In almost every yoga class, the teacher will emphasize the importance of breath—but what does that really mean and why does it matter? If you ask, you'll likely hear that you're adding oxygen to your blood or improving your circulation. But is that true? It turns out that most yoga breathing actually reduces oxygen in the blood and increases CO2. To add to this paradox, more CO2 is actually a good thing and results in more oxygen to the cells. On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll learn how and why. 

------------ Listen & Learn:

• Why C02 is actually your friend
• How C02 relaxes muscle tissue (great for stretching)
• Why nose breathing encourages diaphragmatic breathing, increases NO2, and arterial oxygen uptake
• How reduced breathing increased saliva in the mouth, a sign of parasympathetic nervous system dominance and higher CO2
• Why 30% of population has Rhinitis and how reduced breathing can help
• How reduced breathing impacts your spleen (yes, your spleen!) 

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Patrick completed his clinical training in the Buteyko Breathing Method at the Buteyko Clinic, Moscow, Russia, a training accredited by Professor Konstantin Buteyko himself.

Patrick suffered from asthma as a kid and discovered the Buteyko Method at the age of 26 and has been asthma-free since then, a feat that over 20 years of medication had failed to accomplish. In a career spanning 15 years, Patrick has since also become a bestselling author and expert on the topic of optimal breathing for improved health, well-being and fitness. Among the eight books Patrick has written, two have consistently remained in the top ten best sellers on Amazon.com:

He is the author of 3 books: Close Your Mouth, Asthma Free Naturally, and The Oxygen Advantage®.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Water filters

Links & References from the Show:

• The Oxygen Advantage Website
• The Psychology and Physiology of Breathing (book)
• The Bohr Effect
• Who is Konstantin Buteyko?

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: [email protected] 

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• The Yoga Trapeze Teacher Training course in San Diego -- The Yoga Trapeze Teacher Training course is conducted in beautiful Fallbrook, California. This quiet city is easily accessible from either Los Angeles or San Diego airports making it a convenient and affordable travel destination. Fallbrook is home base for Sage Yoga Studios, run by Yoga Trapeze certified teachers, Reyna and Lee Beckler. The weather is great, the cost travel is very reasonable, and the yoga studio is ideal for a training of this type. 

  For passionate yoga students who love inversion yoga, this is an exciting opportunity to train with YOGABODY, the leading educator and manufacturer of inversion slings worldwide. The Yoga Trapeze is the most-popular yoga inversion sling ever with over 100,000 students in 81 countries. Despite the ever-growing demand, there are hardly any professional instructors—until now.

  Learn More