Breathwork

Functional Breathing Practice

The Most Underestimated

Self-Help Tool

Discover the power of breath with Andy Webb, a qualified Buteyko Instructor.

Join us on Tuesday evenings at Beattie Street Studio, and practice techniques to harness the breath's ability to calm you down, stimulate your body's healing abilities, keep you grounded, and improve sleep, concentration, and focus.

Functional breathing is possibly the most underestimated self-help tool. We know that stress triggers fast and shallow breathing, which, in turn, exacerbates stress.

Bad breathing habits can further trigger fight or flight responses (sympathetic nervous system), intensifying symptoms and leaving you feeling stressed, foggy-headed or unable to concentrate properly.

Despite its critical role in our evolution, the fight or flight response is a hardwired, primal survival mechanism rarely needed in modern society.

The flow-on effects are numerous:

• Ongoing shortness of breath or an increased breathing rate

• Difficulty focusing and concentrating

• Reduced blood flow to the organs

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure

• Frequent yawning, sighing, dry cough

• Tension in your neck or shoulders

• Feelings of fatigue, stress, anxiety, or depression

• Difficulty sleeping, snoring, waking unrefreshed, possibly also with a dry mouth

Subconscious breathing patterns that may have shifted incorrectly over time, tend to recalibrate the brain's respiratory settings.

These over-breathing habits, exacerbated by poor sleep, stress, anxiety, illness, poor diet, excessive talking, and sometimes even exercise, can permanently increase the brain's "setting".

This vicious cycle of breathing dysfunction impacts many areas of your health.

However, with breath retraining, many symptoms can be immediately improved.

By learning to breathe correctly, you can reset and manage overreactive responses. With easy practices woven into your day, you can ground yourself in the calm and controlled rest and digest response, making it your dominant reaction to changes in your immediate environment.

While some health matters require a doctor's consultation, breath retraining, as a complementary practice, offers simple exercises that can be easily learned and practised anywhere.

Practice during daily activities, before stressful events, or as part of your bedtime or morning routine.