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(30 reviews)
Editorial Review: Asthma kills 6,000 people a year. Respiratory illnesses affect millions more. According to Teresa Hale, asthmatics and others with respiratory illnesses are breathing wrong. "We have been led to believe that deep breathing is good for us because it increases our oxygen intake. In fact, the reverse is true. The more we breathe, the less oxygen actually reaches the cells of our bodies," says Hale in Breathing Free: The Revolutionary 5-Day Program to Heal Asthma, Emphysema, Bronchitis, and Other Respiratory Ailments. Her breathing program, Breath Connection, teaches you to change your breathing patterns so that you won't need to wheeze, breathe heavily, or take gulps of air after exertion. Hale promises that five days on this program will reduce your need for medications, and regular practice often increases metabolism and leads to weight loss. Breathing Free gives a self-test to assess your breathing and teaches several techniques to improve it. Hale explains how to adap...
Customer Reviews:
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
GOOD INFO, BUT A BIT VAGUE, 2007-03-23
Well, how do I begin? First, I must say that I approached this book a bit cautiously optimistic based on the mixed reviews I read here. I had really wanted to get Close Your Mouth, by Patrick McKeown but I didn't want to wait. Luckily I found a local bookstore that had Breathing Free so I bought it right away. I must point out, I do not have asthma, but I know I'm a chronic hyperventilator that's been extrememly problematic this past year.
After I read it, I found the poor reviews were really based on somewhat poor comprehension of the material, although my biggest gripe is that the book IS a bit vague as some of the reviewers pointed out (Good thing I went ahead and ordered Close Your Mouth).
Does this method (Buteyko)work? I'm not sure yet, as it's only been 3 or 4 days. But I feel more controlled over my overbreathing, and I'm more conscious of it. I've already seen an improvement over how many breaths a minute I take, but not really in my controlled pause. I'm not sure if it's going to prove to be a panacea for me, but the stress levels I've been experiencing are becoming more manageable.
Conclusion: At this point, this book has been helpful, but based on other reviews I think there may be better books on the topic. Read this as an introduction, but be prepared to invest in other books.
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
Brilliant! - all asthma sufferers must try this out., 2007-01-16
The idea presented in this book is so simple and radical, I read with severe skepticism. But I made an agreement with myself to give the 5-day program a try anyway. Well, it works! You truly get results in 5 days - but you have to commit to it. It's worth it. It hasn't cured my condition, but it has had a significant impact. I'm confident that if I continue to practice the breathing technique, and follow the other recommendations in the book about dietary adjustments, drinking habits, etc, the effects will continue.
1 of 5 found this review helpful:
dangerous book, 2006-10-24
i bought this book for a man with emphysema . the only good advice is to breathe through the nose. a technique taught in other medical info for pulmonary patients after they have calmed down from losing thier breath. Pulmonary rehab teaches deep breathing and other lung excersises , in every study and there are numerous, patients have improved breathing dramaticlly . so deep breathing is not a bad thing as this book would have one think , and anyone who has any education knows that plants and trees do not use oxygen they create it . the book is very redundant in speaking of the hale clinic . it critisizes medicines that are effective though have harsh side effects in helping with breath for those whom are severely ill but leaves nothing to replace them , other then breathe through the nose. however if the medicines are removed the person in all likely hood would not be able to breathe at all . it truly is not a helpful book , and when trying to go to the website , one came up with nothing but ads that the hale clinic probably gets paid to have on the so called site . or what i call a non existant site.with no contact info , it is wrong to give people a false sense of hope while giving them misinformation that benefits the seller of the information .it gives a false quick solution that does not work to those who are seeking desperately to find something , anything . and is dangerous to that person if they quit medicines tht help them breathe based on the misinformation in this book .
10 of 10 found this review helpful:
In total agreement with asthmatics review, 2006-03-02
The Buteyko method is a superb therapy for asthma. Teresa Hales book touches on it but does not contain it. There are many books available which are worthy of reading especially if you have asthma, fatigue and other complaints. For example- do a search for Asthma Free naturally, Every Breath you take, The Buteyko Manual or a very simple read with all exercises called Close Your Mouth.
Good luck and healthy breathing
7 of 7 found this review helpful:
Fair Introduction, but reads like a sales pamphlet, 2006-02-23
This book is a skimpy introduction to the Buteyko method, which seems to work. While the Buteyko method is very good, this book is deliberately vague about the details of the actual exercises. Hale spends chapter after chapter describing all the illnesses that the Breath Connection method will cure, but leaves many key questions about the method unanswered. Why do you take your pulse? How exactly do you breath shallowly? Do you use your diaphragm? Do you count? If not, how are you sure that you are doing it right?
Hale is plainly drumming up business for her clinic, so if there are more complete books on Buteyko elsewhere, I would strongly recommend going there.
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