Why Breathing Is Different for Women: What Every Yoga Teacher Should Know

Have you ever noticed how your students respond to breathwork in completely different ways — even when they’re using the same technique?

You’re not imagining it.

There’s growing recognition around something many of us working closely with women have sensed for years:

Breathing is different for women.

🔬 The Science Behind Female Breathwork

Historically, most breathwork research focused on male bodies. However, women’s respiratory systems function differently due to a variety of unique factors.

These include:

• Hormonal fluctuations
• Cyclical rhythms (such as menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause)
• Anatomical differences, like smaller lungs and narrower airways

As a result, the way women experience, respond to, and benefit from breathwork can vary — not just from men, but from one week to the next.🔬 The Science Behind Female Breathwork

🌀 Why This Matters

Let’s take a closer look at how these differences can shape your students’ breath experiences.

🌙 Hormonal Fluctuations Shift Breath Sensitivity

Throughout the menstrual cycle and other hormonal life stages — like perimenopause, pregnancy, and menopause — changes in hormones directly impact the breath.

For example:

• CO₂ sensitivity can increase, leading to breathlessness or anxiety.
• The nervous system may become more activated or sensitive, making some practices feel intense or even overwhelming.

This means that a calming breath technique might feel beautiful one week, but overly stimulating the next — and not because anything is wrong.

🌬 Smaller Lungs and Airway Mechanics

Women usually have smaller lung volume and narrower airways than men. Because of this, the mechanics of breathing — especially during pranayama or physical movement — can feel different.

This influences:

• The efficiency of oxygen exchange
• The ability to hold or lengthen the breath
• How deeply or fully one can inhale and exhale during practice

In other words, the same technique might feel spacious for one body and restrictive for another.

🔄 The Role of Cyclical Rhythms

Cyclical shifts in hormones can cause breathwork to land differently — sometimes soothing, sometimes overstimulating.

That’s why tuning into how someone feels today becomes just as important as what the breath practice is.

It’s not about doing it wrong. It’s about honouring the truth of the body in the moment.

🧘 Teaching Breathwork with the Female Body in Mind

Many teacher trainings offer a one-size-fits-all approach to pranayama. But when we understand the female breath, we realise the power of teaching differently.

By adjusting breathwork to align with a woman’s physiology and hormonal rhythms, we create safer, more effective, and more empowering practices.

This approach can:

✅ Reduce overwhelm, anxiety, or breath-holding
✅ Promote nervous system balance
✅ Invite more intuitive, embodied experiences
✅ Foster a sense of self-trust and inner calm

In addition, it helps women reconnect with their natural cycles — rather than pushing against them.

🌿 Let’s Expand the Conversation

This isn’t about separating the practice — it’s about deepening it.

When we recognise that female biology shapes how breath is received, we step into our roles as more compassionate and effective guides.

We stop asking students to override their inner wisdom and instead start helping them trust it.

🌸 What Happens When Women Breathe in Alignment?

When women learn to breathe in ways that honour their changing physiology, something beautiful happens.

They often report:

• Greater resilience and clarity
• A stronger connection to their body
• More stability in mood and energy
• A deeper sense of calm and control

Ultimately, it’s not just about breath — it’s about embodiment, agency, and healing.

💫 Want to Learn More?

If this resonates with you, there’s more to explore.

🌬 Seasonal Breath: A New Course for Yoga Teachers and Wellbeing Practitioners

Together with the brilliant Sue Woodd, I’ve created a 3-part online course that explores the breath through the lens of:

🌿 Seasonal energy
🌸 Hormonal shifts
🔥 The nervous system
💧 Traditional Chinese Medicine
🌬 And intuitive, cyclical wisdom

We begin in September, and all sessions are recorded for replay.

This is for you if you want to:

• Build confidence in guiding breathwork
• Support students more holistically
• Understand how to work with, not against, the female rhythm

👉 Click here to explore Seasonal Breath and sign up
Or simply reach out — I’d love to hear your questions and reflections.

With love and breath,
Claire x