Buteyko Clinic International

Mini Episode: Breathing for Women, Children, and Sleep Reflections from San Francisco

In this short, on-the-go episode, Patrick McKeown shares key insights on breathing as he reflects on a recent visit to physiotherapist Kelly Starrett in San Francisco. Patrick explores how breathing affects athletes, children, and women, with a special focus on sleep and the stress response. He explains why exercise-induced bronchoconstriction is often driven by over-breathing, why nose breathing in childhood is essential for healthy facial and dental development, and how female breathing patterns shift across the menstrual cycle. You’ll learn what the BOLT score (Body Oxygen Level Test) reveals about your breathing, why building CO₂ tolerance matters, and how simple practices—like nose breathing during light to moderate exercise and breathing light, slow, and deep (LSD)—can transform your health, sleep, and resilience to stress. Recorded against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, this mini episode invites you to step out of your head, into your body, and back into the present moment—one gentle breath at a time. SHOW NOTES – BULLET POINTS * Patrick’s visit to Kelly Starrett in San Francisco and their shared focus on breathing and movement * Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction: * How over-breathing and hyperventilation during exercise narrow the airways * Why “breathing harder” can make symptoms worse * Children’s breathing, growth, and dental health: * Importance of nasal breathing for craniofacial development * How mouth breathing, low tongue posture, and dry mouth affect jaw growth and crowded teeth * Links between oral breathing, the mouth–gut microbiome, and overall health * Women’s breathing and the menstrual cycle: * How progesterone post-ovulation and in the mid‑luteal phase stimulates breathing * Potential drop in CO₂ levels (up to ~25%) and links to pain, fatigue, anxiety, and panic * Using the BOLT score to track breathing across the cycle * Building CO₂ tolerance: * Nose breathing during light to moderate exercise * “Breathing less air” exercises: gentle air hunger for 3–5 minutes * Reducing sensitivity to CO₂ and improving biochemical breathing * Diaphragmatic vs upper chest breathing: * How mouth breathing reduces diaphragm recruitment * Role of nasal breathing, tongue on the roof of the mouth, and a BOLT score above 20–25 seconds * Sleep, upper airway resistance, and waking at night: * Overview of Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) and low arousal threshold * How fast, upper‑chest, mouth breathing signals stress to the brain and disrupts sleep * Optimal (LSD) breathing vs stress breathing: * Stress pattern: fast, hard, upper chest, mouth breathing, quick exhale, irregular rhythm * Optimal pattern: Light, Slow, Deep through the nose with soft inhale and relaxed, gentle exhale * Patrick’s personal journey: * Decongesting the nose, using breathing exercises for wheezing and sleep * Mouth taping since the late 1990s and later development of MyoTape * Safety note: why people with obstructive sleep apnea should not tape across the mouth * Closing reflections at the Golden Gate Bridge: * Using the breath to come into present-moment awareness * Experiencing beauty and awe through the body, not just analytical thought * Call to action: * Start by breathing through your nose, at rest and during gentle exercise * Practice breathing light, slow, and deep to support sleep, calm, and overall health

Breathing Wrong Your Whole Life? Patrick McKeown & Ronda Holman Show You Why

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired—even when your sleep study says you’re “fine”? This episode will completely change how you think about breathing, sleep, and fatigue. Patrick McKeown sits down with Ronda Holman, dental assistant of 27 years, airway health advocate, and self-described “recovering mouth breather” and “former floppy tongue owner.” Ronda shares how she reached age 37 without ever being told she was a dysfunctional breather—and how changing her breathing transformed her sleep, energy, and life. You’ll learn: Why mouth breathing at night leads to snoring, fragmented sleep, “desert mouth,” and constant exhaustion How nasal breathing and proper tongue posture help keep your airway open while you sleep The difference between sleep apnea and Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS)—and why many especially women are told “nothing is wrong” when it clearly is How breathing patterns during the day shape your breathing and airway stability at night The role of CPAP, mandibular advancement devices, and why breathing training still matters even if you use them Why so many people wake at 3 a.m., and what might really be going on with your nervous system, blood sugar, and airway Simple, accessible starting points: Buteyko breathing, orofacial myofunctional therapy, nasal hygiene, and small behavior changes that move the needle fast Ronda also discusses: The dentist as a “gatekeeper of the airway” How clenching, grinding, and repeated dental work can be red flags for sleep-disordered breathing Why lip supports like MyoTape aren’t a fad, but a practical tool in a wider strategy to restore healthy breathing and sleep Her work with Airway Coach and an upcoming interactive workbook to help people navigate diagnoses, therapy, and at-home protocols If you’ve been told your sleep is “normal,” but you wake unrefreshed, snore, grind your teeth, or rely on caffeine and sugar to get through the day, this conversation is for you. 📌 Chapters 0:00 Intro – Meet Ronda Holman 0:45 From dentistry to “recovering mouth breather” 2:30 How mouth breathing wrecks sleep and relationships 5:06 AHI changes and what breathing training can really do 10:55 Appliances, CPAP & the missing piece: function 15:18 Nasal breathing, deviated septum & air hunger myths 20:25 Women, hormones & being “too good at surviving” 24:58 UARS vs sleep apnea (and why tests miss women) 31:42 The 3 a.m. wake-up – blood sugar, airway & REM 37:32 Dentists as airway gatekeepers & grinding at night 47:54 Weight, diabetes, blood pressure & sleep-disordered breathing 51:13 Is mouth taping a fad? Ronda’s 8-year experience 54:20 Airway Coach & Ronda’s new workbook

Mini Episode: Asthma, Nitric Oxide, and Breathing Less: A Short Guide with Patrick McKeown

In this short episode, Patrick McKeown explains how nasal breathing, nitric oxide, and breathing less air can dramatically improve asthma control. You’ll learn simple tools like the nose unblocking exercise, small breath holds, and the control pause—plus why mouth breathing can worsen inflammation, sleep, and dental health. Patrick also shares clinical evidence showing reduced coughing, wheezing, and medication use with the Buteyko method.

The Anatomy of Functional Breathing with Tom Myers and Patrick McKeow (Your Posture Is Killing Your Ability to Breathe)n

Discover how modern life is reshaping our breathing, posture, and facial structure in this in-depth conversation between Patrick McKeown and renowned anatomist Tom Myers (Anatomy Trains). Tom shares insights from 50+ years of clinical practice and teaching, explaining: - How our “modern zoo” (agricultural → industrial → electronic age) creates a mismatch with our Paleolithic genes - Why chronic sitting, inactivity, and lack of movement are fundamentally altering our breathing patterns - The link between anxiety, environment, and dysfunctional breathing - How domestication (in humans and animals) leads to a narrower jaw, smaller face, crowded teeth, and restricted airways - Why head‑forward posture is now almost universal—and what it means for rib cage mechanics and breathing - The concept of tensegrity and how the rib cage functions as a dynamic, elastic structure rather than a simple “lever” system Patrick also shares his own background: - Personal struggles with asthma, nasal obstruction, poor sleep, and poor concentration - How these experiences led him into functional breathing, focusing on asthma, nasal breathing, sleep, and everyday breathing habits - If you’re interested in the deep biomechanics of breathing, facial development, and how our environment and lifestyle are shaping our health, this episode will give you a powerful new lens on the breath. #ButeykoClinic #PatrickMcKeown #TomMyers #AnatomyTrains #FunctionalBreathing #NasalBreathing #BreathingScience #Breathwork#AnxietyRelief #Posture #AirwayHealth #Asthma #SleepHealth #Fascia00:00 – Intro & Tom Myers’ Background 01:43 – Harvard, the 1960s & Buckminster Fuller 02:18 – Tensegrity & the Rib Cage as a Breathing System 03:40 – Modern Life as a ‘Zoo’ & Genetic Mismatch 05:00 – Laziness, Movement & Breathing Changes 06:42 – Domestication, Narrow Jaws & Airway Problems 09:36 – Sleep Apnea & The Shrinking Human Airway 10:45 – Breathing as the Fulcrum: Conscious vs Unconscious 12:39 – Sea Mammals, Diving Response & Human Breath Control 15:00 – Modern Life Disrupts All Basics: Sleep, Breathe, Walk, Eat 15:41 – Tongue Tie, Fascia & the Midline from Brain to Heart 17:15 – Mouth vs Nose Breathing & Posture 18:55 – Nose vs Mouth & Diaphragm vs Upper Chest 19:53 – Transition to Slides

Empowered Sleep Apnea: Dr. David McCarty on CPAP, Mouth Breathing & Better Sleep

Struggling with sleep apnea, poor sleep, or CPAP that doesn’t seem to fix everything? In this powerful conversation, Dr. David McCarty, author of Empowered Sleep Apnea, joins Patrick to unpack a new way of understanding and treating sleep apnea. Instead of treating sleep apnea as a simple “CPAP problem,” Dr. McCarty explains why it’s really a complex constellation of moving parts: Unstable breathing during sleep (obstructive + central sleep apnea) Mouth breathing vs nose breathing Craniofacial development (narrow palate, jaw position, tongue posture) Functional breathing and myofunctional therapy Posture, position, and lifestyle factors In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the traditional “label-based” approach (you have sleep apnea, here’s a CPAP) often fails How diagnostic thresholds (AHI, RERAs, oxygen desaturations) can miss real sleep-breathing problems The difference between obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea physiology How mouth breathing at night destabilizes breathing, drops CO₂ too low, and worsens airway collapse Why nose breathing, nitric oxide, and better diaphragm recruitment can help stabilize the upper airway The role of asthma, nasal obstruction, and inflammation in worsening sleep apnea How craniofacial development, narrow jaws, and tongue posture affect airway size Why the future of sleep medicine is collaborative: medicine, dentistry, myofunctional therapy, and breathing education working together What “narrative-based medicine” means and why your personal story matters more than just your AHI score If you or someone you love has sleep apnea, snores, wakes unrefreshed, or has been told “your AHI is normal” but you still feel awful, this discussion will give you a deeper framework to understand what’s really going on — and where new solutions may come from. Key Topics: - Empowered Sleep Apnea & Dr. David McCarty’s approach - Limitations of standard sleep studies and AHI-based diagnosis CPAP: when it helps, when it’s not the full answer - Nasal breathing vs mouth breathing during sleep - Loop gain / central apnea physiology explained in simple language - Functional breathing, posture, and myofunctional therapy - Airway-focused dentistry, craniofacial development, and high narrow palate - The need for interdisciplinary collaboration in sleep medicine #sleepapnea #cpap #sleephealth #nosebreathing #mouthbreathing #functionalbreathing #myofunctionaltherapy #snoring #sleepmedicine #drdavidmccarty #empoweredsleepapnea #airway #asthma #nasalbreathing #healthpodcast #breathing #sleepdisorders #restorativesleep #sleepbetter