Why did I create this program?
Most musicians have been told to “breathe deeper,” “stand up straight,” or “support more,” without ever learning why breathing gets hard in the first place.
Breathing isn’t just about lungs. It’s about how posture, tension patterns, and nervous system habits interact, especially under physical and performance stress.
This course helps you:
-
Understand what’s really limiting your breathing
-
Reduce tension that interferes with natural expansion
-
Restore effortless access to your breath
-
Apply what you learn directly into practice and performance
This is not about quick fixes, surface cues, or rigid “corrective posture.” It’s about building a repeatable, resilient breathing strategy rooted in how your body actually works.
How Breathing Foundations is Different
Unlike many breathing or posture programs, Breathing Foundations is not about controlling your posture, forcing inhalation or exhalation, or “correcting” bad habits.
Instead, this course focuses on getting out of our own way and allowing the body to reorganize itself when given the right conditions.
I believe that your body is not broken. It is simply responding to stress, load, posture, and the environment in the best way it knows how.
So, when breathing feels shallow or tense, it’s usually a reflection of limited space, reduced capacity, or compensatory behaviors, not a lack of effort or discipline.
Inside Breathing Foundations, you’ll move through a step-by-step progression designed to help you:
-
Reduce the tension and interference that limit breathing and movement while playing
-
Use simple positional breathing strategies that naturally encourage expansion and ease
-
Restore access to your full breathing capacity (360° breathing) without forcing or overtraining
-
Allow posture to improve as a byproduct of better organization, rather than constant conscious control
-
Develop a toolbox of breathing and recovery strategies you can use to manage stress, fatigue, and changing performance demands throughout the year
My Own Journey With Breathing and Tension
Like many musicians, I spent years struggling with tension, inefficient breathing, and the feeling that my body was working against my playing.
For a long time, I believed that was just the cost of playing.
Through my doctoral research, work in movement and biomechanics, and years of experimenting with different breathing and recovery methods, I began to realize that much of the breathing advice musicians receive misses the root problem.
Breathing isn’t about forcing more air in, it’s about restoring the conditions that allow the body to expand and organize naturally. This idea echoes principles explored by pioneers such as F.M. Alexander and Moshé Feldenkrais, who believed that when the body is given the right conditions, it often reorganizes itself.
Breathing Foundations grew out of that process, bringing together the concepts and exercises that consistently helped me and other musicians reduce tension, breathe more freely, and perform with greater ease.
As I experienced these changes myself, I knew there was something special here, and I’m excited to share this work with you through Breathing Foundations
Your Starting Point and What’s Possible
Starting Point
• Breathing that feels shallow, forced, or restricted
• Tension in the neck, shoulders, and back that builds while playing and doesn’t fully release
• A body that feels like it’s working against you instead of supporting your playing
• Confusion around posture, alignment, and “air support” and how they actually work together
The Outcome
• Natural 360° expansion you can feel and trust
• A decompressed, aligned body that allows the ribcage to expand and breathe in all directions
• Access to a breath you don’t have to fight for, allowing airflow and phrasing to feel easier
• Greater ease and endurance while playing, with less tension and effort
• A clear system and daily practice you can return to whenever tension or fatigue creep back in
Who is This For?
-
Wind & brass players who feel tight, stuck, or tense in their breathing.
-
Musicians who struggle with active breathing drills, like the breathing gym or an overactive “Valsalva maneuver.”
-
Performers who want to develop a tension-free breath, supportive posture, and more effortless sound
-
People who value context, education, and developing skills you can use on a daily basis.
-
Those excited to shape the future of this program and be part of a community that wants to learn, grow, and support each other.
Who is this not for?
-
Anyone in acute pain or post-surgery (unless cleared by a provider)
-
Musicians under 18 without guardian permission
-
Those who don't want to develop an easier, more efficient, and more supportive breath that can make overall playing more effortless and enjoyable.
-
This isn't for people looking for a quick fix, musicians unwilling to show up daily, or players who believe breathing can't be trained.
What makes this program different is that it focuses on both education and implementation. Breathing is a skill.
Curriculum
Breathing Foundations is organized into four progressive phases designed to help you restore natural breathing, reduce tension, and apply these changes directly to your playing.
Benefits Experienced from Past Cohorts
While every musician’s experience is different, consistent patterns tend to show up over the course of the program, often within the first few weeks.
-
Freer, fuller, more relaxed breaths, without overthinking or overfilling
-
More effortless posture and natural expansion during breathing
-
Less effort in the throat, jaw, shoulders, back, and abs while playing
-
Easier articulation, quicker breaths between phrases, and more reliable support
-
Better body awareness in the ribcage, sternum, abs, back, and pelvis
-
Less warm-up time and way less energy wasted just trying to “get open.”
-
Stronger, more responsive exhales, without pushing or collapsing
-
Improved endurance and focus in practice and performance
-
Less daily tension in the neck, back, ribs, hips, and abs
-
Increased calm, focus, and mental clarity throughout the day
-
Less warmup time to feel organized and ready to play
-
A meditative, grounding effect similar to meditation
-
Improved output and comfort during cardio and strength training regimens
Choose Your Own Path
Self-Guided Path
A self-paced breathing program for musicians who want a structured practice they can follow at their own pace.
A great option for musicians who value clear programming and feel confident exploring new concepts and exercises independently.
Includes:
• Lifetime access to the full 4-phase breathing progression, including ISA-specific programming for different ribcage shapes
• Practice & Performance Application module to help you apply breathing improvements directly to your instrument
• Foundational Breathing Concepts Library explaining the mechanics behind efficient breathing for musicians
• Done-for-you routines for each phase so you always know exactly what to practice
• All future program updates included at no additional cost
Live Cohort Path
The community cohort experience is designed to help you turn breathing from something you think about into a skill you can rely on when you play.
A great option for musicians who value guidance, accountability, and community.
Everything included in Self-Paced, plus:
• Live weekly office hours for 6 weeks (Sundays) with Austin
• Each session includes a short weekly lesson, followed by open Q&A, breathing and movement feedback, and troubleshooting
• Private cohort community with weekly check-ins and direct support from Austin
• A dedicated group space for your 6-week cohort to share progress and stay accountable
Spots are limited to a small group so Austin can provide meaningful feedback during live sessions. Enrollment is closed once spots are filled.
Community Cohort starts on May 4th.
FAQ