Breathwork for Anxiety: How It Helps and What to Expect

Anxiety lives in the body before it ever shows up as a thought. The racing mind, the tight chest, the shallow breath that never quite fills the lungs. Galactic Breathing works directly with that physical layer. It is a 90 minute guided ceremony built around three rounds of breath, and for most people the first round is already enough to feel the nervous system settle.

You do not need breathwork experience to try this. You do not need to be flexible, athletic, or calm going in. Jason built Galactic Breathing to work for anybody, because he ran it as a weekly Big Island experience for over two years, welcoming guests who showed up in every state imaginable, some shaking with nerves before they even lay down.

What actually happens in the room

The session opens slow. You meet, you settle, there is a short movement practice, usually a form of Qigong, to loosen the body before it does anything else. Then guided meditation and intention setting. Then energy work: coming into the heart, expanding that field, inviting in support. Only after all of that do the breathing rounds begin.

Each round ends with an inhale, a hold, a release, and a rest period. The pacing is not a race. If round one is where you land, that is the whole session for you. Jason stays present the entire time, tracking your body, keeping the pace gentle, never pushing past what feels workable. There is no screaming, no forcing, no performance of catharsis. "This is a very gentle, very calm breathwork practice that can build an intensity," he says, and the anxious nervous system in particular needs that gentleness to trust the process at all.

Why breath settles an anxious body

Anxiety often runs on a breathing pattern that never fully exhales, short, shallow, high in the chest. Slower, fuller breath with a held pause and a long release gives the body a different signal to work with. This is well understood, general nervous system physiology, not a claim specific to this method. What Galactic Breathing adds is structure and company: someone trained in trauma awareness guiding the pace, watching for signs of overwhelm, and bringing you back to a grounded, centered state before the session ends.

Jason trained as a pre-licensed marriage and family therapist, and that clinical background shows up here as attentiveness rather than jargon. He tracks trauma reactions, redirects gently when something gets too intense, and keeps the room calm even when the breath gets deep. Many people leave saying their whole system feels different, not because the anxiety is gone for good, but because they have a felt memory of what calm feels like, and a tool they can return to.

Who this tends to help

People managing everyday anxious spirals, work stress that will not switch off, the low hum of dread that shows up before sleep. People who have tried meditation and found their mind too loud to sit still with. People curious about breathwork but wary of the more intense styles that involve screaming or forced catharsis. This session does not require you to have a spiritual framework going in, though Jason's own language for it, remembering your higher self, inviting in guides and ancestors, is there if it resonates with you.

What to bring and what to expect after

Wear something comfortable you can lie down in. Bring water for afterward. Most people leave feeling loose in the body and clearer in the head, sometimes a little tired the way you are after a good workout, sometimes energized. Give yourself a buffer before jumping back into a demanding afternoon if you can. Jason recommends noting anything that comes up in the hours and days after, a dream, a small shift in mood, a thought that surfaces unexpectedly, since integration often continues quietly after the session ends.

If anxiety has been part of your life for years, one session is unlikely to be a permanent turning point, and it is not sold as one. Some people return monthly as a kind of maintenance practice, using the ceremony the way others use a regular workout or therapy appointment, a repeated tool rather than a one-time fix.

A note on care

Sessions like this support a calmer nervous system. They do not replace medical or mental health care, and they are not a treatment for an anxiety disorder. If you are in crisis, please call or text 988 (US) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Many people use breathwork alongside therapy or medication, as one more tool, not a substitute for either.

Frequently asked questions

Is Galactic Breathing safe if I have panic attacks?

Jason's trauma-aware training means he watches closely for signs of overwhelm and slows or pauses the pace accordingly. Tell him about your history when you book so he can guide the session with that in mind. If you have a diagnosed panic disorder, loop in your therapist or doctor before trying intense breathwork.

Do I need to do all three rounds?

No. Jason says plainly that the first round is all most people need. The deeper rounds are optional and only happen if it feels right in the moment.

What should I do before a session?

Eat and drink lightly for at least an hour beforehand. Wear comfortable clothes you can lie down in. Come with an open mind, not a goal to force a particular experience.

Is this the same as Holotropic Breathwork?

No. Galactic Breathing is Jason's own method, inspired by Wim Hof and Stan Grof's breathwork, and shaped by distance running and years of meditation. He did not train with either of them and is not certified in that specific lineage.

Can I do this online?

Yes. Private sessions run online, or in person by request, 90 minutes, 222 dollars either way. Book a breathwork session to get started.

Related reading: Galactic Breathing, breathwork for burnout, breathwork for trauma, breathwork vs somatic therapy, locations, about Jason.