Breathing and Your Health with Patrick McKeown

I was first introduced to the power of breathing back in 2004. My uncle was having an open heart surgery. It was a cold, February morning. I stepped outside with my two aunts to get some fresh air. Everybody was nervous. I don’t recall exactly where and how I had learned about breathing but when nothing else works you reach for unusual things. I say unusual because at a time I didn’t know much about breathing and while it sounded good, it also appeared to be new agey.

“Make your exhale twice as long as your inhale”, I told my aunts as we stood there without coats, in close proximity and breathed together.

Since then I have learned a lot about breathing, the nervous system, the vagus nerve, read many books and have practiced many breathing techniques. I also teach this stuff to my clients.

One of the world’s leading experts Patrick McKeown whose work I have been following online wrote a new book called The Breathing Cure. When I read it I knew I wanted to interview him on the podcast.

On episode 305: Breathing and Your Health I sat down with Patrick and asked him as many questions as I could. I learned some new and phenomenal things.

In his own words:

“Breathing impacts every aspect of health-sleep, digestion, movement, mental well-being, disease and recovery. It’s an extraordinary resource with life-changing potential. And it’s simple, free and available to everyone.”

Patrick explains the difference between functional and dysfunctional breathing, outlines the effects of dysfunctional breathing on our health. He emphasizes the importance of nasal breathing, states the roles and misconceptions about oxygen and CO2, teaches us to breath correctly to get more oxygenation to our brain and cells for improving focus, concentration, sleep, and ease stress and anxiety, relax the nervous system, overall health and performance. 

This is such a rich episode. It’s packed with great information, most importantly it’s loaded with practical tips that you can apply right away.

Some key points

• • Do you want to learn how to open a blocked nose in just a few seconds?
  • Mask wearing: is it good, is it bad, what does it do to us
  • On dry lips, and double chin
  • The connection between dysfunctional breathing and ADHD
  • Mouth taping at night for better sleep
  • How female breathing is different
  • How to breath correctly: nose, low, slow

If you are like most people you probably don’t give much thought to how you breathe. Because breathing is an innate bodily function-we take it for granted, but the way we breathe has an enormous impact on our health. 

About my guest

Patrick McKeown is a world- renowned author and breathing practitioner. He was educated at Trinity College in Dublin, before completing his clinical training in the Buteyko Breathing Method at the Buteyko Clinic, Moscow, Russia. This training was accredited by Professor Konstantin Buteyko.

From a young age, Patrick suffered from asthma and relied on an array of medicines and inhalers until he discovered the Buteyko Method at the age of 26, experiencing immediate relief from his symptoms. By applying the principals of the Buteyko Method, Patrick remains asthma-free since then, a feat that over 20 years of medication had failed to accomplish.

Patrick was recently made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology in the UK for his contribution to our understanding of breathing.

Since 2015, Patrick has been training Notre Dame elite track athletes Patrick Feeney, Chris Geisting and Jade Barber as they prepare to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2016. Each athlete has credited the Oxygen Advantage^® Program as playing a significant part in achieving their athletic goals. Patrick also trains NFL, Soccer and GAA players in The Oxygen Advantage^® Program.

Patrick’s passion for his subject enables him to continue developing and refining his techniques to improve the fitness, performance and focus of professional and non professional athletes alike worldwide.

Mentioned links and resources

• Patrick’s website
• The Buteyko Clinic
• Patrick’s Youtube Channel
• Follow him on Instagram
• Get The Breathing Cure book
• Get The Oxygen Advantage book
• Free online children’s course 
• Myotape 

Other episodes you may enjoy

1. How Trauma Gets “Stuck” in Your Nervous System with Irene Lyon
2. Mind-BodyTools to Develop Stress Resilience with Rebekkah LaDyne
3. The Power of Self-Regulation with Sarah MacLaughlin
4. How to Stay C.A.L.M. in The Moment with Anna Seewald 
5. Simple Tools to Feel Great with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

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