Restorative Breathwork®
Foundations Facilitator Training
This immersive nine module journey is both a sanctuary and a training ground—inviting you to embody the sacred art of the breath while cultivating the skills to guide others toward deep inner stillness. While the work naturally supports nervous system regulation, emotional clearing, and energetic balance, the Foundations training is presented first and foremost as a contemplative practice—rooted in subtle listening, nervous system regulation and meditative absorption, through the breath.
Note: Training Schedule is located at bottom of this page.
Training Syllabus
Module 1 - Reclaiming the Natural Breath
We begin by restoring the resiliency of the innate breath — allowing its natural intelligence and restorative power to reawaken. This opening module invites you into a deeper relationship with the breath’s subtle wisdom, establishing a foundation for meditation, spiritual inquiry, and skillful facilitation. You’ll explore how restoring the breath to its natural state allows prana to move more freely, and how subtle awareness arises not through effort, but through deep receptivity—revealing the breath as both a healing force and a gateway to awakening.
You Will Explore:
- What defines the Restorative Breathwork® approach
- The intimate and intricate relationship between breath and energy flow
- Awakening the innate breath through subtle receptivity
- The progressive unfolding of breath awareness—from cultivating a receptive presence to deep inner stillness
- A guided breath practice to ground your learning
Module 2 - Preparing the Body to Receive
Before we can enter stillness, the body must feel safe and supported. This module offers the tools and principles to prepare the physical body for inner work. Through posture, propping, systematic relaxation, and an exploration of the anatomy of the uninhibited breath, we create the conditions for breath to move freely—and for the nervous system to soften its guard. From this embodied ground, we introduce the vagus nerve and Polyvagal Theory, alongside trauma-informed presence, so that both practitioner and student are held within a field of safety, receptivity, and trust.
You Will Explore:
- Creating a receptive posture through supine positioning and propping
- The essential practice of systematic relaxation
- Anatomy of the Uninhibited Breath
- An introduction to the vagus nerve and the Polyvagal Theory
- Trauma-aware presence and holding space with sensitivity
- A guided breath practice to experience the power of deep rest
Module 3 - The Meditative Gateway of Breath Awareness
The Breath Awareness practice is a subtle dance—one that invites us to witness the breath without interfering, while at times gently modifying its rhythm without controlling it. It is an act of attentive presence, where effort gives way to listening, and the breath becomes a living current of guidance. In this module, you’ll explore how Breath Awareness opens the doorway to deeper inner awareness, attuning you to the quiet intelligence that resides beneath the breath.
You Will Explore:
- The art of witnessing the breath with openness and non-interference
- Gentle breath modification without control
- Demonstration: Breath Awareness in supine posture
- The breath as a mirror of the present moment
- The five kriyas of mindfulness as pathways to inner stillness
- A guided breath practice that cultivates refined presence
Module 4 - The Subtle Dimensions of the Breath
In this module, participants are introduced to The Three Realms of the Breath, Restorative Breathwork®’s unique mapping of the subtle body. Drawing upon familiar yogic frameworks while offering a new experiential orientation, we briefly revisit subtle anatomy and the primary systems of energetic flow before unveiling how breath moves through the lower, middle, and upper realms of the body. Through guided self-inquiry, practitioners learn to sense these realms directly, cultivating refined breath awareness, energetic harmony, and a receptive presence that supports both healing and awakening.
You Will Explore:
- The subtle body's reciprocal relationship to the breath
- A concise review of subtle anatomy in relationship to the breath's movements
- The primary systems of energy flow and how breath influences their movement
- The lower, middle, and upper regions of the body as distinct realms of breath, energy, and consciousness
- The Three Realms of the Breath as a unique experiential cartography within Restorative Breathwork®
- Cultivating mindfulness of the innate breath as it moves through a specific realm of the breath
- Guided self-inquiry into exploring the Three Realms of the Breath
Module 5 - Refining The Breath, Awakening the Innate Breath
Building on Breath Awareness and the mapping introduced through the Three Realms of the Breath, this module focuses on the practical skill of breath refinement. Here, we develop the skill of cultivating specific modes of breathing—primarily abdominal and diaphragmatic—as a way to deepen the innate breath response. As the breath’s rhythm is refined with care and precision, the innate breath is stimulated more fully, awakening its capacity to restore balance and vitality. Resting phases are also explored as essential gateways that allow prana to circulate freely and the nervous system to settle into deep stillness.
You Will Explore:
- The subtle anatomy of abdominal and diaphragmatic breathing
- Liberating the innate breath response through even diaphragmatic breathing
- Resting phases as portals to inner stillness and energetic reset
- Demonstration: Facilitating a refined breath practice that flows with the innate breath response—illustrating the dance between gentle guidance and inner unfolding
- A guided breath practice that invites students into the dance—refining the breath while attuning to the subtle responses of the innate breath
Module 6 - Holding Space: One-on-One Facilitation
Facilitation is an art of presence, not performance. In this module, you’ll learn how to hold space for others through foundational session protocols. You’ll begin guiding others through the practices you’ve internalized, refining your sensitivity, timing, and intuitive response.
You Will Explore:
- The structure and rhythm of a one-on-one session
- How to hold space with clarity and attunement
- Demonstrations: Facilitating Breath Awareness and Breath Refinement
- Heart-centered presence as a facilitation skill
- A guided practice to integrate your facilitation approach
Module 7 - Finding Your Voice: The Use of Scripts
As you step into the role of guide, structure can support confidence. Scripts offer a gentle framework for learning how to sequence, time, and flow a session while developing your authentic voice. Like scaffolding in a sacred structure, they support you as you build the inner architecture of presence, pacing, and tone.
You Will Explore:
- Using scripts as supportive frameworks to build confidence and ease
- Foundations scripts for breath awareness and relaxation
- Demonstration: Abdominal breathing in seated posture
- Guided audio and script for systematic relaxation
- A breath practice for integrating timing, voice, and presence
Module 8 - Facilitating the Collective Field
Guiding a group is a sacred practice—an invitation to attune not only to shared rhythm, but to the collective field of consciousness that emerges when many subtle bodies breathe as one. This module explores the art of small group facilitation: sensing energetic coherence, creating rhythmic harmony, and leading breathwork sequences that guide participants inward, toward silence and meditation.
Topics Include:
- The structure of facilitating a Foundations Restorative Breathwork® series
- Cultivating group coherence and collective resonance
- Sequencing for rhythmic harmony in a group field
- Sensitive transitions into inner stillness and meditation
- A group-oriented guided practice
Module 9 - Completion: Taking the One Seat
As the training draws to a close, we reflect on the path you’ve walked and the space you now hold. Kathleen offers final insights on the sacred responsibility of the facilitator, the call to continued personal mastery, and the role of stillness as a spiritual discipline in a noisy world. This closing module honors facilitation not simply as a professional skill, but as a form of stewardship—tending consciousness through breath, presence, and quiet authority.
You Will Receive:
- A final guided audio: Awakening the Breath
- A complete PDF collection of training materials
- Reflections on “taking the one seat” as a steward of stillness
- Training evaluation and personal integration
- A closing breath practice to seal the journey
Training Schedule
This timeline offers a clear overview of when each phase of the training unfolds, so you can orient your study, practice, and participation with ease.
APRIL 13
Course Portal Opens
Begin Modules 1–4
APRIL 15 @5:30pm ET
Zoom Welcome & Orientation
APRIL 25–26 10:00am - 5:30pm ET
Live In-Person Immersion
Embodiment of Modules 1–4
APRIL 27 – MAY 29
Continue Online Study
Complete Modules 5–8
MAY 6 @5:30pm ET
Zoom Live Integration Call
MAY 20 @5:30pm ET
Zoom Live Integration Call
(Optional extended call May 16)
MAY 30–31 10:00am - 5:30pm ET
Live In-Person Immersion
Embodiment of Modules 5–8
JUNE 1 – JUNE 10
Complete Module 9
Integration & Reflection
JUNE 10 @ 5:30 pm ET
Closing Integration Call
