Patrick McKeown - The Breathing Cure: Develop New Habits for a Healthier, Happier, and Longer Life

THE
BREATHING
CURE

THE
BREATHING
CURE

DEVELOP NEW HABITS FOR
A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, AND LONGER LIFE

PATRICK M C KEOWN

Humanix Books

The Breathing Cure

Copyright 2021 by Patrick McKeown

All rights reserved

Humanix Books, P.O. Box 20989, West Palm Beach, FL 33416, USA

www.humanixbooks.com | info@humanixbooks.com

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this book is not specific medical advice for any individual and should not substitute medical advice from a health professional. If you have (or think you may have) a medical problem, speak to your doctor or a health professional immediately about your risk and possible treatments. Do not engage in any care or treatment without consulting a medical professional.

Humanix Books is a division of Humanix Publishing, LLC. Its trademark, consisting of the words Humanix Books, is registered in the Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.

ISBN9-781-63006-197-5(Hardcover)

ISBN9-781-63006-198-2(E-book)

Illustrations by Bex Burgess

Printed in the United States of America

10987654321

A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.

MAX KARL ERNST LUDWIG PLANCK

From my own experience I know that, used correctly, the breath can be truly transformative. My goal is therefore to enable you to take responsibility for your own health, to prevent and significantly reduce a number of common ailments, to help you achieve your goals, and to offer simple, scientifically based ways to change your breathing habits for life.

PATRICK MCKEOWN

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

I m not sure what first sparked my interest in breathing; whether it was surfingbeing held underwater without airor if I was led to explore my day-to-day breathing practice as part of my journey to maximize my efficiency as a human and become as high performing as I can be. Either way, my quest for correct breathing led me to Patrick McKeown and his clinical work with over 8,000 people, ranging from medical patients to elite athletes. I appreciate the value of feeling things and learning through experiencing, but Patricks scientific explanation of what is happening in the body when I nasal breathe as opposed to mouth breathing truly helped me understand how to use my breath as a tool to support my health and boost my performance.

Patricks passion for breathing education comes out of his own personal experience. Even though he himself was an extremely dysfunctional breather and an asthmatiche was told by his doctors that he would be on medication and limited in activities for the rest of his lifehe cured himself through breathing practices.

I must admit, I was surprised to learn what a large percentage of us are living with hidden breathing dysfunctions that wreak havoc on our health, sleep, and performance. I truly appreciate that Patricks teaching empowers people to be proactive in supporting their own good health. Patrick simply explains the importance of nasal breathing and balancing respiratory gases to create better health and mitigate illness, chronic disease, and injuries.

The Oxygen Advantage was a game-changing read and is one of the top books we recommend at XPT, not only for health and fitness professionals but for any individual looking to optimize the most important processes in their body.

If breathing and the breath is the essence of life, and it is meant to be intuitive, then how do we find our way back to the basics? Patrick makes this a comprehensive journey that anyone can use and share with their friends and family.

Laird Hamilton, XPT Extreme Performance Training

INTRODUCTION

ARE YOU BREATHING COMFORTABLY?

I magine a breathing technique that can increase uptake and delivery of oxygen to cells, improve blood circulation, and even unblock the nose. Perhaps it can help open the airways of the lungs, enhance blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, improve sleep, and bring calmness to the mind. It might even restore bodily functions disturbed by stress, build greater resilience, and help you live longer. You might think this description sounds far-fetched. But it isnt.

This book will guide you through techniques that are the keys to healthy breathing and healthy living. My goal is to enable you to take responsibility for your own health, to prevent and significantly reduce a number of common ailments, to help you realize your potential, and to offer simple, scientifically based ways to change your breathing habits. On a day-to-day basis, you will experience an increase in energy, better concentration, an enhanced ability to deal with stress, and a better quality of life.

Following on from my work The Oxygen Advantage, Ill explore breathing from three dimensionsbiochemical, biomechanical, and cadencewith exercises and science to support functional movement of muscles and joints, improve debilitating conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, lower back pain, PMS, and high blood pressure, and help you enjoy deeper sleep and better sex. The exercises designed to up-regulate and down-regulate the nervous system highlight how powerfully the breath can influence states of the body. Finally, there is a section on the importance of optimal breathing for childhood development. I am not exaggerating when I say that no child will reach their full genetic potential unless nasal breathing and functional breathing are restored.

We enter the world with a breath, and the process of breathing continues automatically for the rest of our lives. Although breathing is an involuntary action and we dont usually give it much thought, the way we breathe has an enormous impact on our health. Because breathing is an innate bodily function that most of us take for granted, it only gets our attention when something goes wrong. However, minute-by-minute, breath fulfills its vital role, providing the body with oxygen, regulating physical mechanisms in the lungs, heart, and blood vessels, and even moderating the stress response.

When breathing is below par, it creates problems throughout the systems of the body. Researchers have listed up to 30 common symptoms and conditions in which poor breathing patterns are a factor.1,2 However, because many sufferers breathe normally at least some of the time, it can be hard to know if your breathing patterns are unhealthy.3

The rule of thumb I give my students is this: Breathing during rest and light movement such as walking or yoga should be imperceptible, never noticeable. Healthy breathing during rest should be through the nose, driven by the diaphragm. It should be regular, quiet, slow, and almost undetectable. Unhealthy or dysfunctional breathing involves breathing through the mouth, using the upper chest, or breath that is irregular or audible during rest.