Getting Started

Escape from Asthma Episode#5

Hi! This is Michael Lingard bringing you episode five of “Escape from Asthma” entitled getting started. Now have completed one Buteyko exercise you can begin to do more on a daily basis using the worksheet you have downloaded and printed off, my book "Better Breathing Means Better Health" fror recording your exercises and for revision HERE or the booklet The Buteyko Guide to Better Breathing & Better Asthma Management you may have purchased from Lulu.com.HERE

Try to do at least one exercise in the morning and perhaps two in the evening, you can choose how long you spend doing the reduced breathing depending on how much time you can spare. If you want a short exercise that will take less than 10 minutes make the reduced breathing just three minutes long each time but if you have time you will get better results with a reduced breathing of five minutes each time giving you an exercise that will take about 15 minutes.

You should find each time you do an exercise your control pause will rise from start to finish, and your pulse will fall or remain unchanged, depending on how far above your normal pulse rate you were at the start of the exercise.

There are a few tips you can note when doing the exercises.

Firstly make sure you are relaxed and undisturbed before beginning an exercise don't try to push your control pause for breath hold to try to increase the control pause, the control pause should always be the maximum comfortable breath hold and should not be in any way stressful.
When doing the reduced breathing there are many ways patients achieve this but it is always through relaxation. Remember to be sitting comfortably feet on the floor, all muscles throughout the body relaxed, eyes closed, mouth closed, only breathing through your nose. Most people find it helps to visualize some favourite scene, for instance by the sea on the beach or in the garden or by a gentle flowing river. Whatever the scene you use, try to focus on small details there, so as to take your attention away from the daily problems and chores, to quieten your mind.
This is not the same as meditation, since you need to keep aware of your breathing and relaxation. Some people find listening to certain music can help them relax more. Whatever you choose you will know you have found the right way if your exercises give good results.
I usually suggest plotting the average of the start control pause and end control pause. If you use a computer you can do this easily on Microsoft Excel or similar programs, these programs will allow you to add a trend line also to clearly see how you are progressing. You may decide to monitor your progress this way once a week.

In the next episode we will discuss what to do if you find you are not making progress and not achieving an increasing control pause. I will introduce some simple things you can do during the day that will help improve your breathing habits.

It will help for you to read the sections on reduced breathing in the workbook suggested