A male in his mid forties; EM had suffered from a lack of energy and tiredness for many years
My concentration was fairly poor and I suffered from low level but persistent stress which resulted in low mood and low confidence levels. I also have always had very dry skin, poor digestion and chronic indigestion was also a problem. My legs were constantly tired and heavy.
Symptom History: Over eating, over sleeping, slightly overweight, lack of energy in the morning and it took a long time after getting up to be fully alert.
Social history : I am self employed running a growing business with little time for leisure pursuits.
Control pause before starting: 8
Control pause now: 25-30
After days of practice
After initially starting the program I felt much more alert and was eating less. My mood improved and I felt much more calm; I also felt much less under the pressure of time.
After weeks of practice
As my practice progressed and control pauses went into high double figures (15-20), I felt the impact of cleansing and at times found this difficult. Support from the teacher (Martha) was critical to my continuing with the practice when this was happening. Symptoms included gum infections, kidney infection and other minor illnesses. These usually lasted a couple of days, unpleasant while happening but I felt much better afterwards.
After months of practice
I feel that the practice has enabled me to cope with a very very busy lifestyle. Since beginning my practice I have undertaken a degree course in the evening. This is in addition to running my own business. I am certain that without the Buteyko breathing practice I would not have been able to take on the extra commitments. After several months of practice I have more energy overall and am able to get an awful lot more done in the day than previously. I eat less and have lost some weight and feel better because of this. My digestion has improved dramatically and my feet and legs feel better with the tiredness and muscle fatigue gone.
I strongly recommend this Buteyko breathing practice to others. I was very sceptical before starting the course but now am absolutely convinced of its value. Martha was a wonderful support throughout the difficult times when symptoms were an issue and this enabled me to keep going with the breathing and reap the benefits long term. I now plan to make another push with my practice and get my control pause up to 35-40.
