The Oxygen Advantage: Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques to Help You Become Healthier, Slimmer, Faster and Fitter―Improve Your Health and Fitness with Efficient Breathing Techniques

I remember that when I was a little kid it was fun to see how long I could hold my breath. Fast-forward to today, and holding my breath for a fraction of the time I did as a child is not fun- in fact it feels like a desperate “brush with death”! The main premise of this book is that we become adapted to over-breathing with significant diminishment of our health and well-being. For the specifics of how and why we have adapted to over-breathing, please refer to the book if you find this review interesting. I believe this premise that we have adapted to over-breathing is true and self-authenticating , from reading and working with the book. This book is truly transformative and deserves to be widely known.There are three components to the Oxygen Advantage program which addresses this over-breathing. They are explained clearly and supported with anecdotal and scientific studies, and tips and exercises are given to develop them. I appreciate the scientific explanation (which is not tedious), because it provides real support and conviction for engaging the process.The three components could be summarized as:1) Breathe through the nose while awake (including when exercising) and asleep2) “Breathe Light to Breathe Right”3) Increase your ability to comfortably hold your breath#1 Breathe through the nose- Personally I already took #1 for granted when I came across this book. The reasons for nose-breathing are explained thoroughly in this book, and a very persuasive case is also made in John Douillard’s “Body, Mind, and Sport”. Reading that book convinced me to learn to run without mouth-breathing, which has already convinced me that nose-breathing is calmer and healthier and more efficient than mouth-breathing. This book has shown me that I still have some work to do in this area, but what got me excited about the book immediately was working with breath holds. However, breathing through the nose at all times would have to be considered the most fundamental building block of the program, I believe.#2 Breathe Light to Breathe Right- In the book, a tai chi master is quoted as saying, “Generally speaking, there are 3 levels of breathing. The first one is to breathe softly, so that a person standing next to you does not hear you breathing. The second level is to breathe softly so that you do not hear yourself breathing. And the third level is to breathe softly so that you do not feel yourself breathing.” The author was told that at tai chi tournaments, judges pay particular attention to the breathing of the contestants, and if they can notice their breathing, points are deducted! More about this topic shortly.#3 Increase your ability to hold your breath- This topic is what initially captured my attention, because I experienced immediate positive effects from practicing breath holds. At my starting level, the exercises are simple and mild affairs, where the breath is held after an exhalation (while walking for example), only to the point of feeling a tolerable need for air (both words, “tolerable” and “need” being key). Breathing should be back to normal after the hold in 3 breaths or so, or the hold is overly intense.This simple exercise, practiced for 15 minutes a day, has had an immediate and continuing effect on my well-being. As the number of paces I can walk comfortably while breath-holding slowly goes up, so does the benign unfolding of this process. There are many things developing at once, but here’s an attempt to summarize my subjective experience so far:1) The exercise influences my breath to calm and slow down throughout the day. This has brought my attention to the real importance of “Breathe Light to Breathe Right”, which initially went over my head. A deep breath is not something I TAKE, or grab, or force, or make an effort to achieve. I do not get “more” by breathing more! (The specifics of the exercises are in the book, but as the author says, “Breathe Light to Breathe Right is not just an exercise, it is a way of life”.)2) There is a psychological stress around breathing that this process is helping to dissolve. The first tolerable need for breath is not a danger signal, any more than beginning to get hungry should lead to panic. As this stress unwinds, there is relaxation and calm mindfulness in its place, with more relaxation in movement and effort.3) I have an undeniable increase in physical well-being.Of course, everyone who works with this book will have a different starting point and experience of the process. I feel that it is a fantastic boon to discover that I have adapted to over-breathing in my life (just the opposite of what I have been conditioned to believe), and begin to unwind it. I think therefore it is only kind to recommend that anyone find out for themselves if they over-breathe. I don’t think there can be many more fundamental discoveries than this to make about oneself - perhaps one or two profound spiritual discoveries would fill the bill!There is considerable information presented on the health benefits of this program, with almost 300 references to supporting theories and compelling evidence. And there are recommendations for how practically everyone can safely engage the process, from someone in poor health to someone in superb physical condition. Check it out!

I’ve had asthma since age two and being very health oriented, have tried EVERYTHING to manage/cure my chronic condition for years. I’ve tried every supplement, tincture, pharmaceutical, long term allergy shots, you name it to no avail. I approached it by eliminating triggers like rag weed, pet dander etc, diet, and trying to get to the root of it by approaching it as an inflammatory situation. Nothing worked, it’s been decades of suffering and no help from docs. From reading this amazing , comprehensive book, I learned my approaches have all been short sighted and would never work long term because they didn’t get to the root of the problem. Remedies we’re temporary fixed. Asthmatics hyperventilate/overbreathe, they breath enough for 4-6 people , counterintuitive for those of us with constricted airwaves who believe we’re not getting enough oxygen . We have low CO2, which allows oxygen to come unbound from platelets so that we can oxygenate properly. When we overbreathe, the body in its need to hold on to CO2 from being over expelled, tightens airways and forms mucus. This book , through teaching a new way of breathing, resets the CO2 set point so the respiration center then allows airways to relax. I was at my wits end, using my inhaler 10-15 times a day, and even on waking in the middle of the night, to using it once or twice a day and I’m only 3 weeks in to reset my CO2 set point with these exercises. I’m already off my steroidal inhaler and still can’t believe it ! It’s astounding that doctors don’t know about the Buteyko method and it’s not taught everywhere! Another failure of modern medicine no longer interested in healing just increasing pharma’s bottom line . Asthma can be cured 100% by anyone who undertakes this method. If you’re like me,have searched and experimented endlessly and in vain , you will never need another remedy or drug.This author is a life saver and it will be the best money you’ve ever spent. The book is comprehensive and easy to read and understand. This method is for everyone not just asthmatics. It gives an edge for competitive athletes and everyone in between because once you understand the reason and method to allow oxygen to be released instead of circulating in your body, and how it relaxes your airwaves and strengthens them, you will enjoy better health and exercise endurance and recovery for life. What would you pay for an asthma cure? 500$ ? 1000$? 10,000$ ? I would have, happily. Now you have that for $10!!!! Patrick M. has changed and probably saved my life!

I have had this book since 2017. I’ve read the book multiple times not because I couldn’t understand it but because it was very informative. As I started to apply what the author was saying I began to see a difference in my cardiovascular health. I would jog longer distances without feeling so out of breath and my everyday activities were a breeze to handle. Read the book then do what it says. Remember doing what the author is telling is a very important part. No action, equals no results.

This is a well written book about how modern life has negatively disturbed the way that humans SHOULD breathe. This imbalance causes all kinds of health problems. Problems that can be avoided — or sometimes (but not always) corrected — by retraining yourself to breathe “lightly.” As a person who suffers from sleep apnea, I have found the exercises in this book to be invaluable in slowly correcting my breathing issues while I sleep. “Breathe through your nose and eat with your mouth.” You’ll understand why after you read this book.