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Introduction
Q: What is it: learning the Buteyko breathing method by modules, and why to have them?
A: A Buteyko student does not need to know all details and peculiarities of the method to restore their own health. The student can select, with my help, their main breathing exercises and relevant modules in relation to lifestyle factors. This will lead to more focused approach and faster learning. Hence, it makes sense to create such selective form of learning.
Normalization of breathing and consequent disappearance of asthma, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other conditions are serious and fundamental personal projects. Follow all required paragraphs, sentences and links. Each idea here is important for your ultimate success. Some links are optional. They have the sign " * ". Follow these links, if relevant or if you want to learn more or are uncertain about the topic.
Level 1 goals: The student is able to eliminate the main symptoms of own health problems (e.g., asthma, heart disease, epilepsy, sinusitis, eczema, insomnia, constipation, etc.) using the Emergency Procedure so that the Emergency Procedure can substitute the use of medication or significantly reduce the dosage (e.g., twice). Such students have low morning CPs (usually about 5-15 s ), while elimination or reduction in medication and survival are their main practical results. Only about 10% learners or less are satisfied with this level. It takes from about 1 hour to about 1-2 days to learn it.
Imagine about 200 medical professionals who have taught some health therapy
to over 200,000 patients during several decades. Obviously, Russian doctors
accumulated huge clinical experience in relation to teaching the Buteyko method,
chances of success of their patients, final outcomes, etc. They also found that
there are preliminary conditions, of social and psychological nature, which are
linked to the final results of a typical Buteyko student. Your chances of later
success depend on:
1-A. Voluntary hyperventilation or deep breathing test
1-B. Theoretical studies (at least 2 hours)
1-C. Your interactions with
surrounding people
"Such patients who have undergone deep breathing tests and assimilated the theory with an excellent mark are allowed to proceed with the second stage of training. Those who have not understood the theory will continue the studies..." Buteyko KP, The method of volitional elimination of deep breathing [Translation of the Small Buteyko Manual], Voskresensk, 1994.
2-A.
Select your goals and own pace for learning
2-B.
Your rate of progress (uncontrollable and
controllable factors)
You can easily measure your tissue oxygenation using the stress-free BHT (breath holding time) test (with GoogleVideo clip). Measure your CP many times per day and observe the effects of stress, meals, exercise, posture, thermoregulation, and many other life-style factors on your CP, breathing, and health.
Warning. Most people do not have any problems
with measuring the CP. However, some people with heart disease, panic attacks,
migraine headaches, and few other, exceptionally rare conditions, may experience
unpleasant symptoms, which can appear soon after measuring the CP (in 1-5 minutes). If this
happens, do not measure your CP for a while. Later, when your breathing will be
about 2-3 times lighter and the CP 2-3 times longer, these unpleasant symptoms
after the CP test will not appear.
Practically, a human can change own breathing using will power and experience how the disease relates to breathing. Reduced breathing can alleviate, in 1-5 minutes, all the symptoms we were talking about: bronchial spasms (attacks of asthma or bronchitis), blocked nose (to unblock the nose), eliminate spasms of brain vessels - migraine or headache, spasms of heart vessels, spasms of blood vessels of arms and feet (endarteritis), ulcer pains (spasms of vessels in the stomach), spasms of bile ducts (holecistitis), to prevent an epilepsy attack… during frost to warm up the arms or the nose is simple – decrease breathing. Blood vessels dilate and you are warmed up! You are frightened, excited, you have a nervous shiver – slow down the breathing and in 1-2 minutes you will get peace. Using these mechanisms you can control your own body!” Buteyko KP, Carbon dioxide theory and a new method of treatment and prevention of diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, and some other diseases, Public lecture in the Moscow State University on 9 December 1969.
Follow these links, if relevant:
4-A. How to stop or prevent heart
attack, stroke, asthma attack, epilepsy attack, and other
life-threatening situations using Buteyko breathing exercises
4-B. How to unblock the nose,
eliminate constipation, and prevent high blood
glucose (diabetes problems) using Buteyko breathing exercises
4-C. How to stop or prevent bouts
of coughing, sneezing, sighing, yawning, hiccups, deep inhalations,
sniffing, and other deep breathing activities using Buteyko breathing
exercises
4-D. How to warm up cold hands and feet, prevent insomnia, skin itching
and panic attacks using Buteyko breathing exercises
The same Procedure (4-D) with reduced breathing and no breath holds can be
safely also applied for phobias, spasms of the stomach, spasms of the bile duct, oedema, eyes' puffiness and other situations.
Each morning, as soon as the student wakes up and is still in
bed, he or she should measure the morning CP, if there are no
contraindications. This should be done immediately after you open your eyes. Why? Just 5-10 minutes later your breathing
parameters can be different and the crucial information about your breathing
during last hours of sleep can be lost. If you have contraindications,
measure your heart rate during 1 minute and record it in your daily log.
Your changes in morning CP numbers will be used later for
finding the causes of the problem with morning hyperventilation.
How
and why your morning CP is crucial for your health restoration
Optional link: Part 12. Morning
hyperventilation* (with GoogleVideo clip) from the Education Section.
Follow this link, especially if your CP drops during the night.
Q: Do I need this module?
A: If you find yourself sleeping on your back at least
during 2 nights in a week time, yes, you need this module.
When your morning CP is 25 s or more, you do not need any
steps in this direcince this problem will disappear naturally.
Manual (Instructional Guide)
"How to prevent sleeping on one's back"
Q: Do I need this module?
A: If you know that you sometimes breathe through your mouth, yes, you need this module.
If you ask any of your friends, relatives or co-workers, and they tell you that you sometimes breathe through
your mouth or have your mouth open, yes, you need this module.
If you wake up in the morning with dry mouth at least 2 times per week, yes, you need this module.
When your CP is 25 s or more 24/7, you do not need any steps in this direction since this problem will
disappear naturally.
Manual (Instructional Guide)
"How to maintain nasal breathing 24/7".
Level 2 goals: The student partly normalized own breathing until about 25-35 s daily CP and over 20 s morning CP, so that he has no need for medication and does not experience the symptoms of his main health problem, e.g., asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, epilepsy, sinusitis, eczema, etc. However, such learner can still suffer from airways inflammation, some allergies, GI problems, hormonal problems, and musculo-skeletal problems. Various medical drugs can be required to control symptoms of these “higher-CP” diseases. This is the final state achieved by most people on the west. It takes about 1- 3 months to learn.
Warning. You require a different approach to breathing retraining, if you have any condition with the risk or chance of severe bleeding (e.g., acute brain traumas) or acute injury, presence of blood clots in blood vessels with the risk of stroke, diabetes, pregnancy, and some other rare conditions.
Choose one out of 3 options (Plans A, B, or C):
Plan A. If you have:
- no cardiovascular problems (high blood pressure, angina pain, stroke, etc.),
- no migraine headaches, or panic attacks,
- and no unpleasant symptoms and senations during or after measuring the CP,
choose the main plan of actions: Manual
(Instructional Guide) The classical Buteyko breathing session (it is applied
for over 70% students). Download your daily log in Rich-Text-Format format for
plan A.
Plan B. If you are:
- predisposed or suffer from heart disease or cardiovascular problems (high
blood pressure, angina pain, stroke, etc.),
- or migraine headaches, or panic attacks,
- and you found that the CP measurement is stressful for you.
If this is correct, you do not need to measure your CPs at all for a while (no
breath holds). Later, when your health is better, you will be able to do any
breath hold (even Maximum Pauses) without stress. As about now, the Buteyko method should
not cause harm and you should avoid aby breath holds.
Follow this plan of actions: Manual (Instructional Guide) The classical Buteyko
no-CP breathing session.
Download your daily log in Rich-Text-Format format for plan A.
Plan C. If you are predisposed or suffer from:
- heart disease or cardiovascular problems (high blood pressure, angina pain,
stroke, etc.),
- or migraine headaches, or panic attacks,
- but you have no problems and no any negative reactions after a single CP
measurement,
accept this plan of actions: Manual (Instructional Guide) The classical Buteyko
cardio-CP breathing session.
Download your daily log in Rich-Text-Format format for plan A.
In short, your choices are reflected by these two questions:
Are breath holds stressful for you? If "yes", choose plan B. If "no", see the
next question.
Do you suffer from cardiovascular problems, or migraines, or panic attacks? If
yes, choose plan C. If not, choose plan A.
***Under construction*** ...