After 25 Years of Yoga, She Discovered a New Relationship with Breathing
Lorelai is an experienced yoga teacher and holistic health practitioner from Santa Fe, New Mexico. In the fall of 2025, she attended Joyful Journey to Optimal Breathing, a Buteyko Wellness Retreat guided by Sasha Yakovleva at a quiet hot springs sanctuary in the Colorado mountains.
With more than 25 years of yoga practice, extensive experience with pranayama, and a lifelong dedication to health and well-being, Lorelai arrived new to the Buteyko Method. After feeling drawn to this work for months, she reached out shortly before the retreat—and one space was still available.
During the retreat, Lorelai experienced a fundamentally different approach to breathing: slowing down, reducing the breath, and allowing the body to relax rather than actively “doing” more. Through gentle nasal breathing and guided breath reduction, she felt a level of calm and clarity that contrasted strongly with effort-based breathing techniques she had practiced in the past.
With Sasha’s personal guidance, she learned how reduced breathing supports deep relaxation and creates a stable foundation for both physical and mental balance. The practices felt practical, sustainable, and easy to integrate—less like techniques to remember, and more like a natural shift in how she relates to her breath.
Lorelai shared that having direct, in-person guidance made a significant difference. Individualized corrections, ongoing support, and the quiet, focused retreat setting allowed her to fully experience the effects of healthy breathing without distraction.
Supported by the restorative environment—soaking in mineral hot springs, stepping away from daily responsibilities, and receiving continuous breathing guidance—she describes the retreat as offering not only rest, but a new understanding of breathing that she now integrates into her own life and teaching.
