Perfect Your Breath with 30-minute Buteyko Classes at BreatheWell Gym

At the BreatheWell Gym, the motivation for joining mirrors those of traditional gyms. People enrol to optimise their breathing fitness, exercising every breathing muscle and breathing receptor! It’s not all about exercise; it’s about creating a space for self-care. Each class offers a rejuvenating experience, leaving participants feeling deeply rested and ready to conquer the day, or equally ready to enjoy a sound night’s sleep.

The BreatheWell Gym provides valuable “time out” from the hustle and bustle of daily life—a dedicated 30 minutes solely focused on personal well-being. Additionally, the gym serves as a place for treating various conditions, be it snoring, anxiety, reflux, asthma, or insomnia. In essence, a BreatheWell class offers potent medicine for both the body and the mind.

The breathing exercises taught in the BreatheWell class are based on the scientifically proven Buteyko Breathing Method.  The class follows the same format every time.

Warm-up –

Begin with 3 minutes of the “three by three” technique, assessing the quality of your breathing today while gently moderating the biochemical aspect of breathing.

Drill –

This is the core of the class, where you’ll test and improve your breathing fitness. Be prepared to exert effort for 10-12 minutes as you engage in two exercises: “AIR hunger” and “Steps”.

Chill out –

After the intense workout, reward yourself with 3 minutes of bliss through resonance breathing, which unifies all aspects of breathing.

Final check-in –

Reflect on the changes in your body, mind, and mood that invariably occur during the session.

Final CP –

Conclude the class with a final Control Pause assessment to gauge your progress and breathing fitness.

However, if you prefer to jump straight into the gym, just make sure to watch the short intro video. It shows you how to do the exercises and explains how to take your Control Pause (CP), a key measurement in the Buteyko Breathing Method.

How often you visit the BreatheWell Gym depends on your requirements.

Daily – Breathing Re-training:

Perfect if you’re currently enrolled in a course with Mim or just starting out. Committing to daily classes helps reset long-held breathing patterns, laying a solid foundation for lasting wellness.

2-3 times a week – Breathing Re-set:

This frequency suits those tackling specific challenges like asthma, anxiety, snoring and sleep apnea or chronic pain. By attending classes regularly, you’ll not only maintain but also improve your overall fitness and breathing capacity. This frequency is particularly beneficial for those in high-stress environments, offering relief and resilience amid demanding schedules.

Weekly Commitment:

If your breathing is already on track, a weekly class serves as a valuable commitment to ongoing self-care and well-being.  A great way to stay in tune with yourself, a chance to check in, recalibrate your nervous system, and keep progressing towards optimal health. 

The breathing exercises practiced in the BreatheWell Gym are based on the Buteyko Breathing Method, a scientifically proven technique designed to improve breathing patterns. These exercises are therapeutic, helping to overcome various conditions including insomnia, anxiety, snoring, asthma, reflux, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and more. By working ‘behind the scenes,’ the exercises recalibrate the breathing centers in the brain to establish ideal breathing patterns through neuroplasticity.

The Buteyko Breathing exercises offer similar benefits to yoga breathing (pranayama) and meditation by regulating the nervous system and activating the parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ response. Like meditation, these exercises serve as preventative medicine, reducing the risk of heart disease, depression, diabetes, and other conditions. If you have struggled with meditation because you can’t quiet your mind, the BreatheWell Gym might be the perfect solution for you.

We were born breathing through our noses. While we can breathe with our mouths, it is not ideal. Mouth breathing increases your chances of getting a virus as it bypasses parts of the immune system in the nasal cavity and tonsils. Your body receives about 10% more oxygen when breathing through your nose compared to mouth breathing.

Nasal breathing keeps your mouth less dry, reducing the risk of dental cavities and gum disease. It also warms and moistens the air before it reaches your lungs, lowering the risk of asthma and wheezing. People who breathe through their noses tend to have better concentration and focus than those who breathe through their mouths.

Additionally, nasal breathing helps filter out dust, bacteria, and other harmful particles, increasing the production of nitric oxide, which is antimicrobial, improves circulation and aids in oxygen delivery throughout the body. By contrast, mouth breathing can lead to various issues such as dry mouth, bad breath, dental problems, and even sleep disturbances like snoring and sleep apnea.

In essence, prioritising nasal breathing can greatly enhance your overall health and well-being.

Taping your mouth shut at night ensures you breathe through your nose both day and night. Nasal breathing during sleep enhances the quality and quantity of your rest, ensuring you wake up refreshed and ready to face the day. Mouth taping is a key part of the BreatheWell breathing retraining program, setting up your breathing patterns for long-term optimal health.

While mouth taping can help reduce snoring, to reverse dysfunctional breathing patterns (which snorireversing dysfunctional breathing requires recalibrating your breathing patterns through exercises like those taught in the BreatheWell Gym and BreatheWell Courses. These practices establish a lifelong habit of healthy breathing.

It’s understandable that some people might feel hesitant about taping their mouths shut at night. However, for those who can comfortably breathe through their noses, sleeping with their mouths closed leads to better rest. Using specialised tape like Myotape, created by Mim’s teacher, Patrick McKeown, allows for easy removal and enables drinking or coughing if necessary, adding an extra layer of reassurance.

One helpful approach to overcome any initial fears is to gradually acclimate yourself to the sensation by starting with short periods of taping before bed, perhaps while watching television. This way, you can gradually get used to the feeling and build confidence in the process. You’ll find it’s not as scary as you thought, and you’ll have the best sleep ever. I promise!

While many people prefer to start with the BreatheWell Course, anyone is welcome to join the BreatheWell Gym classes and enjoy the benefits. The course teaches all the breathing exercises and delves into the fascinating science of how the technique works in the body and brain, recalibrating the breathing centres, via neuroplasticity, to improve so many aspects of our health. If you like to understand the ‘why’ behind things, then the BreatheWell Course is perfect for you.

However, if you prefer to jump straight into the gym, just make sure to watch the short intro video. It shows you how to do the exercises and explains how to take your Control Pause (CP), a key measurement in the Buteyko Breathing Method.