BREATH RESET
Feel Safe in Your Body and Sleep Well
A 6-Week Program Using the Buteyko Method to Retrain Your Nervous System for Sleep, Calm, and Resilience
You've likely been told to breathe more. What if the answer is breathing less?
This might surprise you, coming from someone who teaches all kinds of breathwork.
Many of the practices I teach do involve deeper, fuller breathing. However, when I work with people whose nervous systems are stuck in survival mode, who can't sleep, who wake at 3 AM with racing hearts, who feel chronically unsafe in their bodies, I've discovered something counterintuitive.
They're not breathing too little. They're breathing too much.
Chronic overbreathing is keeping your nervous system hypervigilant, disrupting your sleep, and preventing the deep rest your body craves. The solution isn't more air, it's retraining your system to feel safe with less.
Every Deep Breath You Take It’s Making It Worse
Your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, and every "take a deep breath" you've been told is making it worse. You're not breathing too little—you're breathing too much. This chronic overbreathing is keeping you hypervigilant, disrupting your sleep, and preventing true rest.
Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Buteyko discovered that people with chronic conditions—anxiety, insomnia, sleep apnea—weren't breathing too little air. They were breathing too much. You take approximately 20,000 breaths every day, and each one is either training your nervous system toward safety or reinforcing the hypervigilance that keeps you trapped.
“I never knew I could use my breathing to address past trauma and current anxiety. It’s such a vastly different approach to the ‘take a deep breath’ advice that every therapist, or yoga teacher gives you. ”
3 Manifestations of Survival Mode Breathing
This survival mode doesn't look the same for everyone, but it manifests through three primary patterns:
Chronic Insomnia & Night Waking
Jolting awake between 1-5 AM, lying there for hours
Mind racing at bedtime despite physical exhaustion
Feeling "wired but tired" even after 8+ hours in bed
Morning fatigue that coffee can't touch
2. Sleep Disordered Breathing
Sleep apnea (especially the non-anatomical types)
Feeling like you're "holding your breath" during sleep
CPAP struggles or feeling trapped by the machine
Waking with dry mouth, sore throat, or gasping
3. Anxiety & Hypervigilance
Persistent feeling of being "on edge" or scanning for threats
Breathing that shifts to mouth/upper chest when stressed
Difficulty feeling truly safe or settled, even at home
Feeling like you need to control everything
The Science That Changes Everything: Why Less Air Delivers More Oxygen
This might sound backwards, but here's the physiology: Carbon dioxide isn't waste—it's the key that unlocks oxygen from your red blood cells.
When you overbreathe (which most anxious, sleep-deprived people do), you lose CO₂. Without enough CO₂, your blood holds onto oxygen instead of delivering it to your brain, heart, and muscles. This is called the Bohr Effect, discovered in 1904 but rarely applied to sleep and anxiety treatment.
The Buteyko Method teaches you to breathe less air, more efficiently. This gentle approach:
Increases CO₂ tolerance without triggering panic
Improves oxygen delivery through the Bohr Effect
Reduces chemosensitivity (your nervous system's reactivity to normal breathing pauses)
Retrains your "faulty smoke alarm" to feel safe with stillness
Track Your Progress Objectively: The Control Pause
Unlike subjective "how do you feel" assessments, you'll have an objective measurement of your nervous system regulation: the Control Pause (CP) (also called Body Oxygen Level Test-BOLT).
This simple test measures how long you can comfortably hold your breath after a normal exhale. It's not about lung capacity—it's about your body's comfort with CO₂, which directly reflects your breathing efficiency and nervous system state.
What Your Numbers Mean:
Under 10 seconds: High stress response, likely sleep apnea or panic attacks
10-20 seconds: Common starting point for insomnia and anxiety
25+ seconds: Functional threshold where sleep and energy improve markedly
40+ seconds: Strong resilience (long-term possibility, not requirement)
Even a 5-second increase often correlates with noticeable improvements in sleep quality and daytime calm.
“Prior to the classes, my HRV was very low. After practicing the slow breathing technique for 15 minutes twice a day for several weeks, my HRV has risen from the high teens to the low to mid 30’s... You don’t think that something as simple as taking time out to breathe would have such a significant effect.”
“My control pause improved from around 10 to about 17-18 seconds. My sleep it’s getting better and if I wake up, I fall back to sleep more easy... I feel more companionship with my breath.”
The 5 Proven Practices for Your Nervous System Reset
This isn't vague "breathwork." These are precise, evidence-based techniques:
1. Many Small Breath Holds (Recovery Breath)
What it is: 5-second breath holds with 10-second recovery, repeated for 10 minutes
Why it works: Builds CO₂ tolerance without overwhelming your nervous system
When to use: Daily practice, or during acute anxiety/insomnia episodes
2. Breathe Light Practice
What it is: Creating tolerable "air hunger" by breathing about 30% less air
Why it works: Retrains your baseline breathing volume and chemosensitivity
Variations: Hands on chest, feather breathing, cadence breathing (6 breaths/minute)
3. Walking with Breath Holds
What it is: Holding breath for 10-20+ steps while walking, then recovering
Why it works: Integrates nervous system training with movement
Progression: Start with 10 steps, gradually increase as tolerance builds
4. Nasal Breathing with MyoTape
What it is: Gentle mouth taping during sleep to ensure nasal breathing
Why it works: Prevents nighttime mouth breathing that destabilizes sleep
Implementation: Gradual introduction with daytime practice first
5. Nose Unblocking Protocol
What it is: 6 rounds of breath holds with head nodding to clear congestion
Why it works: Temporarily raises CO₂, which naturally opens nasal passages
When to use: Before sleep or anytime nose feels blocked
““The simple act of breathing through my nose, more mindfully and with a profound sense of safety even when I feel less breath has been life changing for me: I am more at ease, more mindful in general and more attentive to what supports me in sleeping better.”
Your 6-Week Journey to Better Sleep and Reduced Anxiety
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✺ Week 1 Breathing Foundation
Discover your current breathing pattern and learn the fundamental techniques to begin retraining, plus emergency recovery breathing for moments of high stress or insomnia.
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✺ Week 2 Reviewing Progress
Refine your awareness and technique as we introduce variations that work best for your specific challenges. Learn how to unblock your nose naturally for better sleep.
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✺ Week 3 Building on Foundation
Expand your practice with techniques that create deeper diaphragmatic engagement and begin integrating nasal breathing into daily activities.
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✺ Week 4 Expanding Practice
Explore the biomechanical dimension more deeply while continuing to strengthen your foundation. Learn how to apply these techniques during physical activity.
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✺ Week 5 Breathing Integration
Combine all three dimensions of breathing into a comprehensive practice while learning to adapt techniques for specific situations in your life.
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✺ Week 6 Long-term Practice
Solidify your progress and create a sustainable plan for continued improvement, addressing potential challenges and celebrating your transformation.
Real Transformations: What Actually Changes
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I now wake much less often during the night and almost always fall asleep again within minutes,
“If I wake up in the 3 to 5 o'clock hours, I would lie awake for an hour or two, and I'm not doing that nearly as much. If I'm awake, it's for a shorter period, or I can actually go back to sleep fairly readily, which is lovely. With the Breathe Light practice I learned in Damiana's course, I now wake much less often during the night and almost always fall asleep again within minutes.” —Carol S
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I notice over the course of this course, I've been feeling more calm and more centered.
"I notice over the course of this course, I've been feeling more calm and more centered, and I'm trying to use the breath as this place to return to in the day. I've learned how to not gulp for air and how to slow my nervous system with quiet, gentle breathing... I've even had flashes of insight where I've realized I don't have to try all the time, and control everything." — Jane P.
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I especially love the recorded breath practices you gave us, done in your voice.
I especially love the recorded breath practices you gave us, done in your voice. You have a real knack for guiding that makes one feel super safe emotionally as well as expertly guided in learning and doing the breath practices. — J.B.
What You Actually Receive
6 weekly 60-minute live Zoom sessions (maximum 12 participants for personalized attention)
Private 30-minute session to establish your baseline Control Pause and customize approach
Complete recordings of all sessions for your permanent reference
Pre-recorded guided practices for independent practice between sessions
Comprehensive handouts covering all techniques, troubleshooting, and progress tracking
Scientific background materials explaining the physiology behind each practice
Direct messaging access for questions between sessions
Objective Measurement Tools:
Control Pause tracking protocols
Sleep quality assessment frameworks
HRV monitoring guidance (for those with devices)
Troubleshooting guides for common challenges
Why This Works When Medical Approaches Haven't
The medical system treats sleep disorders as purely mechanical problems: Sleep studies focus on anatomy. CPAP machines force air pressure. Surgery widens airways. But three of the four sleep apnea phenotypes aren't anatomical—they're neurological and breathing-pattern related.
Conventional anxiety treatment ignores the breath: Therapy addresses thoughts, medications alter brain chemistry, but no one teaches your nervous system that it's safe to pause between breaths. Yet your breathing patterns are training hypervigilance 20,000 times per day.
"Relaxation" techniques often backfire for trauma survivors: "Take a deep breath" can trigger more anxiety in someone whose nervous system associates stillness with danger. The Buteyko approach honors this sensitivity and builds safety gradually.
"Nasal surgery didn't make a jot of difference and medical professionals didn't seem interested in helping me find freedom from the CPAP." — Jane P.
Buteyko addresses the root cause: By retraining the breathing patterns that maintain hypervigilance, you're addressing what creates and sustains these conditions, not just managing symptoms.
"I always saw my breathing as the problem; I never knew I could use my breathing to address past trauma and current anxiety." — Jane P.
"Now I know that prioritizing breath work is as important as prioritizing other health aspects such as exercise and diet. To anyone wanting to learn about breath work, I would say that with patience and consistent practice, there are many surprising and rewarding benefits." — Sarah M.
The Rebalancing Process: What to Expect
As your breathing improves, your body may experience temporary "detox" symptoms. This is normal and shows your system is rebalancing.
Common experiences during the first few weeks:
Respiratory changes: Increased mucus, mild coughing, nose congestion fluctuating
Sleep shifts: Vivid dreams (nervous system recalibrating), temporary restlessness before improvement
Emotional releases: Waves of emotion, mental chatter, old anxieties surfacing briefly
"I experience a lot of yawning in all of them, which I learned is actually my nervous system releasing and relaxing." — Christina Jensen
Think of it like this: When a fast-flowing river slows down, it stirs up sediment. The sediment was always there—now it's becoming visible and can be cleared. Progress isn't linear. Some days will feel like breakthroughs, others like setbacks. Both are part of the healing process.
This is a path of re-patterning, not performance.
Join the next Breath Reset group
6-Week Buteyko Method for Insomnia, Anxiety & Sleep Apnea
6 weeks to retrain your nervous system using the scientifically-proven Buteyko Method
Live sessions begin [DATE] - Wednesdays at 10 AM Mountain Time
[Limited spots available]
Investment: [$497] (includes private session and all materials)
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There was a sense of 'we are in this together.'
Having the other group members on the same journey was invaluable as our experiences weren't so very different. There was a sense of 'we are in this together.' This has been amazing. — Jane P
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I felt like I was able to focus on my breath more by doing it online and in the presence of other people.
"I noticed with this one, when I'm with a group, even though we're all online, that my mind doesn't wander like it does when I'm doing it on my own, and so I can... I felt like I was able to focus on my breath more by doing it online and in the presence of other people." — Sarah M.
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Grateful for the gentle guidance.
"I am so grateful for Damiana's gentle and grounded guidance in this life-changing course." — Carol S.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions *
How is this different from other breathing or meditation programs?
This uses the clinically-proven Buteyko Method to correct overbreathing patterns. We focus on breathing less (not more), provide objective measurements (Control Pause), and address the four phenotypes of sleep disorders through nervous system retraining.
Will this work if I have sleep apnea and use CPAP?
Yes, especially if you have one of the three non-anatomical phenotypes. The techniques strengthen upper airway muscles, improve breathing patterns, and can reduce CPAP pressure needs. Many participants report improved CPAP tolerance.
How quickly will I see results?
Many notice subtle improvements within 2 weeks. More significant changes typically occur by weeks 3-4. The Control Pause provides objective tracking—even a 3-5 second improvement often correlates with better sleep and energy.
What if the "air hunger" feeling scares me?
This is common and completely understandable. We start very gently and build tolerance gradually. The sensation is therapeutic, not dangerous—it's CO₂ buildup that retrains your breathing sensitivity.
Do I need any special equipment?
No equipment required. You'll need MyoTape (available on Amazon) for sleep mouth taping, but everything else uses just your breath and gentle techniques.
Is this safe during menopause?
Yes, many women find it especially helpful during perimenopause and menopause when hormonal changes disrupt breathing patterns and sleep. The techniques are gentle and adaptable to your specific needs. This hidden pattern of dysfunctional breathing becomes particularly pronounced during hormonal transitions when breathing patterns naturally shift.