As we live and breathe: Author on how the way we inhale and exhale has the ability to change your life

Breathing…it’s something we do all day, every day – but how many of us take it for granted?

“Breath is life,” Mary Birch said.

“We cannot exist without breathing. Most of us aren’t even aware of it because it’s so instinctive…that is until we have trouble breathing or feel short of breath.”

Mary is the author of a new book, Breathe, which looks at how to retrain your breathing in times of stress, anxiety or panic.

The former nurse, who used to live in Stirling, has spent 20 years working with people with asthma, allergies, anxiety, panic and sleep issues – and believes our breathing technique can not only lead to a better quality of life but be key to alleviating a whole host of health difficulties.

It’s a subject especially close to Mary’s heart since her son Alex developed asthma at six years old.

Then, when he was in his early teens, she saw a programme on TV about the Buteyko method of training your breathing.

Developed by a Russian doctor called Konstantin Buteyko, it involves using a series of exercises to normalise the breathing.

“I went to an information seminar. I was sceptical at first and didn’t follow it up until a few years later when the results of the first clinical trial outside of Russia were published in December 1998.

“I decided to become a practitioner when I saw how effective it was. The 1998 clinical trial showed an average reduction of 96% in the need for reliever medication for asthma sufferers and a 51% reduction in preventative medication within a three-month period, which by any standards is huge.”

Mary signed up for a course and eventually became a practitioner. She now runs her own practice in Melbourne, Australia.

Since then she’s helped thousands of people to tap into the power of breathing.

“There is a fairly wide variation in breathing, from excellent breathing to dysfunctional breathing,” Mary said. “Normal breathing is effortless and comfortable and it is predominantly nasal breathing. Dysfunctional breathing generally involves mouth-breathing, sighing or yawning a lot, shallow-breathing, gulping air, breathing faster than the normal range or feeling short of breath.

“When we breathe in the correct way we get the right combination of the gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide.

“If we over-breathe we exhale too much carbon dioxide which in turn can lead to a reduction in the level of oxygen delivered to all of our cells and organs – and particularly to the brain.

“Far from being a “waste gas” as some people say, the level of carbon dioxide we retain in the body is critical for several body processes.”

Mary says the way we breathe can also impact our mental wellbeing.

She added: “Feeling short of breath or not being able to take an adequately deep breath can be very scary.

“People may become more anxious or start having panic attacks. They may not sleep well and may feel tired which increases their stress levels.

“Anxiety and panic can put a dampener on life and may lead to a reduced quality of life, loss of confidence or even isolation. People may feel embarrassed or may think that they are doing (or not doing) something which provokes their symptoms.

“One of the ironies is that people who are over-breathing may assume they are not breathing deeply enough due to feeling short of breath or experiencing a “hunger” for air. As a result, it’s natural for them to conclude that they are not breathing enough when in fact the opposite is true.

“People who are over-breathing may have a very irregular or dysfunctional pattern of breathing, with issues such as mouth-breathing, shallow breathing, breath-holding, sighing and yawning excessively or needing to take deep breaths when speaking. Overbreathing is a habit. As with any habit, awareness comes first. Then the person needs to replace some of their poor breathing habits with improved breathing habits. The exercises are fairly simple.

“Improvement can begin within a couple of days, but I advise people to continue to monitor their breathing and practise the exercises for at least three to four weeks – or even longer in some cases – so that the new and improved breathing becomes automatic.”

Mary’s technique has not only helped others but also Mary herself when it comes to her fear of flying.

“I’ve always been a nervous flier so I use the exercises to calm me down when I get on the plane,” she said.

Her experience in the industry led her to publish a book earlier this year, as a means of educating more people about breathing. “Some of my clients who had struggled with anxiety and panic for years before doing a breathing retraining course urged me to write the book,” she said.

“They said they didn’t want others to struggle as they had – in some cases for months, years or even decades. I was very lucky to have it taken up by a major international publisher.

“It took three years but I’m so glad I wrote it. Several people emailed to thank me, which is lovely. My aim was simply to help people to improve their breathing and to let them know they are not alone and that thousands of people experience similar issues.”

Mary’s top tips for better breathing:

● Breathe gently through the nose both when inhaling and exhaling. This will help to ensure that the volume of air we breathe is within the normal range.

● Adopt good posture – back straight, shoulders down and relaxed with the head in alignment and not thrust forward. This helps us to use the diaphragm and chest muscles effectively.

● Avoid deliberate deep breathing or loud noisy breathing.

● Breathe gently through the nose both when inhaling and exhaling. This will help to ensure that the volume of air we breathe is within the normal range.

● Adopt good posture – back straight, shoulders down and relaxed with the head in alignment and not thrust forward. This helps us to use the diaphragm and chest muscles effectively.

● Avoid deliberate deep breathing or loud noisy breathing.

Breathe, published by Little Brown, £13.99, out now.