Buteyko helps reverse stress, chronic fatigue
MANILA, Philippines - Stress is a fact of modern life, but what most people do not realize is that stress and stress-induced conditions such as anxiety attacks and chronic fatigue syndrome can be managed more effectively than by simply popping pills or multivitamin capsules, getting a massage or doing meditative exercises.
“Our bodies were designed to be stressed when hunting or being hunted. But things are different in today’s corporate jungle or any stressful situation for that matter. We get stressed mostly while we’re sitting down! Hence our breathing patterns are changing and our bodies are reacting,” says Australian senior Buteyko practitioner Jac Vidgen.
Vidgen teaches the Buteyko Method, a breathing reconditioning program that corrects dysfunctional breathing, developed in 1952 by Russian respiratory physician and medical scientist Dr. Konstantin Buteyko. Clinically acknowledged in many parts of the world, the Buteyko method addresses the direct relationship between overbreathing and ill health.
The practice of the Buteyko Method hinges on the idea that when people overbreathe or hyperventilate, they excessively lose valuable carbon dioxide. The imbalance caused by the loss of carbon dioxide leads to less oxygen going to the cells. Strange as it may seem, an examination of respiratory physiology demonstrates that oxygen deficiency is not caused by lack of oxygen intake, but by the lack of sufficient carbon dioxide. This is known as the Verigo-Bohr effect. Thus, too much breathing results in reduced oxygen supply.
“It’s a common impression that the longer and deeper we breathe, the more oxygen flows into the body to feed our tissues and organs. But this deep breathing is actually low-grade hyperventilation,” says Vidgen.
Vidgen resumes his workshops in Manila on the Buteyko method, which cuts right through the stress and hyperventilation cycle, allowing students to restore a more optimal breathing pattern, thus reducing stress-related symptoms while providing long-term health benefits that safely reduce or even eliminate reliance on many medications.
Free introductory lectures are set on Wednesday, August 5, 7 to 9 p.m. at PhilDHRRA Partnership Center, 59 C. Salvador St. (left off B. Gonzales, Katipunan Avenue), Loyola Heights, Quezon City and Thursday, August 6, 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at In Touch Community Service, 48-A McKinley Road, Forbes Park (Holy Trinity Church compound across San Antonio Plaza), Makati City.
During the actual workshops consisting of five two-hour sessions, Vidgen will teach children and adults exercises and various practices to reduce their breathing to more normal levels and, within days, avoid coughing, excess mucus, blocked nose, shortness of breath, snoring, and even headaches — with sleep quality and energy levels also improving.
For more information, call Anny of In Touch at 810-6233 (before August 4) or Jac at 0919-6356060; e-mail jacvid@gmail.com or log on to www.buteykoasia.com and www.buteykoasia.multiply.com.
