BUTEYKO BREATHING

Buteyko breathing, developed by the late Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Buteyko, focusses on the restoration of health when poor breathing has caused or worsened physical conditions. Whilst the Buteyko Breathing Method is best known for improving respiratory conditions such as asthma, poor sleep and anxiety and panic disorder, it is also the case that better oxygenation of tissues and organs can lead to a range of beneficial health outcomes that may seem less likely to be linked to breathing. Equally, conditions that are driven by stress and inflammation may also respond well to the breathing exercises taught through this method. Good functional breathing also impacts favourably on posture.

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Which Conditions Can Be Addressed With Buteyko?

Some of the conditions we have seen improve through the implementation of the exercises for ourselves and those we've worked with, include snoring, breathlessness, anxiety, bloating, exercise induced asthma, frequent sniffing, frequent sighing, blocked / stuffy nose, stress, tension, poor quality sleep and insomnia, lower back pain, Long Covid, sleep apnea, migraine and PMS symptoms.

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Poor breathing may have begun even in childhood and these long-term habits are difficult to break without awareness of them first and foremost, and then re-education to restore good habits. If you recognise some of the traits of disordered breathing as outlined on the previous page, you will almost certainly benefit from some guidance and motivation to improve your breathing and give you exercises which are yours to use for the rest of your life.

If you would like to work with an accredited Buteyko Breathing Instructor, contact Annette to find out if this would be useful for you. You may also wish to book a free exploratory Zoom call with her to find out if a retraining program is right for you. 

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Areas of Special Interest 

Annette’s areas of particular interest are: sleep challenges, anxiety, Chronic Fatigue and Long Covid, with an emphasis on re-establishing a resilient nervous system.

These areas of interest are a result of both her own experience and that of others, especially through her work with the Salus Fatigue Foundation. (Go to the foot of the page to read a testimonial).

She has written about her reasons for immersing herself in breathing information and Buteyko especially in the following blog posts:

An Embarrassing Admission - how she discovered she had dysfunctional breathing

When You REALLY Cannot Sleep, outlines some of the strategies that can be employed when sleep is problematic despite all of one's best efforts.

And she's written a post explaining why something as seemingly modest as breathing can be so significant for those experiencing an illness such as Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia or Long Covid - Multi-System Illnesses. How Breathing Can Make a Difference.

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Annette attends monthly Question & Answer sessions with Patrick McKeown and other Buteyko instructors. This is an on-going continuous learning opportunity for instructors who have trained through Buteyko Clinic International.

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Annette has subsequently added Oxygen Advantage Functional Breathing Instruction to her Buteyko qualification. By doing this, she can build in more flexibility with students and thus respond even better to individual needs. Her chosen areas of special interest from Oxygen Advantage are mindful breathing and focus and concentration. The latter feels especially poignant to her after a career in teaching during which many students and pupils could potentially have benefitted from the knowledge and expertise she now has.

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How is the Program Delivered?

There is typically just one training session in any week, each session lasting 1 hour. In most cases there are 5 sessions, but more sessions, may be needed, especially for anyone with Chronic Fatigue or Long Covid. Alternatively, the 5 sessions can be more frequent, shorter sessions such as 10 half hour meetings to help with maintaining momentum and to avoid the tiredness that often accompanies conditions such as those referred to above. 

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About Booking

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The charge is €299 for a standard  5 part program. Any additional sessions are priced at €25.each

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Start dates for your 5 part standard training program are published on our booking calendar. You only need to book the start date as the rest of the program will be delivered to best suit your needs. The duration of your entire 5 part program may be as little as 5 consecutive weeks or a maximum of 10 weeks with longer spaces between sessions to allow for more practice. During this time you will be encouraged to maintain contact with Annette, usually via email, to ensure you are able to make progress with the exercises especially if challenges arise.

All 5 of your sessions are likely to be on the same day of the week and at the same time as the start date. We will, however, allow for some flexibility in our mutual planning to suit availability.

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If you have any questions or if you think it's possible that you may need one or more additional sessions, e.g. if you're healing from Chronic Fatigue  / Long Covid, then don't hesitate to get in touch. If appropriate, we can arrange a brief zoom call with you to discuss your requirements. 

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If your primary interest in breath training is to improve your exercise threshold, sporting performance, or focus and concentration then you may wish to investigate the Oxygen Advantage with Graham.