Happy Yoga Day 2020!
“Yoga is the Journey from illness to wellness , which takes you to your absolute Self, to your Soul, through your own Self, a 360 degree holistic approach , from physical, mental, emotional, environmental, social to spiritual wellness , a must for all”
Slow and Powerbreathing is true lung cleanser , ideal technique to protect lungs from Covid Pneumonia, Learn Buyteko method
Breathing is linked to our mental function. In fact breathing relay centre is in the neck brain, the brain stem. A mind full affects the breathing patttern. If you move from mind full to mindful, through breath control. It can save you from many diseases and enhances longevity. There are two types of breathers , the fast and slow ones. If you learn slow breathing techniques and breathe like a tortoise , you will live like a king. More breath per breath is the concept. Studies have documented beneficial effects on cardiovascular, autonomic, respiratory, endocrine and brain.
Buteyko technique is slow and power breathing and helps clean your lungs.
The act of controlling one’s breath for wellness has been practiced for thousands of years amongst Eastern cultures. For example, yogic breathing (pranayama) is a well-known ancient practice of controlled breathing, often performed in conjunction with meditation or yoga, for its spiritual and perceived health-enhancing effects .Various forms of pranayama exist, such as nostril breathing (double, single or alternate), abdominal breathing, forceful breathing and vocalised (chanting) breathing, which are performed at varying rates and depths .Yoga, and hence pranayama, was first introduced to the West in the late 1800s and its popularity rose in the mid-1900s. Breathing techniques have since become increasingly popular due to a rising interest in holistic and wellness approaches to healthcare.
Since the 1990s, a system of breathing therapy developed within the Russian medical community by Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko has made its way across several continents: the Buteyko method. K.P. Buteyko began treating patients with respiratory and circulatory diseases using breathing retraining in the 1950s and 1960s .Buteyko and other clinicians who adopted his methods claimed success in treating a wide range of chronic disorders, buteyko methods augments the physiological benefits to the cardiorespiratory and autonomic nervous systems, with particular focus on diaphragm activity, ventilation efficiency, haemodynamics, heart rate variability, cardiorespiratory coupling, respiratory sinus arrhythmia and sympathovagal balance.
The main effects of slow and power breathing techniques are on autonomic and central nervous systems activities as well as the psychological status. Anatomically, the available fMRI study highlights increased activity in cortical (e.g., prefrontal, motor, and parietal cortices) and subcortical (e.g., pons, thalamus, sub-parabrachial nucleus, periaqueductal gray, and hypothalamus) structures. Psychological/behavioral outputs related to the abovementioned changes are increased comfort, relaxation, pleasantness, vigor and alertness, and reduced symptoms of arousal, anxiety, depression, anger, and confusion. Power breathing techniques act by enhancing autonomic, cerebral and psychological flexibility in a scenario of mutual interactions. It has been found the links between parasympathetic activity (increased HRV and LF power), CNS activities (increased EEG alpha power and decreased EEG theta power) related to emotional control and psychological well-being in healthy subjects. Hypothesis considers two different mechanisms for explaining psychophysiological changes induced by voluntary control of slow breathing: one is related to a voluntary regulation of internal bodily states (enteroception), the other is associated to the role of mechanoceptors within the nasal vault in translating slow breathing in a modulation of olfactory bulb activity, which in turn tunes the activity of the entire cortical mantle.
By practicing breathing exercises from the Buteyko Method you can experience more open airways and improved blood circulation in a matter of minutes. This alone is enough to demonstrate the relationship between your everyday breathing and state of health. The following paragraphs explore the exercises from the Buteyko Method and the reasoning behind them.
There is a common belief that the more air we breathe, the healthier we are. Few people realize that in order to increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to the tissues, breathing should be slowed down so that less air enters the body. You know that you are taking less air into the lungs than normal when you experience a tolerable feeling of air hunger. Within a few minutes of continued slowing of the breath to experience air hunger, body temperature increases to indicate an improvement to blood circulation. At the same time, there is an increase to watery saliva in the mouth – traditionally observed in Yoga as activation of the body’s relaxation response.
In 1957 Ukrainian Dr. Konstantin Buteyko observed that unhealthy people have noticeable breathing during rest. Their breathing is often through the mouth, using the upper chest with a respiratory rate and volume greater than normal.
On the other hand, healthy people have regular, effortless and quiet breathing during rest. Their breathing is through the nose, driven by the diaphragm and with a normal respiratory rate and volume.
Over the span of four decades, Dr. Buteyko developed a program designed to normalize breathing volume. Using slow breathing and breath holds following an exhalation, the objective is to take less air into the lungs. With regular practice over a few weeks, breathing is brought towards normal with resultant improvements to a number of common complaints such as asthma, rhinitis, anxiety, panic attacks, and sleep disorders.
Buteyko breathing exercises are not dissimilar to exercises practiced by Yogis. During his research, Dr. Buteyko turned to Eastern breathing techniques and combined these with the science of Western Medicine. Buteyko exercises are more direct and specifically tailored to each child and adult, regardless of condition. From the individual experiencing severe asthma and panic attacks to the healthy adult, a program is available depending on the age and health.
Central to the method is a measurement called the Control Pause. This involves timing how long you can comfortably hold your breath following an exhalation. Having a control pause of less than 25 seconds is poor and 25 seconds to 35 seconds means there is room for improvement. The goal is to reach a comfortable breath hold time of 40 seconds. The average control pause of students attending our clinics is around 15 seconds. Students attend to help improve their asthma, anxiety and sleep problems. With each 5 second improvement to their control pause, breathing becomes lighter and the student feels better.
The Buteyko Clinic Method consists of seven exercises with a number of variations. The foundation of the method is to breathe only through the nose both during day and sleep. Nasal breathing with tongue resting in the roof of the mouth helps to ensure that the airway is larger. This reduces the risk of sleep problems including obstructive sleep apnea. At first, when the student switches to nasal breathing, they may experience a feeling that they are not getting enough air. This feeling of air hunger quickly goes away with practice of the Buteyko breathing exercises. The normal physiologically breathing mode of the human being is in and out through the nose. Mouth breathing is just a bad habit often caused by a stuffy nose. The first exercise of the Buteyko Method involves holding of the breath to decongest the nose- allowing the child or adult to make the switch to nasal breathing on a permanent basis.
Breathing through the nose is a great start to improving health. However, it is not enough. It is also important that breathing volume is normal and regular. Exercise 2 to 7 are specifically designed to help the student change their breathing patterns in order to help open their airways, improve their blood circulation and oxygen delivery throughout the body.
In the various books, webinars and online training courses offered by Buteyko Clinic International, breathing exercises are listed as follows:
Exercise 1: Nose unblocking exercise
Exercise 2a: Normalising breathing volume- hands on chest and tummy
Exercise 2b: Normalising breathing volume- finger blocking nostril
Exercise 2c: Normalising breathing volume- hands cupping face
Exercise 3: walking with diaphragm breathing
Exercise 4a: walking with breath holds to create light air hunger
Exercise 4a: walking with breath holds to create medium to strong air hunger
Exercise 5: Steps (light air hunger) for severe asthma, anxiety, panic attacks
Exercise 5: Steps (medium to strong air hunger) for children and teenagers
Exercise 6: Many small breath holds (mini pauses)
Exercise 7: Relaxation to create air hunger
For example, if you are experiencing nasal congestion, constipation or excess mucus in your lungs – then exercise 1 or 5 offers the best relief. On the other hand, if you are having asthma symptoms, Ex 6 when practiced early on during the symptoms can often eliminate the symptoms. The main exercises for children and teenagers to address breathing patterns are exercise 3 and 5. For persons with obstructive sleep apnea, the main exercise is Exercise 2. An experienced Buteyko practitioner will advise the best exercises for the maximum effect. A number of Buteyko exercises are free on youtube. Check out our channel
For further information
Contact us
SAANS foundation
A Buteyko Clinic
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