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By Dr. Artour Rakhimov, Buteyko breathing teacher and educator

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Breathing: the fundamental function of the human body

(What practically matters: How to breathe for maximum oxygenation?)

"There exists a direct interconnection between the level of the theory assimilated and the effect produced by the treatment. Quick-witted patients begin to reduce the depth of respiration independently and manage to improve their condition." Dr. Buteyko KP, The method of volitional elimination of deep breathing (known as The Small Buteyko Manual), Voskresensk, 1994.
You can get practically educated using my video lecture-lessons on www.GoogleVideo.com and www.YouTube.com. Search my video clips using "Artour Buteyko" keywords. The descriptions and titles of my video clips can be found here. It is important for your better understanding that you watch video clips in the right order: 01, 02, 03, etc.

1. For very serious people who:
a) have keen interest in breathing and the Buteyko breathing method;
b) like reading tough scientific language, numbers, and available references,
click here for Chapter 1 of my big book written for Buteyko breathing practitioners, teachers, and trainers.

After reading Chapter 1, you can glance at the information pages below and investigate those topics that are interesting for you.

2. For all people:

Introduction

A. Why and how oxygenation and breathing are crucial for your health, performance, sleep, digestion, and life

B. I just breathe the way I breathe. What is wrong with this? (Why bother?)

1. Breathing is about tissue oxygenation

A. You can easily measure your tissue oxygenation using the stress-free BHT (breath holding time) test (with GoogleVideo clip)

B. What about usual BHT numbers, BHT norms and BHT of sick and healthy people?

2. Breathing parameters and patterns of healthy and sick people

A. What is the breathing pattern of healthy people? (with GoogleVideo clip)

B. Do mildly sick people breathe more or heavier?

C. What about breathing of severely sick people?

D. Is there "special breathing" for exceptional or super health?

E. What about oxygenation in cases of irregular breathing patterns?

F. Do we notice that our breathing is heavy?

G. How efficient are our lungs in oxygen extraction?

3. The fundamental paradox of breathing and the main health-related superstitions

A. The fundamental paradox of breathing: those, who breathe more, have less oxygen in their tissues

B. The main health-related superstitions: "big and deep breathing is good for health" and "CO2 is a toxic, waste, and poisonous gas"

4. Properties of CO2

A. Vasodilation (with GoogleVideo clip)

B. The Bohr effect (how, why, and where oxygen is released by red blood cells)

C. Stabilization of the nervous system

D. Relaxation of muscles

E. Brochodilation

F. pH and other chemical reactions

5. Individuality of effects

A. When chronically hyperventilating, should I experience all these bad effects?

B. How do people with diseases react to voluntary hyperventilation? Genetics and breathing (with GoogleVideo clip)

6. Control of breathing

A. How is our breathing regulated?

B. Can I change my breathing pattern immediately?

7. Health conditions and their connection with breathing

A. Breathing and asthma

B. Breathing and heart disease

C. Breathing and the brain and the central nervous system

D. Breathing and chronic fatigue syndrome

E. Breathing and cancer

F. List of health condition treated in Novosibirsk, Moscow and other cities by Doctor Buteyko and his colleagues.

8. Quality of life and breathing: what is the link?

A. Breathing and sleep (duration and quality of sleep are connected with breathing; with GoogleVideo clip)

B. Breathing and digestion

C. Breathing and energy

D. Breathing and performance

9. Evolution of air on Earth and its impact on our breathing (with GoogleVideo clip)

10. How do we breathe when we die? (with GoogleVideo clip)

11. Life style factors that matter
Introduction (Why do we breathe too heavily?) (with GoogleVideo clip)
A. Is physical activity a factor?
B. Is psychological stress important?
C. Are there any special factors for babies?
D. Does mouth breathing affect health? E. What is important in relation to sleep? F. Can meals worsen our health? G. Can overheating make us breathe more? H. Can nutritional deficiencies influence breathing?
I. Can toxic chemicals and pollutants from air, water, food and other sources lead to hyperventilation? J. What about poor posture and tense muscles? K. Do we breathe more while talking? L. Do other factors also generate stress?
M. Which factors are practically most important when we get sicker? N. Do old movies and films show that people's breathing pattern in the past was different?
12. Morning hyperventilation
13. Some historical facts about the origins of the Buteyko breathing method

14. Why did Professor Buteyko introduce his norms for breathing?

15. How to learn the Buteyko method? (basic physiology)

16. Clinical effects of the Buteyko breathing method on common health problems (from my Practice section)
Respiratory problems (Asthma; Chronic bronchitis; Acute respiratory diseases, including influenza and cold; Pneumonia; Rhinitis, sinusitis (frontal sinusitis, metopantritis, maxillary sinusitis); Emphysema)
Cardiovascular problems (Primary hypertension; Ischemic heart disease; Chronic cardiac insufficiency; Arrhythmia; Varicose veins;
Neurocirculatory dystonia)
Hormonal diseases (Diabetes mellitus; Hypothyroidism; Obesity)
Gastrointestinal problems (Chronic gastritis; Chronic non-ulcerative colitis; Chronic pancreatitis; Chronic cholecystitis; Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GERD))
Diseases of kidneys and urinary tract (Chronic pyelonephritis; Kidney and urinary stones)
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (Osteochondrosis; Polyarthritis; Chronically poor healing of bone fractures)
Skin diseases (Eczema; Psoriasis; Neurodermitis)
Allergies and states of immunodeficiency (Allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps; Allergic conjunctivitis; States of immunodeficiency (secondary))

© 2008 Artour Rakhimov (If you copy the content of these pages for educational purposes, please, indicate the site address and author's name).