12% had asthma – a far higher figure than the 4.3% of 18 to 45-year-olds worldwide reported by the Global Asthma Report 2018 (Näsman et al., 2018).
- A significant number of unrelated studies have drawn the conclusion that practising a breathing rate of six breaths per minute activates the ‘rest and digest’ branch of the autonomic nervous system via the vagus nerve and provides the best conditions for lung health, oxygenation, heart health, resilience and healthy blood pressure (Russo et al., 2017).
- The diaphragm is the main breathing muscle, and it’s also vital for postural control. When you breathe in, the diaphragm descends, and a positive pressure is generated in the abdomen. This ‘intra-abdominal pressure’ acts like an inflated balloon, stabilising the spine and the pelvis (Key, 2013). This is really important for functional movement, for understanding the core, and for injury prevention.
- It is possible to simulate high altitude and high intensity training with the use of breath-holding exercises. Training in this way can produce better aerobic and anaerobic capacity, allowing the body to stimulate anaerobic glycolysis (the process by which blood sugar is broken down to form energy-giving lactose), improving the strength of the breathing muscles and tolerance to breathlessness and reducing the ventilatory response to hypercapnia and hypoxia. It gives increased VO2 max and produces better running economy, better repeated sprint ability for team sports and better-sustained fitness during rest or injury.
