I bought a stopwatch and started in April of 1999 and enjoyed its gentle approach, no maximum pause as my daughter's lessons had. I guess the idea behind the gentler approach is that people may be more inclined to persevere if it is not too hard. It is also easier to relax the diaghram if one does not do the max pause.
But gentle or not I was surprised at how powerful those lessons were as straight away my appetite for food cut right down, although I enjoyed food when I ate, and I started losing weight. Just over a stone and a half in about 3 months. Most of that weight came off in the first two months, with a gradual whittling down in the last month of only a few pounds.I was by then at my correct weight.
I also noticed a feeling of 'oiled joints'. Does anyone else have that???
Each winter for some years now, I have been getting a rash on my right leg which is itchy and red and blotchy and I got it again as usual, but it only lasted in a minor sort of way for about a month, instead of three months. I think the Buteyko breathing has something to do with that. I have not had it at all since then.
I gave up doing the lessons after three months, still maintaining the lighter breathing . I had a cold in that time, but it was comfortable, if a cold can be classed in that category. This was due to my nose remaining clear and unblocked at all times through light breathing. It also did not last for more than four days. Amazing for me. Friends in my circle had very bad flue with their colds so I was pretty happy about that.
Since then I have had a few similar sorts of colds, and at times have had a few vague symptons of infuenza, feeling sure I was getting something, but it never went further than that When this has happened I have immediately started up my lessons again for a few days. I used to cough my way through most of the year, but no more. My last cold was over a year ago.
I do a lot of hiking, some quite strenuous, going all day, and I am sure I have more stamina and am much fitter since doing Buteyko.
My control pause is only around the 30/34 mark, coming from around the 18 mark. However, although it is not getting any higher, probably due to my not doing the exercises, I am quite happy with the improvement to my health without worrying about that too much.
Anyway I thought I would share my experience of Buteyko, hoping it may encourage others to try it. I have offered my video to others to encourage them to try it, but I have learnt that most people are not interested in making much effort to improve their health. That I found very surprising, but its true. Not one person who has borrowed the video tried the lessons, gentle as they are. And I offered it to them because I could see that they needed to try it. Oh well, there you go. Breathe lightly on everyone!!
Marian.