What is Buteyko Breathing?
The Buteyko Method is a clinically informed breathing retraining approach that focuses on restoring healthy, functional breathing patterns to address the root cause of many physical and psychological symptoms. Buteyko (pronounced Bu-tay-ko) works to normalise breathing so the body can return to its natural balance.
Developed by Ukrainian physician Dr Konstantin Buteyko in the 1950s and is most well-known for its evidence‑based application in asthma care, but is increasingly used to support anxiety, sleep disorders, chronic stress, fatigue, snoring and respiratory disorders. At its core, Buteyko is a clinical model with measurable outcomes. Progress is tracked using objective markers such as breathing rate, tolerance to carbon dioxide (CO₂), control pause measurements, validated questionnaires and symptom changes over time.
A Root-Cause Approach to Breathing
Many breathing‑related symptoms are driven by chronic overbreathing (hyperventilation), mouth breathing and dysfunctional breathing habits that place unnecessary strain on the nervous and respiratory systems. Buteyko addresses these patterns directly rather than managing symptoms in isolation.
The method is grounded in respiratory physiology and works across the three dimensions of breathing:
Biochemical: Breathing volume is gently reduced to improve CO₂ tolerance. This supports oxygen delivery to tissues via the Bohr effect, helping to reduce breathlessness, air hunger, dizziness, brain fog and anxiety symptoms.
Biomechanical: Breathing is retrained to be nasal, quiet, low and diaphragmatic. This reduces upper‑chest breathing, improves airway mechanics, supports posture and decreases unnecessary muscular tension.
Psychological: By calming breathing patterns, the nervous system shifts out of a chronic stress response. This helps regulate heart rate, reduce sympathetic overdrive and improve emotional regulation, focus and sleep quality.
By working across all three dimensions, Buteyko offers a more comprehensive and clinically robust approach than breathwork methods that focus on relaxation, intensity or altered states alone.
How Buteyko Is Different From Other Breathwork
Buteyko breathing is intentionally subtle and precise. Exercises are gentle, personalised and designed to integrate into daily life. The goal is not to breathe more, faster or deeper, but to breathe less, slower and more efficiently. This makes the method particularly suitable for people who experience anxiety, asthma, trauma sensitivity, fatigue or nervous system dysregulation, where more forceful breathwork techniques may be counterproductive.
Importantly, Buteyko follows a structured, clinical framework:
- Individual assessment of breathing patterns
- Clear therapeutic goals
- Objective measurements
- Ongoing review and adjustment
Her pathway into this work was personal. Following significant loss, she herself experienced persistent insomnia, tachycardia and a nervous system that felt locked in survival mode. When conventional investigations yielded no clear diagnosis, a forward-thinking GP suggested breath retraining. That intervention changed the trajectory of her health. Like many of her clients, she had never considered that subtle breathing dysfunction could be contributing to her symptoms. Once she understood the biochemical and neurological mechanisms involved, she could not ignore the gap: breathing is foundational to health, yet rarely screened or rehabilitated systematically.
Alongside her individual consultations, Katherine delivers professional learning for allied health teams and structured programs in schools. Her background in education allows her to design programs that are context-responsive, evidence-informed and practically embedded into real-world environments.
Qualifications
- Certificate in the Buteyko Breathing Method (Buteyko Clinic International)
- Breathwork Instructor Level 1 (Flow Institute Australia)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Education (The University of Melbourne)
- PhD in Biochemistry (La Trobe University)
- Bachelor of Science with Honours (La Trobe University)
- Full Teaching Registration (Victorian Institute of Teaching)
- First aid & CPR Certified
Clinic Location
My Wellness Chiropractic
1036 Heidelberg Road
Ivanhoe, VIC 3079
Studio – Group Sessions
Studio – Group Sessions
