Breathing Foundations: The Valsalva Method
20 founding member spots ·
Cohort begins July 6th
Enrollment closes June 29th.
If you are here, you've probably been struggling with Valsalva for awhile.
You’ve researched it.
You’ve worked on your breathing, adjusted your technique, and practiced more slowly and more intentionally.
And you’ve made progress!
But you keep falling apart under pressure, or the progress halts, and you keep ending back at square one.
This is a common experience and a sign that the approach has started in the wrong place.
70%+
of surveyed players had been dealing with symptoms for 2 or more years
87%
described symptoms as moderately or significantly limiting their playing
75%
named attacks (hesitations, blocking, explosiveness) as their primary symptom
The Hidden Pattern
What makes this problem especially isolating is that it tends to stay hidden.
You find workarounds.
You develop and improve your air attacks.
You time your entrances and breaths differently.
You finally learn to manage it well enough to function, and from the outside, no one knows.
But you know. And things still feel like they could fall apart.
And the longer it goes on, the more it starts to feel like something is fundamentally wrong with you, not just with your technique, but with your body.
This is a common experience, and you are not alone.
Survey respondents described their experience as debilitating, terrifying, and demoralizing. One professional horn player described dreading practicing alone, finding it increasingly difficult to show up at all.
A graduate student said they wanted to quit for a long time, while another described developing a deep resentment toward playing, ultimately choosing another profession.
A college professor said it made them miserable as a musician and as a person.
These are not people who gave up. These are dedicated, trained musicians who spent years fighting a system problem with technique solutions, and paid an emotional price for it.
When Valsalva is No Longer a Technique Issue
If this has been going on for more than a year, chances are the Valsalva Maneuver doesn't start when you pick up your horn. Many survey participants reported common symptoms away from their instrument that are linked to their overall system's ability to manage pressure.
Here are a few examples:
1. Your abs feel "on" even when you're sitting still
Not soreness, but a low-level grip that doesn't turn off away from the instrument. Nearly half of the surveyed players reported this at rest.
2. You hold your breath in everyday situations
Before a difficult email. Standing up from a chair. Walking into a room where you'll be evaluated. The bracing the instrument amplifies is running through your whole day.
3. Your jaw or neck is tight before you've even practiced
Nearly 60% of surveyed players reported TMJ issues alongside playing symptoms, most of which were present before they ever touched their horn. Players also reported chronic GERD, tension headaches, pelvic floor tightness, constipation, and fatigue after low-level activity. These aren't separate problems. They're the same pressure system, expressed across the body.
4. You can't fully relax or downregulate your nervous system
Nearly half of surveyed players reported difficulty relaxing at rest — not before a performance, but at home. The body has been in this pattern long enough that it no longer knows what neutral feels like.
If any of this sounds familiar away from the instrument, the problem isn't your technique. It's in the system's resting state beneath it.
Who is this Program for?
This program is for musicians who:
✓ You're a brass or wind player who is serious about their craft.
✓ You've been dealing with hesitations, locked air, or that constant "inflated" feeling for months or years.
✓ You've tried traditional Valsalva exercises, technique fixes, or lessons and still feel like there is a missing piece to your recovery plan.
✓ Those who value education around the what, why, and how.
✓ You're ready to try something new with an open mind.
✓ You want to enjoy playing again and find a long-term solution.
Who is this Program Not For?
This program is not for musicians who:
✓ Are looking for a quick fix
✓ Aren't willing to show up for themselves and put in 10-15 minutes/day.
✓ Are not open to new approaches or new ways of thinking
✓ You're under 18 without a guardian's permission.
Program Roadmap
This program is designed to progress every two weeks, focusing on building and applying different skills to help reduce tension, improve posture, and improve your body's ability to create and release pressure in movement, breathing, and instrumental playing.
This program is designed to walk you step by step through rebuilding your foundation so that any training, repatterning, or playing can sustainably move you in the right direction - toward free, reliable, and enjoyable performance.
Week 1-2
Reduce tension and decompress the system
The first few weeks focus on positional breathing drills and myofascial release exercises to relieve overactive musculature and calm the nervous system, creating the conditions in which everything else becomes possible.
Week 3-4
Restore and rebuild pressure management capacity
Structural mechanics are rebuilt during this phase, including dynamic ribcage expansion, pelvic floor mechanics, and the establishment of ground contact through the feet. ISA-specific programming insures that this is tailored to your structure.
Week 5-6
Train that capacity under stress, then bring it to the instrument
The final phase begins to bridge everything back to playing: attack initiation, register work, performance scenarios.
This is where your expertise comes in, as you will take these concepts and apply them to your daily warm-up routine (if you do not have one, that is okay).
Founding Cohort - What's Included
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6 weeks of structured daily programming
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Weekly live group coaching calls with Austin (recorded)
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Private Skool community for Q&A and direct access throughout the program
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High level of accountability to help you integrate habits into your daily routine
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Lifetime access to all program materials and call recordings
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Your feedback shapes future versions, founding cohort pricing locked permanently
Frequently Asked Questions
20 spots. One cohort. July 6th
If this problem has made you dread first notes, lose trust in your body, or question whether you still want to play, that's not weakness. That's what happens when a capable, dedicated musician spends years fighting a system problem with technique solutions.
The problem was never your commitment. It was the starting point.
Join the Founding Cohort - $197
