Innovative technique helps you to breathe easy

Evolve Therapist, Karen Leo is passionate about all things related to the jaw, mouth and breathing. Through her own experiences of the impact of tongue-tie on her life, Karen has spent many years pursuing training in Yoga, Breathwork, Orofacial Myotherapy, Buteyko Breathing Method and is also now returned to the university campus to complete a degree in Speech Pathology!

Working with the mouth and jaw not only assists with pain and dysfunction in these areas, restoring easy breathing patterns is essential to finding your calm and having a well regulated nervous system!

The Breath

Breathing is the life-force of a human being. From the moment we’re born, until the moment we leave this Earth, we breathe. Such an important essence is critical to maintain a good quality of life and stay connected with our physical body and the present moment. Many people assume that their breathing is fine (‘I’m still alive’) and don’t connect the worrying or frustrating symptoms they may suffer as a result of ‘not being fine’. Dysfunctional breathing can have an enormous impact on your wellbeing, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a medical condition.

Have you noticed yourself snoring, yawning when you’re not tired, sniffing or sighing more frequently? Do you suffer from reflux, gastrointestinal symptoms or anxiety? All could be a sign your breathing is sub-optimal.

Karen’s role as a BBT therapist is to positively impact your breathing, and therefore your health.

Buteyko Breathing Technique (BBT)

The Buteyko Breathing Technique (BBT) is a set of breathing techniques and tools designed to assist people with breathing issues, to learn how to correct and remedy their breathing. It teaches people how to ‘breathe less,’ whilst still concentrating on their overall health and wellbeing and is currently a technique used in the National Health Service (NHS) in England to teach patients to take control of their asthma symptoms or breathing problems. We’re thrilled that Karen is one of very few qualified practitioners in South Australia! Especially helpful for people with asthma, hay fever, poor sleep quality or sleep apnoea, as well as oral restrictions such as tongue tie, BBT is also fantastic for other serious respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), hyperventilation, bronchitis and emphysema.

What to expect

In your initial consultation, Karen will assess your overall health and wellbeing to help in identifying if this technique can help you. You’ll learn the Buteyko Breathing Techniques (BBT) over a period of weeks, much like a gentle crash course in breathing. Each subsequent week will build on your brain’s ability to learn and change (neuroplasticity) until your breathing changes and adapts to the new rhythm. Your BBT training will start with Karen educating you on the following:

+ How to breathe through your nose: Whilst this sounds simple, it’s a technique many still need to master!
+ Relaxed breathing: Let Karen teach you how to slow and control your breathing.
+ The control pause: A simple breath test to provide feedback on your symptoms.
+ Restricted mouth breathing: Mouth breathing is often just a bad habit – BBT shows you how to decongest the nose by holding your breath, retraining your brain to breathe correctly through your nose permanently.
+ The Stop Cough: Learn gentle techniques to control your breathing and stop a cough or a full-blown asthma attack

Video Consultations Available

What’s really exciting is the ability to conduct consultations online, over zoom after your first initial meeting with Karen. Perfect for those who are busy with work, have little children at home or just want the convenience of no travel. Learning and practicing Buteyko Breathing Techniques can permanently correct your breathing difficulties and can be practiced anywhere – on your morning walk, your commute to the office or in bed at night before you settle down to sleep.

At Evolve, our highly trained therapists treat your whole body and address the root cause of your issues, not just find a quick bandaid fix that doesn’t last. BBT is a holistic, natural and safe way to improve your breathing and your quality of life. There are few problems we haven’t seen before and we love working with you to make your own wellness journey, that little bit easier. Call 0406 249 221 today or book an appointment with Karen online.