Reverting Depression

With a Buteyko Breathing Course

What is depression?

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by extreme gloom, feelings of inadequacy, and inability to concentrate.

Cause of depression

Considering Buteyko theory, depression occurs when:

You are breathing too much.
Overbreathing leads to less oxygen supply to the brain (how).
Less oxygen supply increases excitability of brain cells and causes depression.

When you breathe too much, blood vessels become narrow and less oxygen is released by the blood, leading to less available oxygen in the brain. When brain cells (neurons) receive less oxygen they start behaving more erratic, destabilizing the mind. The mind will have a more negative outlook and experience depressed thoughts and emotions.

Scientific research:

“The brain, by regulating breathing, controls its own excitability” - Balestrino & Somjen (1988)
“Hyperventilation leads to spontaneous and asynchronous firing of cortical neurons” - Huttunen et. Al (1999)

Revert Depression with a Buteyko Breathing course

Depression can be gradually reverted with a Buteyko Breathing course. Good results can be attained within 1 to 3 months, but as progress is gradual good signs of progress can show even after a few weeks. Results are dependent on:

Severity of symptoms
Students' compliance to instructions and guidance
Students' level of practice (basic, intermediate or advanced)
Frequency of sessions for additional guidance
Other factors (for example: age, general state of health, other diseases and activities.)

Doing both modules of our Buteyko Breathing course, and keeping in touch with us over the course of several months of practice, students can experience good improvements in the first weeks and get optimal results after 1 to 3 months of advanced Buteyko practice. As students make progress, they will start feeling better and need less medications.