We chose this simple, descriptive name for The Buteyko Method of breath re-training because that is what you get from it.
Exercises and basic theory are taught in small classes over a short period of time. Improvement is usually noticed in the first few days.
Any reduction of prescribed medications is to be done in consultation with your doctor as your breathing patterns normalize and your asthma or other symptoms decrease.
Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, a Russian MD and researcher, noticed the connection between various disease processes and chronic over-breathing, a condition he named "hidden hyperventilation" because no one realizes that they are doing it.
This chronic over-breathing causes a disturbance of oxygen / carbon dioxide ratio in the lungs, leading to a cascade of metabolic, pH, and other chemical imbalances in the body, one result of which is asthma.
Dr. Buteyko developed a series of simple, effective exercises to normalize breathing and thus reduce or eliminate the metabolic dysfunctions.
The Buteyko Method has become part of "regular medical treatment" in Russia since the 1980's, with hundreds of thousands of documented treatment successes.
During the 1990's, The Buteyko Method arrived in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and tens of thousands there have also successfully learned to improve their own health and lives.
Research sponsored by the Australian Association of Asthma Foundations, found that people practicing the Buteyko exercises for three months reduced their use of reliever medications by an average of 96%, and reduced their use of preventer medications (steroids) by 49%, while reporting improvement in "quality of life".
Healthy Breathing! and The Buteyko Method are educational sessions, and are not to be substituted for informed medical care.
According to Dr Buteyko, over-breathing or "hidden hyperventilation" is a pervasive fault of Western people, for the most part learned, even encouraged, often from an early age, and associated with a "more is better" attitude.
Perhaps it should be termed the "Take a Big Breath!" syndrome.
He observed hidden hyperventilation to be associated with many conditions. A partial list from reference sources follows:
| Acidosis / Alkalosis | Agoraphobia | Allergies |
| Anemia | Anorexia Nervosa | Apathy |
| Arthritis (osteo and rheumatoid) | Asthma | Bed-wetting |
| Breathlessness | Bronchitis | Bulimia |
| Cerebral Palsy | Chronic blocked nose | Chronic diarrhea |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Chronic pneumonia | Circulation problems |
| Colds | Constipation | Coughing |
| Depression | Diarrhea | Dizziness |
| Dry skin | Eczema | Edema |
| Epilepsy | Fear without reason | Flatulence |
| Flu | Hay Fever | Headaches |
| High Blood Pressure | Hyperventilation | Insomnia |
| Irritable bowel Syndrome | Itching | Low blood pressure |
| Migraine | Nightmares | Painful and irregular periods |
| Panic Attacks | Post-traumatic stress | Pre-menstrual Syndrome |
| Rhinitis | Shortness of Breath | Sleep apnea |
| Varicose veins | Weight gain | Weight loss |
This list notwithstanding, we teach Healthy Breathing! - The BUTEYKO Method, primarily for the relief of asthma and other reasonably obvious breathing-related difficulties / dysfunctions.
Dysfunctional breathing problems usually respond rapidly and well to The Buteyko Method, such that significant changes are often experienced by the end of the course.
We are willing to work with you on other problems you may have. You should be prepared for the possibility of a longer, slower, perhaps less dramatic or less complete, process of healing if you have actual structural lung damage, or other, deeper, metabolic conditions.
Arne Heayn is a former life-long asthmatic who had considerable difficulties as a child, "grew out" of asthma enough to participate in sports up to a National level as a youth, and then worsened progressively in adulthood until "an awful lot of drugs was only barely doing the job".
Since participating in a Buteyko course at Seattle in February 2003, he has become asthma symptom free, medication free, and is becoming re-acquainted with his "inner athlete".
In August 2003 he completed a Buteyko Teacher Training program becoming the first resident Canadian to be trained in this method, certified to teach others this dramatically effective self-care process.
"This may turn out to be the most worthwhile thing I've learned in over 30 years of physical therapy practice."