I thought I should let you know how I’ve got on since leaving the BreathMastery program earlier this year. Although I completed only 6 months of the programme, and wanted to continue, it subsequently became very clear that there was no way I could have managed my time. Nevertheless, what I did get out of the programme has been very beneficial indeed.
The short report is that I have achieved my goal of a stable Positive Maximum Pause of 60 seconds and that, overall, my feeling of well-being has improved correspondingly.
I have just taken my PMP and it was a very clean 70. My new average. Before the BreathMastery, it was around 40.
The BreathMastery programme taught me a surprising number of new things. How arrogant of me to think that I was already an expert! The programme was a powerful reminder that we are all beginners, waking up every day, knowing almost nothing compared to the vast treasures of wider experience which are waiting to be embraced, if only we can keep our minds open. It was really inspiring to learn how others were beating their own very different paths up the Buteyko mountain, overcoming all kinds of obstacles in the process.
The programme truly re-energised my Buteyko practice. It gave me a strong booster shot, strong enough not only to take a big step up, but also to embed new habits in my life, which I am hoping will be easier to maintain than the old habits that are effective but require a lot more effort to keep up.
Looking back over the year, here is what contributed the most to my improvement. They are all things that I did as a result of what I learnt in the programme.
- Exercising more. I play tennis for up to 6 hours per week and now start everyday with a 45 mins varied exercise routine. Stretching, cardio and resistance exercises. No gym. Nothing excessive. Just using a mat in my study with some dumbells and resistance bands. Resistance training has been the real game changer. I can feel that it is making my 75 year old body younger. Very definitely! During the day, I try to break up sedentary activity with hourly bouts of 2-5 mins dancing, moving around, press-ups, or whatever I fancy. If possible, I walk rather than take the car, and if I walk, I walk very fast. Exercising, especially resistance training, has been by far and away the most important contributor to my improved PMP and feeling of wellbeing. I have also learned how to measure PMP before and after exercise, which has been helpful in reminding me of the need to keep my mouth closed (too easy to sneak in that gulp through the mouth).
- Intermittent fasting. I have now moved to a two meals a day regime and regularly fast for 16-18 hours. This change runs a close second in improving my PMP by exercising more. At the end of a fast, I’m 20 seconds up on my PMP and feel deliciously alive.
- Grounding. This was a surprise. It definitely seems to have had a beneficial effect. Difficult to measure accurately, I think it has adding another 10 secs to my PMP. I sleep on a grounding sheet, rest my feet on a grounding mat when I am at my desk and wear a grounding band round my wrist when working in my studio. Probably adds up on average to 8+ hours grounding per day.
In addition to the above changes to my practice I have continued to regularly take my PMP every day and do breath reduction exercises (very gentle breathing and pauses), especially at times of stress.
I wouldn’t want to give the impression that everything has gone without a hitch. There have been ups and downs, and I have struggled at times! The downs are clearly linked to choices I make about how I live and eat: mainly eating too much of the wrong type of food and taking on more commitments than I have the capacity to complete. Such lifestyle choices tend to lead to stress and inevitably a lower PMP and not feeling so good! This brings to mind the truth in the old adage: “Moderation in all things” – mind, body, and breath!
Looking ahead, I am determined to continue with the regime I have established in recent months and am planning to concentrate more on meditation, which I have tended to neglect.
I wish you and all participants in the BreathMastery best wishes for the New Year and continuing achievement in the Breath Reduction stakes.
With much love from
V. R.
