'Functional Breathing Reset'
An experiential dive into Breathing Psychophysiology and Breathwork for improving client outcomes.
With Guest Facilitator, Lisa Kusch, Masters in Applied Breathing Sciences and Registered Psychotherapist.
November 7-9, 2025
(Friday 6-9 pm, Saturday 9-9 & Sunday 10-4:30)
Light of the Prairies Retreat Center
(22115 Mun 51 N, Lorette, MB ~ 15 min SE from Wpg South perimeter)
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"Breathing is much more than mechanics. Breathing habits arise from all sorts of circumstances in our lives. Breathing is learned and it also learns."
~ Dr. Peter Litchfield, PhD Behavioral Psychology
What to expect & takeaways
Friday (6-9 pm) ~ Introduction to Breathing Behavior Analysis
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Learn the Science of C02, how Respiration & Breathing are not the same thing, and the 3 primary breathing habit types.
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What is an 'Open Healthy Breath'?
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Your Personal Breathing IQ Score
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Restorative movement
Saturday (9-5) ~ 'The Art & Science of Habit Hunting'
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Demystifying common, trendy breathing techniques - playful explorations to determine 'friend and foe'.
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The 'Wedge of Awareness'~ Recognize your own breathing beliefs and triggers.
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Unconscious suffering ~ Understanding breath as the doorkeeper of experience and how it causes, maintains or exacerbates over 300 symptoms and/or conditions.
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Exploring State-Change and using Breathwork as a recovery tool.
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Non-touch tools to increase client awareness and flexibility of their breathing mechanics.
Saturday Evening (7-9) ~ 'Conscious Breathwork Inquiry'
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Somatic movement
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Experience 5 distinct state changes and practice self-regulation in a 40 minute breathwork journey
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Practice holding space for others during integration
Sunday (10-4:30) ~ 'Integrating breathing science into your personal and professional practice'​
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Grounding Somatic Movement
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Integration Circle
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Ask the expert Q&A (i.e. Using breath as an anchor in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, application in your workplace, ethics, your burning questions)
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Practices for personal breathing recovery.
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No-Touch and low-no tech tools to help clients develop breathing habit awareness.
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Closing Circle & Collective Wisdom
Who is this training for?
Professionals who want to learn how to integrate functional breathing into their practices such as;
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Therapists, School counsellors, Teachers
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Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Massage Therapists
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Medical professionals (i.e. Pediatric ENT, Psychiatric & Geriatric Nurses)
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Breathwork Facilitators
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Movement Educators and Athletic Coaches/Trainers
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Note a separate training is available for Birthing Professionals.
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17 CEU contact hours
Functional Breathing Reset
'Given the high frequency of incorrect breathing patterns in the adult population, attention to the symptoms of hyperventilation should be part of every psychological evaluation, regardless of the specific complaints.'
~ Herbert Fensterheim (1994), PhD Psychology & Author
What's Included
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​Experiential learning including real-time tracking with educational capnogaphy - see your breathing on a screen!
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Cutting edge science, theory and application of how breath learns.
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Personal discovery of your breathing habits and low-no tech tools to help your clients.
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Personal exploration of state change and recovery techniques
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Lunch, snacks, tea and coffee (Saturday Supper is on your own)
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Digestion time in nature (14 treed acres with walking paths)
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Trauma-informed, interoceptive practices to increase personal and client embodied awareness.
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2 manuals 'Reflexive Breathing Reset' & 'Breathing Lessons for Clients'
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LOW TECH Breathing Assessment Toolkit ($100 value)
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Group follow-up call approx. 1 month after training to assist with the transfer of skills into your work.
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Optional overnight accommodations can be arranged at retreat center ($80-$100 /night). Highly recommended!
Early Bird: $790+GST
After Oct 5: $860+GST​
​Registration opens Sept 2. Advanced registration with full payment is required by Oct 22. Max 14 participants.
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Precautions & Notes:
~Some breathwork practices are not suitable for & pregnancy modifications will be offered.
~ This is a retreat style event, accommodations arranged separately with Light of Prairies (and highly recommended!) or sleep at home.
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~ Registration fees are non-refundable ~
Meet Your Facilitators
Lisa 'LV' Kusch
Saskatoon, SK
LV provides a psychophysiological approach to breathing, wellness, recovery, and mental health using a sensory-motor model. Specializing in behavioral biofeedback & Somatic Breath Therapy, she provides integrative tools for recovery.
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Formerly a mid-wife, she is a registered psychotherapist (CPPA), CBBA (Certified Breathing Behavior Analyst) and completed a masters degree in Applied Breathing Sciences through the Graduate School of Behavioral Health Sciences.
LV also completed 1500 hours of training as a breathwork facilitator/trainer in accordance with the Global Professional Breathwork Association, is the Canadian National Representative to the International Breathwork Foundation, and serves on the IBF science and research committee.
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Lisa is known for her laugh, her compassionate generosity, and using her super brain power to create playful and creative learning environments.
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Joy Onyschak
Winnipeg, MB
Joy has a passion for helping people recovering from chronic stress and trauma befriend their bodies and restore self-trust through felt sense.
She is a Certified Breathing Behavior Analyst, Somatic Practitioner, Circle Way Host and Conscious Connected Breathwork Facilitator with advanced training in working with clients recovering from trauma.
She has 15 years experience leading groups and individuals back home to themselves through yoga, Bodymind Ballwork, Somatic Movement and Breathwork.
In addition to her 1:1 practice, she co-hosts intimate retreats and events that are meaningful, nourishing, and create connection.
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Known for being authentic and welcoming, Joy co-creates safe and brave learning environments where collective wisdom arises out of the shared learning experience.​
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Questions? email joy@joysomatics.ca or text 204-918-2829
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The Science of C02 ~ Supportive Research & Podcasts
Podcast interviews of Lisa Kusch ​
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Hypo what? The serious impact of low C02 (with Megan Baerg of Neuroacrobatics Part 1~ 39 min)
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Unlocking the power of breathing (with Megan Baerg of Neuroacrobatics Part 2~35 min)
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Breath Less to get more oxygen (Jaw Hacks podcast episode #1 ~ 68 min)
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What we can learn by monitoring our C02 levels in real time (Jaw Hacks podcast part 2 ~ 75 min)
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These research applications highlight capnometry's versatility in psychological and physiological assessments;
~ ​Anxiety disorders which include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder (PD), post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are common psychiatric conditions associated with significant social, occupational, physical, and economic costs. Capnometry assisted interventions that target the respiratory dysregulation with associated with anxiety disorders have demonstrated considerable therapeutic benefit.(Divya K Madhusudhan, 2020.)
~Capnometry, a non-invasive technique measuring end-tidal CO2, has diverse applications in psychology and medicine. In panic disorder treatment, capnometry-assisted respiratory training has shown efficacy in reducing symptoms by correcting hypocapnia and altering breathing patterns (Meuret et al., 2001; Meuret et al., 2010). This approach, known as CapnoLearning, helps patients understand and self-regulate their breathing behaviors (Litchfield, 2011).
~Capnometry is also beneficial in asthma management, where hypocapnia is associated with symptom exacerbation (Meuret & Ritz, 2010).
~Beyond respiratory disorders, capnometry is valuable in assessing ventilation in altered mental states, detecting metabolic acidosis, and monitoring patients during procedural sedation (Krauss & Boston Ma, 2008). ​​​
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