Galactic Breathing

Galactic Breathing is Jason Donaldson's own method. He built it himself, over years, inspired by Wim Hof and Stan Grof, along with a long history as a distance runner and an obsessive meditation practice. He did not train with either of them. It is not a licensed system and it is not Holotropic Breathwork. Jason is not certified in Holotropic Breathwork and never claims to be. What he built instead is a ceremony, gentle at the start, that can go as deep as the person breathing wants it to go.

Where it came from

For over two years Jason ran Galactic Breathing on the Big Island every week, sometimes twice a week. Guests flew in through an Airbnb experience from all over the world, at every level of fitness and breath experience. That mix forced the design: a gradual build, three rounds, each one deeper than the last, so a first timer and a seasoned breather could sit in the same circle and both leave with something real. He has facilitated it hundreds of times since.

He noticed the pattern first as a runner. Long miles produce a kind of breath that breathes itself, the so called runner's high, and Jason started paying attention to what the body was actually doing in that state. Years of meditation added the second piece: watching the breath breathe you rather than forcing it. Galactic Breathing is what happened when he combined that noticing with the inspiration he took from Wim Hof and Stan Grof, then filtered all of it through his training as a pre-licensed marriage and family therapist, so the nervous system side of the room is never left unattended.

What actually happens in the room

The flow is the same whether you book privately or join a group. First, time to meet and settle in. No one is rushed into breathing cold. Then a light movement practice, usually a form of Qigong, to get the body out of its chair and into itself. From there, a guided meditation and intention setting that leads into energy work: coming into the heart, expanding that energy through the body, building a field around the group or the individual, and inviting in guides, guardians and ancestors for support.

Then the breathing itself, in three rounds.

Round one is closest to stretching. It builds gradually, the way you'd warm up before a run. "Just like stretching before a run or heavy exercise, it's good to be gentle with the body," Jason says, "to gently expand in our awareness, to lovingly acknowledge the body." Each round ends the same way: a deep inhale, a hold, a release, and a rest period before the next round begins. For a lot of people, round one is the whole ceremony. "The first round is all most people will need."

Rounds two and three build intensity. The third is the deepest, where altered states show up most often, sometimes described as a galactic, cosmic experience, sometimes as a homecoming to the heart. Channeled messages can come through here, either for the breather or relayed by Jason. After the third round there's a longer pause. Jason often channels messages in that window before bringing the room back, grounded and centered, into what he calls a new energetic reality.

Then integration: a slower return, space to journal, and if it's a group, a chance to share whatever came through. Sound and music run underneath most of the ceremony, along with occasional guided somatic release, the kind of movement that lets an emotion move through the body instead of getting stuck in it.

Gentle by design, not by accident

This is not a screaming, forcing, push-through-the-pain style of breathwork. Jason's clinical training, the same training behind his pre-licensed marriage and family therapy background, shapes how he reads a room and a nervous system in real time. He is watching for trauma reactions, tracking the body, and redirecting before anything tips into harm. "This is a very gentle, very calm breathwork practice that can build an intensity and can have emotional release," he says, "and I'm always there with you the whole time guiding you, reminding you, helping you stay in that calm space as things arise."

The ceremony is also, in his words, a practice ground. You get to activate the nervous system on purpose, learn what it feels like when it ramps up, and then practice bringing it back down. Over a single 90 minute session you get repeated, guided reps at a skill most people never get to train: feeling something big without being run by it.

What people report

People who've gone through it describe a felt sense of reconnecting with a version of themselves they'd lost touch with, sometimes years of it coming back in one sitting. Some compare the depth of the experience to what they've felt with plant medicine, arrived at here through breath alone. Downloads, messages, a visiting ancestor or guide, a wave of trust in themselves they hadn't felt in a long time: these show up often enough that Jason expects them, without ever promising them.

Eva K. put it simply: "Jason is an excellent breathwork facilitator. I had a wonderful and deep experience and definitely recommend Jason to anyone who wants to experience how powerful breathwork is."

None of this is medical claims. Breathwork here supports nervous system regulation and emotional processing in general, well understood terms. It is not a treatment for a diagnosed condition, and Jason will be the first to say the work is about remembering who you are, not fixing what's broken in you. "This is about remembering rather than fixing," he says. "This is about surrender to what is rather than trying to figure out what was."

Who this is for, and who it isn't

Galactic Breathing was built for a wide range: complete newcomers who've never done breathwork, seasoned practitioners looking for something deeper, people carrying grief, people just curious what all the breathwork talk is about. Because the first round is gentle and optional beyond that, it doesn't require any baseline fitness or experience.

It is not a crisis intervention and it does not replace medical or mental health care. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 first. Sessions here are meant to complement ongoing care, not substitute for it, and Jason will say so plainly if a request falls outside what a breathwork session can hold.

How to prepare

Eat and drink lightly in the hour before your session. A full stomach works against deep breathing, and the ceremony asks your body to be available, not digesting. Wear something comfortable you can move in. Come with an intention if you have one, but it's fine to arrive with nothing more specific than curiosity. Sessions run 90 minutes and are available online, or in person by request on the Big Island. Reschedule is free up to 24 hours before.

How it compares to other breathwork

If you've tried Holotropic Breathwork, box breathing, or a Wim Hof style cold and breath protocol, Galactic Breathing is inspired by that world but isn't a copy of any of it. The ceremony structure, the Qigong opening, the energy work and guide invitation, and the three round build are specific to what Jason put together. It sits closer to a guided spiritual ceremony than a fitness breathing class, while staying accessible enough for someone who has never done either.

Frequently asked questions

Is Galactic Breathing the same as Holotropic Breathwork?

No. Jason is inspired by Stan Grof and Wim Hof, as well as his own background as a runner and meditator, but he did not train with them and is not certified in Holotropic Breathwork. Galactic Breathing is his own method, treated as its own ceremony, not a branded system.

Will I scream or need to force my breath?

No. This is a gentle, calm practice even when it builds in intensity. Jason's training means the room is actively monitored for nervous system safety, and you are never pushed past what feels manageable.

What if I only want to do the first round?

That's normal and expected. Jason says the first round is all most people need. Rounds two and three are there if you want to go deeper, not a requirement to finish the ceremony.

Can I do this online?

Yes. Sessions run 90 minutes and are offered online worldwide or online, or in person by request on the Big Island, for 222 USD either way.

Is this a replacement for therapy or medical care?

No. Galactic Breathing can support nervous system regulation and emotional processing, but it does not replace medical or mental health care. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.

See how this compares to Sekhem energy healing or a tarot reading. Combine breathwork with other modalities over 4 or 8 weeks: see 4 week and 8 week healing containers. Read more about Jason's training on the about page, or browse services to compare every offering side by side.