I began writing this book about Buteyko in 2009, and I have been returning to it ever since. At times, I worked on it intensely. At other times, I had to set it aside to teach, work with clients, organize retreats, create courses, and continue the daily work of helping people improve their breathing and health.
Recently, I realized that to finish this book, I need to set aside dedicated time to gather, clarify, and bring together everything I have learned over nearly twenty years of living, practicing, and teaching this method.
To do this, I need to take three months away from much of my regular work while keeping the Buteyko Breathing Center functioning. I also realized I cannot do this alone. I need financial support.
It has been almost twenty years since I first encountered Dr. Buteyko’s work and was trained as a Buteyko Breathing Specialist. From my first lessons at the Buteyko Clinic in Moscow, I felt a strong aspiration to see this knowledge reach many people.
Around that time, Dr. Buteyko’s family shared a serious concern with me. They worried that, over time, the Buteyko Method could be reduced for commercial purposes to a simple “nose-pinching technique” promoted as a quick cure-all, while its depth, complexity, and most precious qualities would be forgotten. This concern was not abstract; they were already seeing signs of it happening.
I promised Ludmila Buteyko I would do my best to preserve the method’s original knowledge and legacy and to share what I had learned, practiced, and verified through my own experience. This promise is one of the main reasons I began writing this book.
Since then, I have spent many years teaching Buteyko Breathing to adults and children and helping people with a wide range of health issues. My late husband and I also made this method central to our daily lives, healing work, and understanding of health.
When I first began learning Buteyko, I heard Dr. Buteyko say the world needed Breathing Normalization more than anything. At the time, I was skeptical because it sounded too radical. But now, after many years of practicing and teaching this method, I agree with him.
The way we breathe affects everything: the body, nervous system, mind, and how we relate to life. Hyperventilation intensifies impatience, aggression, and loss of reason. Healthy breathing and higher CO₂ levels invite tolerance, kindness, and peace.
Don’t we need this?
I believe the world needs this knowledge now more than ever. That is another reason I have decided to focus on finishing the book. Much of it is written, but it still needs a few chapters, careful editing, and final refinement.
I invite you to join a supportive circle around this book – a group of people who care about this work and want to help bring it to completion. I have carried this project for many years, but I cannot finish it alone.
As a gesture of my gratitude for your support, I am offering you a way to deepen your understanding and practice of the Buteyko Method. You will receive access to the Advanced Buteyko Self-study video course, selected early excerpts from the book, and a private space where your thoughts, questions, and insights can help shape the final version.
Thank you for reading this letter and for considering supporting the completion of this book.
Sasha
