In Episode #21 Basis London founder Tom McAdam speaks with yoga & breathwork teacher Anastasis Tzanis.

Breathing practices have been a part of human culture for thousands of years as the master key to physical, mental and spiritual potential. Science is beginning to catch up and provide explanations for the transformative power of controlling the breath.

In this conversation, Anastasis and Tom explore the power of the breath through the lens of yoga / pranayama, Wim Hof and the Oxygen Advantage.

Anastasis gives a master class in the intricacies of functional breathing mechanics and shows us how to understand the physiological and psychological effects of different approaches by looking at breathing biochemistry.

Anastasis trained as a yoga teacher with Sri Andrey Lappa at Universal Yoga. He then trained in breathwork with both Wim Hof and Patrick McKeown of Oxygen Advantage. He has since become an Oxygen Advantage master instructor and the creator of the Oxygen Advantage “Breathing for Yoga” course. Anastasis is also a qualified nutritional therapist.

Anastasis is offering listeners of The Human Potential Project exclusive discounts on 2 of his flagship online courses. Apply the discount code BASIS to claim 25% off:

* Breathe right 2-week course

* Your first 6 yoga exercises

Find Anastasis on instagram @anastasis.tzanis and on his website here: https://www.atzanis.com/

We speak about:

* Anastasis’ personal journey from currency derivatives trader to redundancy to yoga teacher and nutritional therapist

* How Anastasis’ deep interest in yoga was initially ignited by inversions and why you should find your own entry point into any training modality

* The disconnect between modern yoga classes and traditional yoga practice

* How listening to Wim Hof describe body temperature control became the catalyst for a deep interest in the breath

* Training to become a Wim Hof instructor

* The Oxygen Advantage breathing methodology and training with Patrick McKeown

* An introduction to the “Breathing for Yoga” course that Anastasis leads for Oxygen Advantage and an explanation of the focus on breathing biomechanics

* Simple definitions of breathing biomechanics and breathing biochemistry and why they are so important

* The importance of posture for breathing

* How the diaphragm muscle controls breathing

* How functional breathing creates intra-abdominal pressure

* Why belly breathing is an oversimplification and the importance of secondary respiratory muscles

* How to use yoga blocks to unlock abdominal tightness, improve digestive health and learn how to breathe functionally

* How to structure flexibility training to go from stiff to super bendy using a simple, progressive approach

* What it takes to take your mobility to the next level

* Anastasis’ perspective on the benefits of ice baths

* Using breathing biochemistry to understand the synergies and differences between divergent breathing methodologies: pranayama, Wim Hof, Oxygen Advantage and Buteyko method.

* Where different breathing techniques converge and differ

* How Wim Hof breathing may lead to super-physiologic level of nitric oxide and how this may explain some of the phenomenology of the mind-altering technique


We hope you enjoy the conversation!