Dear Thomas,

Although I did not initially enroll in the Buteyko Workshop, I drove my wife, Judy, more than 300 miles one way to Woodstock, NY, so that she could participate in it. Judy had had such a terrible time with chronic obstructive asthma following a January surgery. The procedure was a simple surgery on the elbow which went well but the anesthesia was mismanaged. In the aftermath of that I was willing to try in any way to help her find a possible solution to her difficulty.

Perhaps I was a little bit like Abraham of old, called to leave his home and journey with his wife to a faraway place. Unlike Abraham, I traveled symbolically from a position of caution and some skepticism about what I was hearing regarding the Buteyko Method while observing it from a distance to a kind of promised land or at least a land of new beginnings as I met and began to appreciate Thomas and Sasha who were the presenters at the workshop.

Undoubtedly a major signpost enabling me to travel this route from skepticism to openness and later even appreciation is the spirituality inherent in and integral to the program which Thomas and Sasha shared in the workshop and with me personally. In fact the spiritual component they talked about helped to put me back in touch with some spiritual disciplines which I need to refocus on myself.

Most impressively along this journey has been the observation that Judy has been significantly helped in her energy level, her diminishing need for rescue inhalers, her sense of self-confidence and her overall outlook on life.

A serendipitous discovery along the way which has made the connection to Buteyko even more special for me is the fact that Thomas’s first pastor who also baptized him was a senior colleague of mine in Carlisle Presbytery where we served in different churches.

While some mystery still remains about how the method works (being more of a theologian than a physiologist), the fact that it does make a positive difference for people is a worthy commendation for consideration by others also seeking help with respiratory issues in particular. And part of what helped me to become comfortable with the Buteyko concept is the very fact that they urge people to maintain contact with their regular doctors and not to throw away their medicine, but to take what they need.

Furthermore I was particularly impressed with the on-going connections with medical communities in the United States as well as in Russia where it began as well as efforts to connect with research medical institutions in the United States, such as the Institutes of National Health, to further explore and give credibility to the method within the medical community in our own country.

With asthma always in the forefront of my life, and worsening as I age, a caring friend gave me an article to read from a November 2009,  New York Times that sang the praises of the Buteyko Center USA where a holistic breathing method is taught for the cure of asthma and all that it affects. Sounds interesting, I thought, but with my asthma relatively under control and being busy, I set the article aside.

In January of 2010, after an anesthetic mishap and a horrendous time with prednisone,  I was feeling depressed and a bit desperate just trying to get my breathing under control.  It was then that I remembered the NY Times article!  Reading it, I went on-line, and soon discovered a tremendous web site at buteykocenterusa.com that was full of very encouraging, useful information, and miracle of miracles, a two day weekend workshop was coming up in just a short time!  I was desperate enough to sign up on the spot, although I wondered what I was getting myself into…. it can’t hurt, I thought.  And I can always leave!

Not only did I not leave the workshop with its many convincing and healed participants, but the leaders, Thomas (himself healed) and Sasha Yakovlev-Fredricksen, spent many hours teaching all of us the beginning breathing techniques that make the Buteyto Method so special and unique.  They interacted with each participant individually, invited my husband who had driven me to sit in on some sessions, and perhaps because I was in such bad shape personally,  they really took me under their Buteyko  ‘angels wings’… and suggested that I continue to work with them.

The Buteyko Workshop was four weeks ago, as I write.  I did sign on for 10 more sessions, some via Skype, and I have now spent those 4 weeks practicing breathing with my mouth closed, and doing the special Buteyko Method breathing exercises. I’m already beginning to feel like a new woman:  I no longer use my rescue inhaler(!) as I had been doing 2-3 times a day;  the previous heavy, wet cough that I had when I  leaned over has disappeared;  the color is returning to my face;  the energy is returning to my step;  I have not napped for the last two days, not even cat-napped.  

I was in a compromising position mold-wise today for about an hour, which I didn’t realize because I didn’t lose my voice as I usually do.  After the mold was discovered in an adjacent area I began practicing my Buteyko exercises and there have been no ill effects!  This is only the beginning – this is only one month!  I am now a wholehearted believer in the Buteyko Method, including it’s spiritual component, which greatly enhances the benefits for me and for many others. 

Thank you, Thomas and Sasha, with all my heart!  

Email:
"Dear Sasha & Thomas,
 
Just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful weekend.
 
I was rather skeptical about the workshop and how it would help me given the nature of the topic before I arrived.  Not only was the entire weekend informational but it provided me with a perspective and a realization of how blessed I am to be healthy (at least free of asthma).  Thank you.  Meeting you both was a wonderful experience.
 
I look forward to working with you both and pursuing the Buteyko Method.
 
With love and gratitude,"
 

Zenia Ayrton
Pittsburgh, PA

I am happy to report that at my most recent check up my pulmonologist reported that my pulmonary function tests registered the best scores since I was diagnosed with asthma, even though I am no longer taking any medication.

By way of background, I had trouble breathing through my nose for as long as I can remember and had been told by many doctors over a 40 year period that my turbinates were enlarged, blocking my nasal passages.  At around age 50, I started intensive cycling training, always breathing through my mouth.  Around age 54 I developed a milk protein sensitivity (not lactose intolerance nor allergy) and at 58 asthma.  On one long bike ride in August 2008, my coughing was so intense, I had to end the ride after 90 miles.  Albuterol only made the coughing worse.  That is when I consulted a pulmonologist who told me my lungs were at 50% capacity, inflamed and "angry."  Eventually, I wound up using a cocktail of meds via a nebulizer for a month followed by symbicort, 2 puffs twice a day to control the asthma.  Less drastic medicines did not stop the cough.

Then in November 2009, I read about the Buteyko method in the New York Times and called Thomas.  In late November, I began to self treat using Buteyko ideas and I started Skype sessions with Thomas when his schedule permitted in early December.  Breathing through my nose and doing 'less breathing exercises' led to a clear nose.  The turbinates are normal.  By Christmas I was off symbicort and only taking a steroid, at much lower dosages.  It took another 5 or 6 weeks to taper off of that.  I continue to do Buteyko exercises and have worked them into my daily routine.  I keep my meds handy, but have not taken any for almost 2 months now.

I tried some cheese recently and found that my reaction was minimal, almost unnoticed.  I have not gone back to dairy, instead mostly following the Buteyko vegan recommendation.  But, I no longer live in dread of a restaurant mistake.  I suspect that the benefits of breathing through my nose will extend beyond asthma control and elimination of digestive problems.  Make no mistake, I still have asthma.  Occasionally I will have a cough, tight chest or some phlegm (although these happen less frequently as time passes).  But, these symptoms can be chanted away or eliminated with breath relaxation techniques.  Obviously this is not all psychological since nasal blockage is gone and objective lung function tests are normal and better than when I was on powerful medications. 

I had to cut back on intense exercise during this period and am only now gradually ramping up my efforts.  But, I can perform today at levels with calm breathing that seemed impossible a month ago. Anyone with breathing problems short change themselves by not giving the Buteyko method a try.

Thank you for all your help,
 

Larry Arem
Merion Station, PA

Email:
"Hello Drakon and Sasha,

It's 4:53 am and I've just done two 1/2 hour sets of exercises.  When I woke up I was tight and so did the first set.  After that I felt better but not sure I would be able to actually lay down and fall asleep so I did a second one.  Now I feel great.

Thank you both so much.  I had extremely high expectations for the workshop as I already practiced Buteyko and had had significant results in the past. I signed up for the weekend because I wanted inspiration and support to continue my practice and get myself off all asthma medication for good.  I'm
confident I can do that now and I have you two (and all the great support people that were there this weekend) to thank.

I look forward to doing more but right now I'm not sure what that will be.  Maybe the Buteyko in motion or a couple Skpye sessions, not sure.  I definitely want to come to Woodstock again.  It was a great experience.

Thank you!!!"


Christine Schrempp
New York City

Email:
"Dear Thomas, Sasha, Cody, Jesse, Charles, Mike, & Ilene,

Thank you so much for all of your hard work to make the workshop a success!!  I really enjoyed meeting all of you and learning what you had to share. My goodness!  What a lot of valuable information!  Although it was quite a push for me to be in a class for all of those hours, I got so much out of it.  The Buteyko Method seems to have so much to offer me.  Thanks for giving us all hope with such a difficult and scary illness.  I so enjoyed my weekend workshop.  Have a great week!

Love, Leigh

PS Charles, thanks again for truly listening to me and adapting suggestions to my situation.  I will follow your recommendations."


Leigh K. Conway
Dover, NH

Email:
"Dear Jesse, 

Kate, my three year old daughter, has been doing great, knock knock on wood... :)  We are still doing exercises twice a day on a regular basis, and she has gotten into a habit of breathing through the nose all the time... I am very impressed with the results, as we've been having all our windows open, the pollen counts are high, everyone is coughing and sneezing, but her nose remains clear... She sleeps with open windows, plays outside, runs, jumps, and has been off Claritin and Nasonex for 3.5 weeks now!  Since her allergies have always been pretty mild, I think that the nose breathing has really made a difference...

Her asthma has also been pretty much under control... She is still on her costeroid (Flovent) inhaler twice a day, and I am just waiting for her to get a cold to see if she weathers it without a bronchodilator.  Once that happens, I'll request re-evaluation and lowering the dosage of the Flovent as well... So I'm just waiting for that cold - how crazy...  She hasn't had a cold for over a month now...  :)
 
It really made such a huge difference to have that Skype session with you!  I am pretty sure that doing the exercises correctly is the only reason for our normal life right now.  Thank you again so much!!! :)"


Olga Wharton
Flower Mound, TX