Common Questions

Here are some characteristics and symptoms of someone with poor breathing patterns: Characteristics of dysfunctional breathing​ ·       Excessive sighing ·       Excessive yawning  ·       Excessive sniffing  ·       Rapid breathing rate (breaths per minute) ·       Audible breathing at rest ·       Visible or laboured breathing  ·       Oral breathing (stuffy nose) ·       Snoring ·       Sleep apnea  ·       Paradoxical breathing   Symptoms of dysfunctional breathing​ ·       Air hunger ·       Shortness of breath during mild activities (e.g., talking) ·       Difficulty taking a deep breath ·       Fatigue/lack of energy ·       Anxiety or feelings of breathlessness-related panic ·       Poor concentration or “brain fog” ·       Muscle tension (especially neck and shoulders) ·       Cold hands and feet ·       Low mood ·       Poor sleep ·       Overeating ·       Cardiovascular issues ·       Poor memory ·       Rumination of the mind (overthinking) ·       Hormonal issues

If you have some of the signs or symptoms listed above you may have sub-optimal breathing. Another way to test your breathing is by timing your 'Control Pause' or some people call it a 'Comfortable Pause'. This is the comfortable breath hold time after a normal exhale, pinch your nose and hold your breath until you feel the first sensation in your body that you need to breath. When you resume breathing your breathing rate should be the same as when you started. This measurement is used to measure breathing efficiency and CO₂ tolerance. If your CP is less than 25 seconds, it indicates that your breathing has room for improvement. Average healthy individuals are likely to have times of around 30 - 40 seconds.

Your breathing affects far more than just your lungs — it plays a key role in how your body produces energy, manages stress, and maintains balance. Over time, sub-optimal breathing habits can contribute to symptoms such as low energy, poor sleep, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and a reduced ability to relax. It can also keep your nervous system in a more stressed, “on edge” state, making it harder for your body to rest, recover, and heal effectively. Because breathing is something we do all day, every day, even small inefficiencies can have a cumulative impact on how you feel physically and emotionally. The good news is that breathing habits can be gently retrained — and even small changes can lead to noticeable improvements in how you feel.

The Buteyko Method aims to restore functional breathing by reducing breathing volume and encouraging nasal, slow, and shallow breathing to normalize carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the body. Contrary to common belief, CO₂ is not just a waste gas—it plays an important role in oxygen delivery to tissues. This is done through teaching breathing awareness, supporting nasal breathing, breathing lighter and lower using guided exercises, small breath hold exercises and deep relaxation. These exercises are tailored to your individual breathing patterns and circumstances, and may involve anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes of practice per day.

As everyone is unique it is difficult to say how long it will take. If it's been a condition you have been suffering with for many years, and you have had poor breathing patterns many years prior to that, it could take some time (several months, to a year). This will depend on how often you can incorporate exercises into your everyday life, and potentially make any other adjustments that may be affecting your breathing, such as stress and diet. On average people are able to increase their control pause by 1-2 seconds every week/fortnight.

Restoring functional breathing will improve circulation in the body and this will mean and toxins/waste that have built up will begin to shift and be removed from the body. This is sometimes called a 'detox event' or 'clearing' and may be in the form of cold/flu like symptoms. These are usually mild, and although sometimes not pleasant, an event like this is a really good sign that the body is shifting and your are on a path to restoring wellness and improving your breathing.

The Buteyko Method is quite different from most other breathwork approaches in both its philosophy and goals.  Not all breathing exercises are the same, and they should be tailored for the person and their situation and symptoms. The goal with the Buteyko Method is to reduce breathing volume and increase sensitivity to CO2 to improve everyday breathing habits. Other breathwork may only involves changes to breathing during the exercise, rather than looking at restoring long-term breathing habits. Many people are 'over-breathing' meaning their system is in a state of hyperventilation, a stressed state. Some breathwork exercises are designed to induce hyperventilation, which could mean a stressor on top of an already stressed system, which may not be appropriate or healthy for certain people.

It's important to disclose any physical or mental health condition, this is so breathing exercises can be tailored accordingly. If you are taking medication and your control pause is below 20, once it reaches 20 you should visit your doctor to have it re-evaluated. If you are pregnant, reduced breathing exercises are not recommended during the first trimester.

That's not a problem, as long as you have the time to invest in any exercies tailored to you in your programme. Restoring functional breathing can be an important foundation in order for other healing modalities to fully work to their optimum. It can also be really beneficial if for example you have tried talk therapy or counselling in the past and have found it very diffifult, restoring breathing to normal levels and having exercises to help with stress, can help you talk about difficulties in your life without having them re-traumatise you in the process.

Many people come to this work because their nervous system feels overloaded. The approach is slow, supportive, and focused on helping your body feel safe. If you have specific medical or mental health concerns, we can discuss whether this feels like the right support for you.