In 1997 Ram Dass experienced a stroke; in 2011, when he took a Buteyko Breathing Normalization course with Sasha Yakovleva, he was still suffering from its consequences. His speech and memory were greatly impaired. He had to pause in between each word and often would forget what he wanted to say or would pick up with the wrong word. He was also experiencing high blood pressure, anxiety, and breathing difficulties, which, Sasha believed, were partially a result of practicing Pranayama, which was too strong for his weak respiration. Later, he worked with Thomas Fredricksen who traveled to Maui to help Ram Dass to deepen his Buteyko Breathing healing journey.
In this video testimonial about the effects of the Buteyko method, Ram Dass says: “Sasha and Thomas have done wonderfully in training me to breathe differently. This really works. If you have any breathing problems, go to the Buteyko Breathing Center, and say I sent you. Believe me. You won’t be sorry.”
