Summary
Host Shannon Crow of the Connected Yoga Teacher podcast interviews Steve Donald, a Buteyko educator who took the first Buteyko educator training in Canada in 2006. Steve was drawn to the method due to his own severe asthma, and within weeks of starting the breathing exercises, his asthma symptoms lessened, medication use decreased, and his snoring calmed down. He hasn't needed asthma medication since 2005 and was later elected president of the Buteyko Breathing Educators Association. The episode covers the origin of the Buteyko method, created by Dr. Buteyko in the 1950s, who believed that up to 80% of the Western population over-breathes. Steve explains how the technique retrains habitual breathing patterns through nasal breathing, reduced breathing volume, controlled pauses (breath holds after exhalation), and learning to be comfortable with air hunger. He shares how he initially wanted to ask for his money back on the first day of training but came to fully embrace the method after experiencing its effects firsthand. Shannon and Steve discuss the relevance of Buteyko for yoga teachers, particularly how it challenges conventional pranayama instruction that emphasizes big, deep breaths. The conversation addresses mouth taping for sleep, the importance of nose breathing during all activities including exercise, and how the method can benefit people with asthma, sleep apnea, and anxiety. Steve emphasizes that the technique requires consistent practice and ideally guidance from a trained educator.
Key Points
- Steve Donald eliminated all asthma medication within weeks of starting Buteyko breathing and hasn't needed it since 2005
- Dr. Buteyko believed 80% of the Western population habitually over-breathes
- The method retrains breathing through nasal breathing, reduced volume, controlled pauses, and air hunger tolerance
- Buteyko challenges conventional yoga pranayama that emphasizes big, deep breaths
- Mouth taping during sleep forces nasal breathing and can improve sleep quality and reduce snoring
- The controlled pause (breath hold after exhalation) is a core Buteyko exercise and diagnostic tool
- Consistent daily practice is essential — benefits typically appear within weeks
- Buteyko is recognized by the British Thoracic Society as an adjunct treatment for asthma
Key Moments
Skeptic cured asthma and quit all medication within weeks
Steve Donald shares how he was a complete skeptic who almost asked for his money back during his first Buteyko class, but within a week stopped needing one of his two puffers, and hasn't needed any asthma medication since 2005.
"I was on at that point on two different puffers every day. Um, and I, within, I guess about a week or 10 days, I wasn't needing one of the puffers anymore. And then I slowly weaned myself off the other puffer, which was a steroid. Uh, and I haven't had asthma or needed asthma puffers since 2005."
Snoring reveals hidden hyperventilation in asthmatics
Steve describes the pivotal moment when his Buteyko teacher asked a class of seven asthmatics to raise their hand if they snored -- all seven did -- revealing that snoring is a marker of dysfunctional breathing that persists day and night.
"- She said, she said, you know, and when I learned there were seven asthmatics in the class with me or six other asthmatics in the class with me, she said, "Raise your hand if you snore." And all seven hands went up. So she said, "So that's what I'm talking about. "Snoring is not a normal way to breathe. "And because you're snoring in your sleep,"
Buteyko awareness extends beyond exercises into everyday life
Steve explains that Buteyko is not just breathing exercises but a continuous awareness of how you breathe at all times, echoing the ancient yogic teaching of being conscious of breath -- a practice that transforms daily life beyond formal exercise sessions.
"That's a big part of it too. It's not just work on your breathing with these breathing exercises. It's also kind of incorporate this into your life. And it's interesting when I kind of work in the yoga community because people say, well, that's what the yogi said. You have to be aware of your breathing all the time. Right."
