Background

Miss B presented to me as a 24 year old. At that time she was a trainee health professional, working full-time and studying to complete her qualifications. She had always been a fit, healthy and high achieving young lady who enjoyed life and had many interests and hobbies. Miss B had never really suffered from any major medical conditions or illnesses.

Over the preceding 6-12months however, Miss B had become increasingly stressed and anxious and her quality of life had deteriorated markedly. She was really struggling to maintain a sense of balance and control over her increasingly busy life and was finding the juggle of working and studying very challenging. 

Her major health concerns were anxiety, insomnia and decreased general fitness. Miss B was looking for a medication free treatment for these issues.

Sleep

Miss B was having major difficulties sleeping - she would lie awake for hours trying to get to sleep and then once asleep, she would sleep fitfully, often suffered frightening dreams and wake again, unable to get back to sleep. Needless to say, Miss B woke feeling terrible, and struggled through the days feeling well below her best. She couldn’t remember the last time she woke feeling refreshed and energised. Miss B’s concentration was poor and she felt her memory was definitely impacted by the lack of quality sleep.

Anxiety

Miss B also reported over the prior 6-12 months, an increasing sense of anxiety and panic at different times through the day. Not only did she become easily wound up about things, she could see that she was overthinking everything and worrying relentlessly. This increased until she was suffering panic attacks, which were debilitating and frightening.

Breathlessness

Miss B’s job as a health professional is very patient-oriented and requires conversation with every patient as the consultation is performed. Miss B had noticed that she was becoming breathless when speaking with clients. It was more challenging if she really needed to concentrate on the patient, and was leaving her feeling quite exhausted by the end of the day. Miss B also reported that she was becoming more breathless than usual when she was exercising - something that she religiously maintained despite feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

Exercise

MIss B had always participated in sport, both for fun and competitively. She led an active and healthy lifestyle and had always exercised at least 5 times a week (tennis, gym, walk etc). For many years, Miss B had been unable to run further than 1km before the onset of a stitch.

The BreatheWell Program

Miss B was a committed client, who was motivated and invested to change the things in her life that she acknowledged were really impacting her quality of life and holding her back. Miss B wanted again to feel positive, energised and upbeat about life - to live her life to the full!

Miss B was able to complete the program while she worked full-time and continued with her part-time studies. She was able to incorporate the practice into her daily routine easily and we adapted her program to fit in around her existing commitments.

The Results - Miss B’s view

The changes is Miss B's life as she worked through The BreatheWell Program were astounding. From the very first session, there was positive change and overall, her symptoms reduced by more than 80% by the time she completed the program. 

The final assessment included:

• No panic attacks
• Occasionally feeling mildly anxious
• No insomnia or difficulty falling asleep
• No frightening dreams
• Occasional restless sleep
• Occasional poor concentration
• No breathlessness when speaking
• Mild breathlessness on full exertion
• Able to run 5km+ with no stitch

The Results - My View

Confirming Miss B’s report are my key measurements - When Miss B commenced the program, she was taking 24 breaths every minute, she was breathing through her mouth at all times, and sighed and yawned regularly. Miss B was only able to breathe through her nose for 35secs. In a nutshell, Miss B was overbreathing... she was working hard to process more than 3 times the amount of air she actually needed. 

At the completion of the program, Miss B was taking only 8 breaths / minute (the ideal human breathing rate), was breathing through her nose at all times, quietly and evenly and no longer yawned or sighed. Miss B was now breathing as she was designed to - quietly, slowly, regularly and evenly.

When Miss B commenced the program, her resting HR was 78 bpm, at the end it was 56……. Just think of the impact of her heart beating 22 times less every minute, of every day.

Miss B is now 12 months down the track, and is most definitely living life to the full - she is free from the anxiety and sleep deprivation that was such a huge problem for her and has maintained her significantly reduced breathing rate and resting heart rate. Miss B is no longer affected by fatigue and poor concentration at work and reports improved fitness and cardiovascular performance and is able to run without the onset of a stitch. Miss B is a breathing superstar, and has most definitely achieved You, As New by completing the BreatheWell program.

Changing your breathing, can change your life. The BreatheWell Program is here to help you do just that, just like Miss B did!