Body In Tune

Breathing is part of your autonomic system. You don’t need to instruct your body to breathe the way do for example with running. The quality of your breathing can change as a result of stress. Have you noticed how a newborn baby breathes? Typically, babies and infants breathe with a slight contraction of their diaphragm muscle, with very minimal chest movement, and a closed mouth. This innate pattern can change under the influence of stress; stress being the big umbrella word for mental, physical and emotional stress. All type stresses (work, surgery, relationships, phobias, exams, illnesses, etc.), can ramp up...

How much air we breathe is regulated at the respiratory centre of our brain, the medulla oblongata and pons. Ideally we take 8-12 breaths in per minute. That is, 15,000 breaths per day, 500ml litres of air per breath and 4-6 litres of air per minute. This regulation of breath can be disrupted when you are stressed. Not just mental stress that you experience at work but also physical stress such as: allergies, jet lag, chronic pain, surgery, extreme heat or cold, and excessive exercise. Bouts of stressful episodes can lead to dysfunctional breathing of 15+ breathes per minute, doubling...

What is Buteyko?  Buteyko is a breathing method used by many worldwide to breath freely.  Professor Konstantin Buteyko discovered a link with the rate and volume of your breath to many common health conditions, most famously asthma. I had heard of this method from a couple of colleagues over the years. Then most recently from a client, she said she has never had an asthma attack since she practiced these breathing techniques. When she also mentioned she had heard that some people had been able to clear up skin conditions, e.g. psoriasis, this really spiked my curiosity! Jumping online, I...