COVID-19: What Is Killing People?

At the Buteyko Clinic, Thomas began feeling better almost right away. Within a few weeks, his asthma attacks weakened drastically and became infrequent. My husband was finally able to breathe! As he continued practicing the Method, he eliminated his excessive mouth breathing and gained more control over his respiration. Within a year, he stopped taking medications and freed himself from endless allergies and breathing difficulties. He became functional again. The Buteyko Method breathed the breath of life back into his nostrils.

Learning Buteyko, I realized that I also was not healthy even though I did not have any severe health problems. Now, it is almost unbelievable to think how many issues I had then: sleep apnea, a kidney disorder, joint paint, menstrual cramps, low blood pressure, headaches, pollen allergies, heart palpitations, and more. I don’t know why I kept thinking about myself as a healthy person. At the Buteyko Clinic, for the first time in my life, I noticed that I was chronically over-breathing and began training myself to consume less air. When my breathing patterns normalized, my health disorders disappeared just like dark clouds in an otherwise clear sky. Apparently, they were triggered or even caused by hyperventilation.

Gradually, I understood that our breathing patterns affect every aspect of our lives: our physical health, our emotional states, our thinking process, our relationship with people, animals, and our Mother Earth. When automatic breathing patterns become unnatural and slip out of balance, something in the structure called body, mind, and spirit also loses balance. Ancient civilizations were aware of this correlation and paid great attention to breathing. In the contemporary world, however, most people notice their respiration only when they cannot breathe. Dr. Buteyko was a pioneer and visionary who dedicated his life to helping people understand the essential importance of wholesome breathing.

In the second part of the 20^th century, Dr. Buteyko discovered that most people chronically over-breathe as a result of their unnatural lifestyle. Temperature controlled homes, food indulgence, constant stress, a sedentary lifestyle or super-intense physical activities, cars, computers, and toxic medication modify people’s breathing patterns and force them to consume more air than their bodies need. This affects the level of CO2 in the lungs, which, according to Dr. Buteyko, is the primary regulator of all bodily functions. I believe that in yoga, this CO2 level is called prana. Ludmila Buteyko shared with me that, from her perspective, CO2 was a carrier of the holy spirit. No matter what label we assign to it, it is scientifically proven that carbon dioxide is the main life force on our planet and in our bodies. When it decreases to zero, biological organisms, including human beings, die. Dr. Buteyko and his team created the Method, which allows the body to eliminate the deficit of CO2 in the lungs and, as a result, restores the natural balance, which we call health.

At the end of Thomas’ and my visit to the Buteyko Clinic, the patent holders of the Buteyko Method asked us to represent their Method in the USA. They were concerned about the increased popularity of the Buteyko Method and its decreased quality spreading like wildfire across the Internet. In the west, the words “Buteyko,” “Buteyko Method,” “Buteyko Clinic,” and “Buteyko Technique,” were not legally protected and up for grabs by anyone. Dr. Buteyko’s family wished to preserve their life-long work for future generations. Dr. Buteyko’s widow and her son, Dr. Novozhilov, were disheartened that in the west, what was taught as the Buteyko Method often contradicted the authentic Buteyko Method and sometimes, was even dangerous to people’s health. They wanted to resolve this situation and asked me to help.

I have been representing the Buteyko Breathing Method in the USA since 2009. At the Breathing Center, we tried everything we could to fulfill the wish of Dr. Buteyko’s family. I must admit that we completely failed. Today, if you type the word “Buteyko” into an online search engine, you will see information containing accurate instructions on the Buteyko Method mixed with erroneous, even hazardous recommendations regarding breathing. Could you imagine Gandhi’s name being invoked to justify a war? That’s how I feel when I see the name of Dr. Buteyko, a legendary Russian scientist, being attached to deleterious recommendations. The saddest thing is that these incorrect recommendations often come from sincere enthusiasts of the Buteyko Method. Their true motivation is to help people; however, a lack of serious education about this complex Method creates a kind of professional negligence. I hope this situation will change.

Meanwhile, all I can do is to continue being a channel for the authentic Buteyko Method and the Buteyko Clinic in Moscow. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to educate people about this powerful Russian method by teaching adults and children all over the world. It is always rewarding to see them improving their respiration as well as their health and lives. I also feel privileged to train health and wellness professionals to become certified Buteyko Breathing Practitioners and carry the Buteyko torch to various areas and cultures. The doors of the Breathing Center, this international online school, are open to everyone who wishes to learn Dr. Buteyko’s unique and life-changing approach.

I am one of the thousands of people all over the world who are forever grateful to the authors of the Buteyko Breathing Method – Konstantin Buteyko, MD-PhD, Ludmila Buteyko, and Andrey Novozhilov, MD. Thanks to their tireless efforts, the Buteyko Method was fully formed and preserved in its complete and unsullied form. On behalf of all people whose hearts were touched by their work, our global Buteyko family, I want to say: Thank You! You helped us understand that peace in our bodies, as well as peace on our planet, is impossible if we breathe like we are at war. Peace and balance inside leads to peace and balance outside. And, it all starts with peaceful breathing!