Doctor Buteyko’s Breathing Method: The Complete Guide

Caution : You must consult your doctor for your health. This page presents only a personal and alternative point of view which should not be considered as an attempt to prescribe medicine.

Breathing less to breathe better, amazing isn't it?

Yet this is what Dr. Buteyko's method is all about.

Although this is a controversial method, it is indeed a breathing technique that helps reduce asthma symptoms.

Very effective, it can be considered as a powerful approach aimed at combating health problems associated with poor breathing.

What is Dr. Buteyko's breathing method?

Developed by Dr. Buteyko, the Buteyko Method is a technique that helps control certain respiratory disorders such as asthma.

The principle of this method is to stop hyperventilation by stilling the breath and reducing the amount of air breathed per minute.

In a simpler way, this method consists in breathing less in order to breathe better.

Although this sounds mind-boggling, hyperventilation or "too much breathing" may be the cause of all illnesses.

According to the Doctor, asthma attacks are a defense device that seeks to compensate for the lack of CO2 in the body.

Indeed, this lack of CO2 leads to the onset of spasms in the smooth muscles of the circulatory system, intestines and bronchi.

Likewise, hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood before transferring it to cells, needs a minimum amount of CO2 in order to do its job properly.

As a result, cells quickly run out of oxygen when the lack of CO2 is felt.

The brain's respiratory center immediately gives the command to breathe more after receiving the signal sent by the cells.

The person with asthma breathes more and more deeply in order to get more oxygen.

However, it loses more and more CO2 preventing the absorption of oxygen.

Based on this theory, Dr. Buteyko concluded that asthma is the result of insufficient carbon dioxide resulting from hyperventilation.

The benefits of the Buteyko method

Following the results of several scientific studies, the Buteyko method contributes to the treatment of asthma and hypertension.

It helps reduce the symptoms of the disease as well as the volume of air breathed per minute.

This allows the asthma sufferer to significantly reduce medication intake and improve their quality of life.

It also helps treat ailments like anxiety and sleep apnea.

Also, keep in mind that except for asthma, the effectiveness of the method has not been proven by scientists, although the Buteyko method improves breathing.

According to Dr. Buteyko, his method is useful for those who actively use their breath.

Thus, singers, women during childbirth or sportsmen could use it to prepare their breath for the effort it is about to provide.

Although this theory has not been the subject of any scientific study, specialists of the Buteyko method claim that it can reduce: snoring, chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, panic attacks, etc.

The different breathing exercises of Dr. Buteyko's method

The Buteyko method consists of several breathing exercises.

The peculiarity of these is that they are easy to perform.

They can also be done in series.

As breathing exercises, you have the control break, very shallow breathing, maximum break, etc.

• The control pause: the principle here is to breathe in calmly through your nose and not through your mouth for about 2 seconds and to breathe out for 3 seconds. You must then hold your breath by pinching your nose while counting the seconds. Once you feel like you've run out of air, let go of your nose.
• Very shallow breathing: here you have to stand with your back straight and slow down your breathing while relaxing your chest muscles. At the same time, it is essential that the breath is controlled by the abdomen. You must then breathe for 5 minutes while maintaining fluid breathing.
• The maximum pause: the principle here is to hold the breath without exaggeration as long as possible. Once released, it is necessary to take a slow breath.

Also, be aware that some exercises are not recommended for people prone to heart disease, epilepsy or high blood pressure.

In short, Dr. Buteyko's breathing method allows you to learn to bring the volume of air breathed in to a normal volume of air in order to fight against hyperventilation.

Opinion and testimony of the Buteyko method

Dr Buteyko gave me a better understanding of the process of breathing.

I myself have practiced for years and trained in the method from the most famous Buteyko coaches in the world.

Unfortunately after years of practice, the conclusion fell: the traditional Buteyko method sooner or later leads to hypothyroidism and therefore a slowing down of the metabolism.

Many Buteyko coaches are, for example, obese or have problems with nervousness ...

This therefore led me to improve the Buteyko method by adding a major detail: the normalization of the thyroid and therefore of the metabolism.

For me, the Buteyko method has therefore turned into intermittent breathing by following a very precise protocol that rejects excessive hypoventilation but also the strict vegan diet that it recommends.

The vegan diet sooner or later leads to hypothyroidism that is easy to spot thanks to the temperature test in the morning on waking under the tongue.

If your temperature is below 36.5 ° C under the tongue, then you are suffering from a form of hypothyroidism according to Dr. Barnes, the famous cardiologist who democratized this metabolism test.

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