Chapter 9 Frequently Asked Questions If you have read this chapter, you already have an idea of ​​exactly how you should proceed and where to start. However, you, like most of my patients, may have had these kinds of most common questions. In this chapter I

Widely known breathing exercises by N.A. Strelnikova is often confused with other healing methods. They give this clinically tested method of restoring the singing voice and increasing lung capacity a bad reputation. Very often this system is mentioned in the same breath as various cleansings, fasting, enema treatment and similar manipulations that have nothing to do with health or medicine.

Fortunately, today Strelnikova’s breathing exercises have an official resource on the Internet, where it is directly stated that it should not be equated either with Semenova’s fasting or with other controversial things. Forced breathing through the nose and free exhalations are the hallmark of the system. However, if you digress a little from therapeutic exercises, you can find something similar in the body of pranayamas in yoga. But Strelnikova’s gymnastics is significantly different, if only in that in the process of performing it a person changes the position of the body, rather than sitting quietly, concentrating on inhaling and exhaling.

Breathing exercises by Strelnikova. If you try, videos of all the exercises can be found on Youtube completely free of charge. There are only three basic exercises, the rest are second-level movements and are mastered only after the practice of the first three has become a habit in a person.

The most important thing is to master a sharp breath through the nose. It is a little similar to what is done in the “bodyflex” system, but you do not need to relax the stomach, but rather, as if sniffing with your nose and at the same time pushing the anterior abdominal wall inward. This is a feature of gymnastics - inhalations are made as if through the resistance of the diaphragm, there should be a feeling that the unfolding lungs are overcoming an obstacle.

Exhalations through the system are not forced, but calm. This is what distinguishes it from various gymnastics for weight loss.

The basic movements are:

• "Palms." Stand up straight, bring your shoulders parallel to the floor and bend your elbows. Squeeze your fingers as you inhale and unclench them as you exhale. Perform from 4 to 20 repetitions. Sometimes they write that the number of repetitions should always be a multiple of even.
• "Epaulettes." A similar stance, arms down, elbows bent, while inhaling - sharp extension and return to the original stance as you exhale.
• "Pump". Stand straight, perform gentle flexion at the hip joints. As you inhale, bend in the thoracic region, providing additional resistance to the respiratory movement. As you exhale, straighten your spine.

The repetitions in all three movements are similar to the first exercise. Gymnastics should be done in the morning on an empty stomach, and in the evening, an hour after a light meal.

Benefits of breathing exercises

Most people like to attribute properties to physical exercises that they do not actually possess. ON THE. Strelnikova created her own gymnastics to regain her singing voice. The goal was to increase lung capacity, not anything else. Later it was empirically discovered:

• breathing exercises increase the useful capacity of the lungs. Improvements were noted in children who studied according to this system. Therefore, gymnastics began to be considered an auxiliary method of treating this disease;
• in general, movement and deep breathing improve blood circulation. This allows for better oxygen supply to tissues, and promotes better recovery and normalization of cellular metabolism;
• deep breathing solves a number of psychosomatic problems. Positive dynamics were achieved in patients with bronchial asthma. Almost all people note improved well-being, mobility, and more harmonious sensations in the body;
• Gymnastics has shown effectiveness in the complex treatment of stuttering and speech disorders in children. Sometimes it is used as an independent method by speech therapists.

Myths about gymnastics Strelnikova

For some reason, the average person associates this trend with gymnastics for weight loss. It is generally accepted that at least some movement is already a great feat in the field of one’s own health and a real way to lose excess weight. Whole articles have been written about how oxygen in cells burns fat. However, physiologically, the mechanism of lipolysis has nothing in common, for example, with burning a piece of cotton wool on a match with a large flow of air. The breakdown of fat is a process triggered at the hormonal level. Therefore, it can hardly be caused by any deep breathing. Strelnikova’s gymnastics is not something that replaces a balanced diet and increased physical activity.

The exercises of the Strelnikova system are not so energy-intensive as to be considered an independent method of losing weight. Rather, 1 minute of such movements will help “burn” about 3 kcal, and not 7-8, such as running or walking uphill with a significant slope. Therefore, in the context of the “calorie equation”, this is not the best way.

However, as hygienic gymnastics, this complex can help obese people establish a routine and improve mobility. Gradually you can move from simple to complex. Or perform breathing exercises to invigorate, for example, before a long walk.

Absolutely all the results on the treatment of diseases show us that this is a good auxiliary general strengthening method, but not an independent method of treating diseases, and certainly not an alternative to traditional treatment. The same diseases of the respiratory system are treated comprehensively, and medications are not canceled while performing gymnastics.

In some sources you can find very obvious exaggerations about this gymnastics. Many people write that it turns back time and stops aging. Unfortunately, there are no such tools in the arsenal of modern science at all. Regular performance of any physical exercise gives vigor, calmness, health and longevity, but is not able to change the fact that over time the body will age and its appearance will change. In general, before starting classes, you should consult with specialists in the profile of diseases, and do not cancel other treatment yourself if you are undergoing it.

Preface

For some reason, it is believed that a person needs to be taught to read, sing, and draw correctly, but there is no need to learn to breathe. But this is fundamentally wrong! Most people, unfortunately, breathe incorrectly, and because of this they develop a lot of diseases.

“If you take care of your breathing, you will live long and happily,” one Indian sage said many centuries ago. And these are not empty words. Thousands of people have mastered proper breathing techniques. And what wonderful words of gratitude they say to those who taught them how to recover without pills and expensive treatment!

The study of breathing mechanisms and attempts to take control of this important physiological process date back to primitive society. Studying himself as a part of nature, man noted the inextricable connection between the nature of breathing and the state of health. The beginning of human and animal life coincided with the beginning of breathing; the last breath of a killed enemy or dying fellow tribesman meant the end of life. Completely incomprehensible to our ancient ancestors was the state of sleep, when breathing seemed to be the only visible manifestation of life. The soul, this imperishable part of the “I”, which comes at the moment of birth, and at the moment of death leaves the body forever, has also been associated for a long time with breathing. By identifying breath and soul, man connected himself to nature, to God, to His breath and his soul.

Only a few can boast that they can control such a simple process as breathing. But the secret of a happy life and eternal youth lies in proper breathing. Already the medical treatises of antiquity contain a colossal amount of information reflecting man’s constant interest in breathing, in this exciting mystery of being, the invisible thread of life. In various scientific and philosophical schools, many concepts and theories of breathing were developed, and specific techniques of breathing exercises were practiced. Simultaneously with the study of ancient practices, there was a constant active search for new ways of healing. People began to pay special attention to breathing in the middle of the last century, which gave us so many diseases characteristic of high-tech civilizations that we urgently had to look for non-drug ways to combat them. This is where the simplest method came to the rescue - proper breathing.

The undoubted advantage of breathing practices is that, unlike other methods, they require less time and effort and can be practiced regardless of health status, including by elderly and chronically ill people. Almost any person who wants to take his own destiny into his own hands can master a breathing practice that suits him and improve his body’s health, as well as open up spiritually. It is not without reason that in the Russian language (as in many others) the words “spirit” and “breath” are related and indicate a close relationship between the two concepts.

In this book you can learn in detail about the method of paradoxical breathing by Alexandra Severovna Strelnikova - one of the most popular breathing practices in our country. You will have the opportunity to improve your health in an affordable and effective way that easily fits into the daily rhythm of life.

History of the development of the method

Strelnikova’s breathing exercises consist of several hundred rapid body movements, in which inhalations are performed at the end of movements with the chest compressed or unable to expand. That is why the technique is called “paradoxical”.

This method was discovered by Alexandra Nikolaevna’s mother, Alexandra Severovna Strelnikova, who, like her daughter, was a singing teacher. She was engaged in voice training, people whose work was related to singing tried to get into her classes. Initially, Alexandra Severovna did not even imagine that her breathing exercises could treat people.

Alexandra Nikolaevna Strelnikova often suffered from heart attacks in her youth; one night, when it was impossible to get medical help, one of the most severe attacks began. Then Alexandra Nikolaevna remembered breathing exercises. She began to breathe, as her mother taught, overcoming the pain. By morning, the suffocation subsided and the heart rate returned to normal. Since then, she began to regularly engage in paradoxical gymnastics and, in her old age, did not know the ailments that most elderly people suffer from: she had no heart problems, she was free from the disease of the century, osteochondrosis, and her blood pressure never increased.

In the post-war years, Alexandra Nikolaevna lived in Moscow and worked at the Musical Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, and then a teacher-vocalist at the Railway Workers' Palace of Culture. She herself was an excellent singer, but just like her mother, she preferred learning the art of singing to the stage, using family methods. She liked to watch how people who had mediocre talent by nature developed beautiful, strong voices.

Many of the famous singers and actors studied with the Strelnikov mother and daughter (Lyudmila Kasatkina, Andrei Mironov, Alla Pugacheva, Maxim Shtraukh, Larisa Golubkina and many others turned to her help at different times). The reviews were so impressive that Alexandra Nikolaevna decided to apply for a patent for breathing exercises. This patent was issued to her under the title: “Method for treating diseases associated with loss of voice.” But this happened half a century later, in 1972.

Gradually, Alexandra Nikolaevna began to notice that her method not only helped in restoring her voice, but also contributed to the healing of the entire body, especially the respiratory system. Strelnikova paid special attention to the treatment of bronchial asthma. One of the cured patients, Mikhail Shchetinin, became her student and follower. He still practices this method, developed new sets of exercises for various diseases and published his own data obtained after improving the method.

Until now, doctors do not have a consensus on Strelnikova’s method. Some recognize it and consider it a wonderful remedy for the treatment of many diseases, especially diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Others deny its benefits, trying not to focus on those cases where gymnastics saved people's health. Still others want to receive the same scientific justification that Alexandra Nikolaevna never gave. She died more than 20 years ago, in September 1989, and the gymnastics she created successfully “founded itself.” Now anyone can study it and put it into practice.

Advantages of this method

According to many experts, Strelnikova’s breathing exercises are good because:

· combined with all cyclic exercises: walking, running, swimming;

· restores the functions of organs destroyed by the disease;

· is an excellent disease prevention, available to all people;

· has a positive effect on the body as a whole – all muscles are involved in the work;

· for gymnastics, no special conditions are required - special clothing (tracksuit, sneakers, etc.), premises, etc.;

· after the first classes, lung volume increases significantly;

· gives a good effect for training the muscular system of the respiratory apparatus and chest;

· Gymnastics is indicated for both adults and children. Gymnastics is recommended for the following diseases:

· asthma and chronic diseases of the bronchi and lungs;

· rhinitis (chronic runny nose);

sinusitis, bronchitis;

· pneumonia;

diabetes mellitus and its complications;

· neuroses and neurogenic diseases;

· hypertension;

asthenoneurosis with hypotension;

· peptic ulcer (beyond exacerbation);

· angina pectoris;

In addition, breathing exercises activate the immune system and the body’s protective and adaptive mechanisms, help overcome stressful conditions, get rid of excess weight and nicotine addiction. Breathing exercises are an effective additional tool when using other methods of therapy (traditional and non-traditional), especially in the treatment of long-term chronic diseases.

The exercises actively involve all parts of the body: arms, legs, head, abdominals, spine. Therefore, gymnastics gives good results in the treatment of children and adolescents suffering from scoliosis: it eliminates stoop and makes the body more flexible and flexible. Strelnikova’s gymnastics helps teenagers who are lagging behind in physical development to grow up (promotes the correct formation of all organs and systems, especially during puberty).

Strelnikova’s gymnastics also cure stuttering, and the most severe when attempts to help a stuttering teenager by speech therapists and even hypnotists end in failure. In these cases, in addition to breathing exercises, special sound exercises are also necessary to overcome laryngospasm, which are prescribed to each stutterer individually.

“If you systematically perform the proposed exercises (twice a day - morning and evening - 1200 breaths-movements in one session), - said Strelnikova’s student M. I. Shchetinin in an interview with the newspaper Help Yourself, - the result will not be slow to show. Strelnikovskaya gymnastics treats comprehensively: it has a beneficial effect on general metabolic processes, strengthens the nervous and immune systems, and improves the drainage function of the bronchi. In addition, it restores impaired nasal breathing (without any surgery!), normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system, improves blood circulation, and inhibits the development of deformities of the chest and spine.

In addition, our breathing exercises actively involve all systems and organs in their work: arms, legs, head, pelvis and shoulder girdle, abdominals, etc., causing a positive reaction of the whole body. And since all exercises are performed with a short and sharp inhalation through the nose while exhaling passively, internal tissue respiration is enhanced and oxygen absorption increases.”

What is the essence of Strelnikova breathing exercises and its fundamental difference from other techniques?

Strelnikova’s breathing exercises are called paradoxical because during inhalations the chest does not expand, as usual, but contracts (it is grabbed by the arms or kept from expanding by bending and turning the torso). In traditional breathing exercises, inhalation is done against the background of movements that expand the chest (for example, when spreading your arms to the sides), and exhalation is done during movements that compress it (for example, when turning).

“Warfulness and even distrust of my gymnastics were caused by the fact that it goes against many theories, including the teachings of yogis,” said A. N. Strelnikova. – After all, yogis’ breathing exercises are recommended to begin, if possible, with the most complete exhalation. And their “Chopping Wood” exercise consists mainly of intense exhalations. Well, I recommend the opposite..."

The first action of a newborn is to breathe. Exhalation is the result of inhalation. “What is the point of training both cause and effect? - Strelnikova asks herself and answers: “It’s enough to train the reason so that the result changes by itself.” Thinking only about inhalation and leaving exhalation, so to speak, to the mercy of fate, Strelnikova created gymnastics that preserves the natural dynamics of breathing and produces the most convenient breath for holding. According to her, such inhalation training increases the most important reserve of the body - air, due to which the vitality of the body increases. “That’s why the results of our gymnastics,” says Alexandra Nikolaevna, “turned out to be much more significant than we expected.”

The question arises: which breath is more convenient for holding? According to Strelnikova, when a person is waiting for some important event, closely watching something or, for example, sneaking up, hiding, he naturally holds his breath.

To hold your breath means to hold your supply of air in order to use it to survive difficult moments and adapt. Alexandra Nikolaevna and her mother began to practice instant, oral, passionate inhalation. Thus, the corresponding auxiliary movements, prompted by instinct, were found. But oral inhalation is practiced only in clean and warm air; it must be done very accurately, otherwise the throat will dry out. This breath is wider and shallower than the nasal breath.

The nasal inhalation is deeper, not afraid of cold and dust, and perfectly relieves a runny nose. Therefore, the Strelnikovs began to train nasal inhalation against the background of the same movements as the oral one, the same emotional one. This determined the main postulates of paradoxical gymnastics.

Emotional inhalation is active and natural. In natural conditions, in order to survive, our ancestors had to observe, listen and not draw breath, but sniff anxiously. “You can live without vision,” notes Alexandra Nikolaevna, “you can live without hearing, you can’t live without breathing!” There is no longer any need to sniff every minute, so modern people have weakened the activity of inhalation, the most important function of the body. Paradoxical gymnastics easily restores this activity precisely because the inhalation in it is emotional.”

So, Strelnikova’s gymnastics trains only inhalation (exhalation is passive, spontaneous!), which is performed at the end of each physical movement, when the muscles work with the greatest load and when, according to traditional breathing techniques, you need to exhale.

However, despite this paradox, exercise does not lead to fatigue and shortness of breath, but, on the contrary, reduces breathing. In this case, pulmonary ventilation increases 5–6 times, but intense physical activity on many muscles, synchronous with inhalations, keeps carbon dioxide in the body at a constant level close to the physiological norm.

The energy output of such frequent breathing against the background of physical activity is high. When you inhale noisily through your nose, the cerebral cortex is actively saturated with oxygen: vascular spasm is eliminated, chronic headaches disappear, and memory improves. Breathing is carried out against the background of movement. At the same time, the muscles themselves develop because they receive a load. The energy balance of the body is restored, as we now say. Breathing involves a dormant process of self-regulation.

Set of exercises

Strelnikova’s gymnastics are perfect for practicing at home. However, before you start doing the exercises, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules.

Rule 1

Learning to sniff. Tell yourself: “It smells like burning! Anxiety!" Sharply, noisily, throughout the entire apartment, sniff the air like a dog trail. The more natural the better.

The biggest mistake that beginners make is to pull air to get more air. In paradoxical gymnastics, such an inhalation is unacceptable. The inhalation should be short, sharp, noisy, active: the more natural, the better. Just think about inhaling.

Rule 2

Exhalation is not the end in itself of gymnastics, it is just the result of inhalation. Let the exhaust air leave after each breath as much as you like. Don't interfere with the process. But it is better to exhale through your mouth than through your nose. Don't strain, don't help exhale. Just tell yourself: “It smells like burning! Anxiety!" And make sure that the inhalation occurs simultaneously with the movement. The exhalation will happen on its own.

There will still be no air left inside. Remember, during gymnastics you need to open your mouth slightly. Try to feel the joy of breathing, move actively, do not perform movements with boredom and as if out of obligation.

Imagine that you are given a unique chance to return to childhood: you are a child again and you like to play. Today you are a savage, a Papuan, a native: play like little children, and everything will work out. The movements give the short inhalation quite sufficient volume and depth; no special, excessive effort is required from you.

Rule 3

Learn to take quick and short breaths. Perform these cycles as if you were pumping up a tire, trying to maintain the same pace. Start training movements and breaths by counting 2, 4 and 8. Tempo – 60-72 breaths per minute (pulse rate). Inhalations should be louder than exhalations. The usual task norm is 1000–1200 breaths, and more is possible – 2 thousand breaths. Pauses between doses of breaths are 1-3 s.

Rule 4

Never perform a task by force; take as many breaths in a row as you can currently take without tension. The main mistake: trying to do the exercise at any cost. This is exactly what should not be allowed. If your body suffers while inhaling, it means it is not ready yet. Let him gradually get into the rhythm, don’t force yourself.

Breathing technique according to A. N. Strelnikova

Warm-up

1. Stand straight, hands at your sides. Start sniffing the air noisily. Repeat inhalations at a walking pace. Don’t forget to ask yourself: “It smells like burning! Where?" Take a step in place and simultaneously take a breath with each step. Right - left, right - left, inhale - inhale, inhale - inhale. And under no circumstances should you exhale after the first inhalation! Inhalation requires continuation! And so 4 times in a row! Inhalation and exhalation is done in regular gymnastics, and you master paradoxical gymnastics.

2. So: step in place and simultaneously take a breath with each step. Right - left, right - left, inhale - inhale, inhale - inhale.

3. Now put one foot forward, the other back and shift from foot to foot, repeating short noisy breaths simultaneously with each step. Please note that the inhalation should be short and sharp; you should feel it only in the wings of the nose, which move very actively. Make sure that the movements and breaths go at the same time. The inhalation should be “punchy”, as if the air passes through the head, clearing not only the nose, but also the brain. Take as many breaths in a row as you can without much strain (30-50). Between series of breaths, rest, closing your eyes and relaxing as much as possible (preferably without breathing at all), for 10-15 seconds.

4. Take 96 (12 times 8) breathing steps at a walking pace. You can take breaths while standing still, while walking around the room, shifting from foot to foot: forward - back, forward - back, the weight of the body is either on the leg standing in front, or on the leg standing behind. It is impossible to take long breaths at the pace of your steps. Think: “My legs are pumping air into me.” It helps. With every step - a breath, short, sharp and noisy. 5. Having mastered the movement, raise your right leg, squat slightly on your left, then lift your left, squat on your right. Get an easy dance move. Make sure that the movements and breaths go at the same time. Do not interfere or assist the exhalation after each inhalation. Don't stick your stomach out, don't put pressure on your chest, don't slouch. Repeat the breaths rhythmically and often. Do as many of them as you can easily do.

Let's get down to business

The first lessons are the most difficult. You learn to breathe according to a new system, not the way you were used to before. Therefore, the main focus is on the quality of breathing. To enjoy a new activity, be sure to ventilate the room well, or better yet, open the window or do a set of exercises outside. You should start your classes by studying the first three exercises of the complex: “Palms”, “Shoulder straps” and “Pump”. Perform the “Palms” exercise 24 times with 4 inhalations and movements; exercise “Epaulettes” – 12 times with 8 breaths-movements; exercise “Pump” – 8 breaths-movements. You will spend from 10 to 20 minutes on these exercises. Repeat them 2 times a day (morning and evening). It is better to exercise in the morning immediately after sleep, and in the evening some time before going to bed.

Attention! When working out in the evening, do the very first exercise – “Palms” – not with 4, but with 8 breath-movements in a row without stopping. Repeat 12 times for 8 breaths-movements. Don't try to put in more effort than required. Rest after every 8 breaths for 3-5 seconds.

Every day you will add one new exercise. Remember: only one at a time! Some people rush and start doing all the exercises on the first or second day of class. Do not do this under any circumstances! Your body needs to get used to the new requirements! The number of exercises is so small that you will still complete them all in a week. Why then rush? Repeat the exercises 2 times a day. Soon you will have no problems keeping the rhythm or moving. The body itself will remember them at the muscular level.

Here's how to do the first three exercises at the very beginning of classes.

"Palms"

Stand straight, arms bent at the elbows, palms turned away from you (Fig. 1a). Hold your arms so that your elbows are pointing down and not “walking” freely from side to side. Start taking noisy breaths through your nose and at the same time clench your palms into fists (Fig. 1b). It was as if they grabbed the air and squeezed it, grabbed it and squeezed it. Remember: you take 4 breaths in a row, always sharp and rhythmic. You can even turn on marching music, it really helps during practice. We completed one cycle, lowered our arms, rested for 3-4 seconds. We're working again. Again we take 4 cyclic breaths through our nose.

Please note that you should not hear the exhalation. Just listen to the breath. The shoulders are motionless during the exercise. Palms are located at chest level. No deviations from the scheme are allowed. Exercise in the position that is most comfortable for you. You can sit, stand or even lie down.

Perform 24 breaths (4 breaths at a time).

Attention! During the first few days you may feel dizzy during the exercise. There is nothing wrong with this, the breathing rhythm has just changed. This is a reaction to clearing the energy channels of your body. When the body gets used to it, the dizziness will go away. But while they are there, allow the body to work not at full strength. To do this, instead of doing the exercise while standing, do it while sitting. Give more time to rest: not 3-4 s, but 5-10 s between cycles.

"Epaulettes"

Starting position – standing. Clench your hands into fists and press them to your stomach at waist level (Fig. 2a). Inhale and sharply “press” your fists towards the floor (Fig. 2b), tense the muscles of the shoulder complex, pull your arms down well, while your shoulders remain motionless. We inhale for 8 beats. Have you taken a breath? Return to the starting position, automatically exhaling. Relax your shoulders. Do not raise your arms above your waist. All attention is focused only on the inhalation and the accompanying movement. Give yourself 3-4 seconds of rest between breathing cycles.

Your norm: 12 times 8 breaths.

"Pump"

Start from the starting position, spread your legs slightly wider than shoulder width, and lower your arms (Fig. 3a). Pick up a rolled-up newspaper or stick; Imagine it's a pump handle and you're pumping up a car tire. We bend forward slightly (Fig. 3b), stretch our hands towards the floor, but do not touch the floor itself (Fig. 3c). In the second half of the tilt, we take a sharp breath. Don't forget that your inhalation should be clearly audible. Calculate the inclination so that it is rhythmically connected with the inhalation. When the bend ends, the breath ends. Do not hold your breath as you straighten up, and don’t straighten up all the way. When you have finished bending, slightly raise your torso, but do not straighten your back completely.

The imaginary tire is not yet inflated; you need to quickly inflate it and drive on. Go to the incline again, accompany it with inhalation. Repeat the breaths simultaneously with the bends: often, rhythmically and easily. Don't raise your head. Look down at an imaginary pump. You need to perform 8 such inhalation movements.

After this, you can straighten up and exhale, rest for 3-4 seconds and repeat the cycle. The bends do not need to be deep, just bend at the waist. When tilted, the shoulders go slightly forward, the back is rounded, the head is lowered.

Repeat the exercise 12 times (8 breaths each).

But - pay special attention to this - there are patients for whom performing it is strictly prohibited, and people for whom it can only be performed in a very light, gentle form.

Contraindications: concussions, aortic aneurysm, serious spinal injuries, spinal disc shifts, hypertensive crisis.

Restrictions: cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, increased cranial, eye and blood pressure, kidney stones.

With these violations, only a very light, smooth tilt is made. Inhalation is noisy and sharp, exhalation is done automatically, through a slightly open mouth.

Basic set of exercises

These are the movements that need to be added one at a time each subsequent day after you have mastered the initial exercises. The main complex is divided into head movements and body movements (or main movements). Let's look at head movements first.

Turns

Take your starting position with your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width. Start turning your head left and right (Fig. 4), doing this sharply, at the pace of your steps. Simultaneously with each turn, inhale through your nose. Short, sharp, noisy. Turning to the right is a noisy inhalation, turning to the left is a noisy inhalation. Perform turns with inhalations for eight beats. Think: “It smells like burning! Where? Left? On right?" Sniff the air. Don’t hold your head in the middle, there are only turns. You can’t strain your neck, you can’t tilt your head.

Complete 12 cycles (8 breaths each).

This is not only an excellent breathing exercise, it develops the muscles of the neck and prevents the development of osteochondrosis. But there are diseases in which its implementation is limited and prohibited.

Contraindications: epilepsy (can give rise to the onset of an attack), hypertensive crisis, concussion, displacement of spinal discs (especially in the cervical region).

Restrictions: vegetative-vascular dystonia, increased intracranial, ocular or blood pressure, head contusions, osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine. In these cases, symbolic turns of the head are made, but the quality of breaths remains the same - noisy, sharp, active. You can do the exercise while sitting or lying down.

"Ears"

Take your starting position with your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width. We start shaking our heads. First, tilt your head slightly to the right (Fig. 5a), your right ear is directed towards your right shoulder - at the same time, take a short, noisy breath in through your nose. Then tilt your head to the left (Fig. 5b), your left ear is directed towards your left shoulder - inhale at the same time. Shake your head as if you were saying to someone: “Ah-ay-ay, what a shame!” Please note that the body and shoulders must be motionless. You cannot raise or lower your shoulders, you cannot pull your shoulder towards your ear. Only the head works. Simultaneously with each swing, an inhalation is performed. There are 8 movements in a cycle. Then rest for 3-4 seconds and a new cycle. Perform 12 cycles.

Contraindications

Restrictions: vegetative-vascular dystonia, osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine, increased eye, intracranial and blood pressure, head contusions. In all these cases, tilt your head a little; you can sit or lie down. Pay most attention to the quality of your inhalation.

"Small Pendulum"

Take your starting position with your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width. They lowered their heads down, looked at the floor and took a noisy, active breath (Fig. 6a). They raised their heads up, looked at the ceiling and took a noisy short breath (Fig. 6b). Nod your head forward - back, inhale - inhale. Think: “Where does the burning smell come from? From below? Above?" Look down - inhale from the floor, look up - inhale from the ceiling. Each cycle includes 8 head up and down movements. Do not hold your exhalations, let them occur automatically after inhalations, but do not forcefully throw out the air. Exhalations are silent, through an open mouth, freely.

If you can’t exhale through your mouth, you can, as a last resort, exhale through your nose (but not recommended). Complete 12 cycles in total.

Contraindications: concussion, epilepsy, hypertensive crisis.

Restrictions: vegetative-vascular dystonia, osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine, increased eye, intracranial and blood pressure, head contusions. In all these cases, tilt and raise your head a little, do not tilt your chin up or bend your neck sharply. You can do the exercise while sitting. Pay most attention to the quality of your inhalation.

"Cat"

The starting position is standing, legs apart slightly wider than shoulder width, hands at waist level (Fig. 7). Special note: do not lift your feet off the floor!

Remember the cat that sneaks up on the sparrow. Repeat her movements - squat a little, turn first to the right, then to the left (Fig. 8). Shift the weight of your body either to your right leg or to your left, depending on which direction you turn. You have already tried this in the initial exercises.

At first, you squat easily, playfully and slightly turn your whole body to the right - take a sharp short breath. Then you squat lightly and turn your torso to the left - take a sharp short breath.

Continue like this: turn left, turn right, inhale on the right - inhale on the left. Noisily sniff the air on the right, on the left at the pace of your steps. Exhalations should occur between inhalations automatically, involuntarily.

Attention! Bend your knees slightly and straighten (the squat is light, springy, do not squat deeply). While squatting with your hands, make grasping movements to the right and left at waist level. Do not hunch over, do not turn your whole body: your back is absolutely straight, turn only at the waist.

A total of 12 cycles need to be completed.

"Hug your shoulders"

Stand up straight. Raise your arms to shoulder level, bend your elbows. Turn your palms towards you and place them in front of your chest, just below your neck (Fig. 9a). Now “throw” your hands towards each other so that the left one hugs the right shoulder, and the right one hugs the left armpit (Fig. 9b). Pay attention that the arms go parallel to each other, and not crosswise (that is, shoulder - armpit, and not shoulder - shoulder). Do not change the position of your hands under any circumstances (it doesn’t matter which hand is on top - right or left); Do not spread it wide apart or strain it. Elbows should also not be extended. Perform the exercise at a walking pace. Simultaneously with each throw, when your hands are closest to each other, take short, noisy breaths. Think: “The shoulders help the air.” When you master this exercise, you can slightly tilt your head back at the moment of counter-movement of your arms (take a breath “from the ceiling”). Perform 12 cycles of 8 movements each. The exercise can be done in a sitting or lying position.

Contraindications: organic lesions of the cardiovascular system, the first week after a heart attack. Those who have suffered a heart attack are allowed to include the exercise only from the second week (like other exercises of the complex). In a serious condition, you need to do not 8 breath-movements in a row, but 4 or even 2, then rest for 3-5 seconds and again 2-4 breath-movements.

Pregnant women need to be careful: starting from the 6th month of pregnancy, the exercise is performed without throwing the head up, we work only with our hands, looking in front of us.

Restrictions: coronary heart disease, congenital heart defects.

"Big Pendulum"

This exercise consists of two already mastered - “Pump” and “Hug your shoulders”. Starting position - standing, legs apart slightly narrower than shoulder width. The exercise is performed in the rhythm of a march. We begin bending over, as in the “Pump” exercise, arms reaching towards the floor, taking an energetic noisy breath and then bending at the waist, bending back (“Hug me”), hugging your shoulders – a noisy breath. The movement is continuous, similar to a pendulum: “Pump” - “Hug your shoulders”, “Pump” - “Hug your shoulders”. Bend forward, hands reaching towards the ground - inhale, bend back, hands hug your shoulders - also inhale. Bow forward - lean back, inhale from the floor - inhale from the ceiling. Forward - back, inhale - inhale, tick-tock, tick-tock, like a pendulum (Fig. 10). The exhalation happens automatically, don’t wait for it, don’t push it out, don’t think about it at all.

Weakened patients can perform the exercise while sitting.

Restrictions: all diseases of the spine. If you have osteochondrosis, slipped discs or a spinal injury, then do not make any sudden movements. Lean forward only slightly, do not bend back at all. Direct all your attention to the quality of your inhalation!

"Rolls"

Starting position - standing, one leg in front, the other behind (there are 2 options for the exercise - for the left and for the right leg).

1. The left foot is in front of the right. Transfer the entire weight of your body to your left leg. The right foot lightly touches the floor, like a runner before the start. Bend it slightly at the knee, place it back on your toes, and lean on it a little to maintain balance. The left leg is straight (Fig. 11).

Start a light dance squat on your left leg: bend it slightly at the knee, take a short noisy breath in through your nose, instantly straighten your leg and transfer the weight back to your right leg. You also bend it and gracefully squat, taking a short noisy breath. At this moment, your left leg is slightly bent at the knee, but you are not leaning on it. Your task is to constantly “roll” from foot to foot, shifting the center of gravity, squat and accompany this movement with inhalation: forward - back, squat - squat, inhale - inhale.

Do not forget that you should lean on each leg in turn and squat on each leg in turn. Each squat is accompanied by an inhalation.

2. The right foot is in front of the left. We perform the exercise as described in point 1, changing legs (Fig. 12).

Perform 12 cycles of 8 breaths each.

Steps

1. Forward step. Take the starting position - standing, legs apart slightly narrower than shoulder width. Now lift your left leg, bend it at the knee and place it perpendicular to the body (the leg is raised up to the level of the abdomen). Please note that the leg is straight from the knee, the toe is pulled down, as in ballet.

The right leg is straight. All the heaviness is concentrated on her. Start a light squat on your right leg and at the same time take a short, noisy breath in through your nose. The left leg will rush even higher towards the stomach. Return to the starting position for a moment. Now lift your right leg up, bent at the knee, squat on your left leg and take a noisy breath.

Straighten both legs again, take the starting position (left knee up - back, right knee up - back). The back is straight. Don't slouch! Do not try to control the exhalation, it should happen automatically, preferably through the mouth.

You can complement the exercise by moving your hands towards each other. Squat down, knee up, hands touching at waist level. Returned to the starting position.

Move freely, easily, as if dancing. It is better to do the exercise with music. Perform 8 cycles (each cycle contains 8 breaths and movements). It is allowed to perform the exercise in a sitting and lying position.

2. Back step. The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise. Only now you need to move the bent leg not forward, but back. Squat on your right leg, move your left leg back, bent at the knee, and try to slap your buttocks with your heel. At the same time, take a noisy, sharp breath in through your nose.

Momentarily return to the starting position and switch legs. Now you slap your buttocks with your right foot and squat on your left. Inhalation occurs simultaneously with squatting. Exhale to the starting position. Please note that the exercise is performed rhythmically.

Perform the exercise 4 times (each cycle contains 8 breaths and movements).

Restrictions

1. If you have serious cardiovascular diseases, you should not raise your legs high. Limit yourself to light symbolic movements. Concentrate only on inhalation.

2. For thrombophlebitis and leg injuries, the exercise should be done lying on your back, perform only the “Forward step”. Do not pull your knee towards your stomach, but only slightly lift it up. Accompany the movement with a noisy inhalation. After a cycle of inhalations and movements, be sure to take a break of 5 to 10 seconds. In addition, in case of thrombophlebitis, a preliminary consultation with a surgeon is necessary before starting classes.

3. During pregnancy (starting from the 6th month), as well as with urolithiasis, do not raise your knees high. If any difficulties arise, it means that a lot of air is taken in when inhaling. Remember: the inhalation should not be voluminous, but active. Signs of proper exercise performance include tingling and dryness in the nose, redness of the eyes, and slight dizziness.

Features of the technique of A. N. Strelnikova

Treatment for stuttering

Strelnikova’s paradoxical breathing exercises are successfully used in the treatment of stuttering. In this gymnastics, as already mentioned, the main focus is on inhalation. The inhalation is very short, instantaneous, emotional and active. The main thing, according to A. N. Strelnikova, is to be able to hold your breath, to “hide” it. There is absolutely no need to think about exhalation; it happens spontaneously. This special property of breathing, according to Strelnikova, helps with stuttering.

The Pump and Shoulder Hug exercises are especially helpful. They need to be done 2 times a day. When performing the first exercise, the lungs are automatically filled with air and, which is very important for those who stutter, their lower part, which in people who stutter is not involved in breathing at all. The second exercise works to close the vocal cords, restores the automaticity of action, and speech begins to flow more freely.

For those who stutter, A. N. Strelnikova advises combining movements with pronouncing various sounds while inhaling.

While performing the “Pump” exercise, with each bend, vowel sounds or a series of sounds are pronounced as you exhale. Then it is recommended to pronounce the following sound combinations: “three”, “tre”, “tra”, “tru”; “kri”, “kre”, “kram”, “kru”; “at”, “pre”, “pra”, “pru”, etc.

In the following trainings, other combinations are added (arbitrarily): “rir”, “rur”, “rer”, “rar”; “lil”, “lul”, “lel”, “lal”; “mime”, “mum”, “meme”, “mom”; “nin”, “nun”, “nen”, “nan”; “viv”, “vuv”, “vev”, “vav”; “fif”, “fuf”, “fef”, “fav”; “ziz”, “zuz”, “zez”, “zaz”; “zhizh”, “zhuzh”, “zhuzh”, “zhuzh”; “shish”, “shush”, “shesh”, “shash”; “chich”, “chuch”, “chech”, “chach”; “shchsch”, “shchsch”, “shch”, “shch”.

This is followed by a special training for “latent” breathing: take a short breath while bending over, then hold your breath as much as possible; Now, without straightening up, you need to count out loud to eight. Gradually, the number of “eights” pronounced in one exhalation increases.

With one tightly held breath, you need to collect as many “eights” as possible. From the third or fourth training, the utterance of “eights” by stutterers is combined not only with bending, but also with the “Half squats” exercises. The main thing, according to A. N. Strelnikova, is to feel the breath “caught in a fist” and show restraint, repeating out loud the maximum number of “eights” while holding your breath tightly. Of course, this exercise is preceded in each workout by the entire set of exercises listed above.

In addition, special exercises are performed to train the voice.

Exercise 1

Take a comfortable standing position, check the muscle freedom of your neck and shoulders. Now slightly pull the lower abdominal muscles inward and upward, take a silent breath through your nose, slightly expanding the lower part of the ribs. When inhaling correctly, the diaphragm does not make sudden movements.

Exercise 2

Exhale slowly, feeling light pressure from the lower abdominal muscles inward and upward. The lips feel the warmth of the exhaled air. This exercise forms the correct breathing support. It needs to be done several times a day.

Exercise 3

When exercise 2 becomes familiar to you and its implementation has become automatic, turn on the sound. Then, while doing this exercise, say the phrases. The next stage of training is to perform the exercise simultaneously with movements: walking, dancing, running.

Exercise 4

A special exercise to control inhalation and exhalation.

Place your palm on the middle of your abdomen to control its movement as you breathe. In your other hand, take a handkerchief soaked in perfume or a flower with a strong scent, bring it to your face and calmly inhale the aroma through your nose.

In the meantime, watch yourself in the mirror. The shoulders should not rise, and the upper part of the chest should move as inconspicuously as possible. Then slowly exhale the air through your teeth with the sound “sh-sh-sh” or “s-s-s”. It is enough to take 5-6 such inhalations and exhalations.

Exercise 5

Place your fingers folded together on both sides of your nose. Take in a little air, then pronounce a long consonant sound “mm-mm” or “n-n-n”, directing it upward into the nasal cavity. Vibration should be felt under your fingers.

If that doesn’t work, try repeating the words “don-n-n” or “bom-mm” through your nose. Try to ensure that the sound also vibrates in the area of ​​the upper lip and in the wings of the nose.

Exercise 6

At the next stage of training, exhaling air, begin to draw out whole letter combinations: “mi-mi-mi”, “mo-mo-mo” or “ma-ma-ma”. This is exactly what singers do when they sing. You can also hum “ni-na-no”, “bi-ba-bo”. In the future, using the sounds “m” or “n”, you can “hum” entire melodies with your nose.

Exercise 7

Lower your head to your chest and, pressing your chin to it, while exhaling, pronounce the sounds “o-o-o” or “oo-oo-oo” in a deep voice. Continue the sound as long as you can breathe.

Place your hand on the upper chest, you can lightly pat the chest with your palm. This will increase the vibration of the vocal cords and the force of their vibration.

Exercise 8

Learn to use the deep lower costal type of breathing, in which the diaphragm actively participates. She must regulate the pressure under the vocal cords so that they do not have to overexert themselves.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to speak up. As soon as you master breathing exercises, the panic fear of the possibility of stuttering in speech will pass. Your lungs will open, your vocal cords will begin to listen to you, and the spasms will subside.

Your speech will become beautiful and smooth.

Treatment of bronchial asthma

Strelnikova’s gymnastics are very effective in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Here are recommendations for relieving an asthmatic attack given by Strelnikova’s student M.I. Shchetinin.

First of all, you need to know how to cough. Before a coughing attack, quickly lower your head and look at the floor (your neck is completely relaxed - do not strain it under any circumstances!); Place your palms on your stomach so that the umbilical fossa is strictly between your palms. Simultaneously with coughing attacks, push your palms down on your stomach and cough into the floor. This is safe for those around you (saliva and mucus will not splash around, you will cough up at your feet), and your phlegm will come out easier and your vocal cords will not be injured. In this case, the tension of the abdominal press will be transferred to the diaphragm, lifting it and “pushing” mucus out.

The “Pump” exercise to relieve suffocation in bronchial asthma should be performed as follows: as soon as you feel an attack approaching, sit down, rest your palms on your knees and take 2-4 noisy short breaths through your nose. Bend over slightly (head down, elbows bent) - take a noisy short breath in through your nose. Straighten up slightly, but do not straighten all the way (palms are still on your knees, your elbows are bent less) - exhale through your mouth.

Immediately again, slightly bend forward with your head down - take a sharp, noisy breath. Straighten up slightly again - exhale absolutely passively through your mouth (imperceptibly and silently, without holding in or pushing out the air, don’t even think about it). After 2 breaths-movements, rest for a few seconds. And once again take 2-4 breaths-movements in a row. And again rest.

There is no need to count how many movements have been made. Mentally count only 2 or 4 breaths and rest. So “sniff” for 10-15 minutes until it becomes easier.

If it’s so hard for you that even inhaling when bending forward doesn’t help, sit down, lean forward, head down freely, elbows on your knees, back round. Without moving, noisily and briefly “sniff” your nose 2 times. And rest for a few seconds after every two breaths (without moving). Send inhalation to the lower back, to the maximum depth of the lungs.

Make sure that your shoulders do not rise or twitch as you inhale. This is a very important condition for performing the exercise: due to the fact that the shoulders do not rise when inhaling, the air reaches the most distant corners of the lungs. Breathing deepens, the lungs are filled with more air, and the asthmatic stops suffocating.

Before performing the “Pump” exercise, it is advisable to tie your belt around your waist with a wide leather belt, or a long scarf, or a towel: the main thing is that the belt should neither tighten your waist nor dangle. And when you, sitting with your head down, noisily “sniff” your nose, “rest” your lower back against the belt, feel it on you. This will help you practice breathing “in the back”, sent to the maximum depth of the lungs. The “Pump” exercise can stop not only attacks of suffocation, but also heart attacks, as well as attacks of pain in the liver.

If this exercise does not improve your condition, immediately use an inhaler or take medication.

Attention! You need to use medications after you were unable to cope with an attack using the breathing method! Every patient knows the severity of his illness. If you have been using only medications for a long time, it will be difficult for you to switch to eliminating attacks with breathing; the fear that you will not cope will constantly stop you. But even for the most severe forms of asthma, try supplementing your medication with breathing exercises first.

Practice your breathing constantly, day after day, and you will realize that the attacks have become less severe and occur less frequently. But it takes a lot of work before you stop depending on chemicals.

Contraindications to performing gymnastics using the Strelnikova method

Strelnikova’s gymnastics, for all its undoubted advantages, is not without its drawbacks and has some contraindications.

First of all, these are oncological diseases, severe circulatory disorders, and brain damage.

In addition, you need to be careful when practicing this gymnastics for a long time - in 1999, biochemist Z. F. Frolov noted that after many years of practice of paradoxical gymnastics, atherosclerotic tissue damage increases: “The alveoli and their capillaries, the heart, kidneys, brain, lower extremities suffer “The fact is that when the frequency of inhalations is equal to the pulse frequency (and this is one of the features of Strelnikova’s gymnastics), most of the red blood cells are energetically overexcited. The release of excess energy leads to damage to the inner lining of blood vessels.

What's the solution? If gymnastics according to Strelnikova has been practiced for a long time and has become a habit, then it is recommended to supplement it with endogenous breathing according to Frolov (see below). It is accompanied by a small replenishment of the lungs with air against the background of very long exhalations. It turns out that with massive and moderate electronic recharging of red blood cells, the blood restores the inner surface of blood vessels and the capillary network in all sections.

A brief overview of some other Russian breathing practices

Volitional elimination of deep breathing - method of K. P. Buteyko

According to the theory of K. P. Buteyko, all diseases begin when the concentration of carbon dioxide drops below a certain level. This occurs as a result of excessive ventilation of the lungs, which happens in most people due to improper (deep) breathing - too frequent a rhythm of inhalations of a significant volume. To avoid this, it is necessary to maintain a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide in the lungs, at which physiological processes in cells proceed normally. For this purpose (bringing the carbon dioxide concentration to the normal level of 6.5%), Buteyko recommends training in controlled breathing, eliminating the habit of breathing frequently and deeply.

A person who breathes forcefully and excessively thinks that he is saturating himself with oxygen, but in fact he narrows blood vessels by 2-3 times and reduces blood flow to the brain, heart, and kidneys by about 4-6 times. This detrimental effect is even more pronounced in patients with angina and hypertension, whose blood vessels are already noticeably narrowed. Their tissues die from lack of oxygen, although the blood is saturated with it to the limit.

Increased breathing excites the nervous system, this excitation is transmitted to the respiratory center, which further excites breathing, and thus the first vicious circle is closed.

Then, the oxygen starvation of tissues caused by vasoconstriction through nerve and other connections also excites the respiratory center and leads to even more intense breathing and even greater vasoconstriction. Another vicious circle is closing. Almost all patients, wanting to catch their breath, breathe greedily and deeply... and suffocate more and more.

You can verify the validity of what has been said by asking a patient with angina to breathe hard: it is very likely that immediately or after 2-5 minutes he will develop a typical attack of angina, which can be stopped without medication - just switch to rare and shallow breathing. An unexpected mild attack of angina pectoris can, as a rule, be eliminated by small and rare breathing.

For a “chronic” decrease in blood pressure, longer, gradual training in rare breathing is needed, since the disturbances in the body with hypertension are much deeper.

Buteyko concluded: if the root cause of these diseases is respiratory failure, in particular its excess, then correcting breathing should cure the disease. And indeed: later Buteyko established that correcting breathing not only relieves the above diseases, but also prevents their complications, such as myocardial infarction, cerebral hemorrhages, kidney and vascular damage. In any case, Buteyko had no doubt that there is a large group of diseases directly or indirectly related to physiologically unjustified excessive breathing. Buteyko began to call such diseases diseases of deep breathing.

What are the real results of using the Buteyko method? This method is capable of:

· relieve an attack of suffocation during bronchial asthma in just a few minutes;

·· stop painful cough;

·· free up nasal breathing during rhinitis;

·· stop allergic reactions;

·· prevent new manifestations of the disease without the help of medications;

·· restore proper metabolism;

·· increase immunity;

·· achieve stable remission in chronic diseases;

·· reduce the duration of treatment many times.

There is an impressive list of symptoms, diseases and their consequences that can be cured with shallow breathing.

1. Headaches, convulsions.

2. Dizziness, fainting.

3. Sleep disturbance.

4. Noise in the ears.

5. Fatigue.

6. Irritability.

7. Hot temper.

8. Poor concentration.

9. Hearing impairment.

10. Paresthesia (loss of sensation, usually of the limbs).

11. Startling in sleep.

12. Tremor and tic.

13. Flashing in the eyes, a grid before the eyes.

14. Increased intraocular pressure.

15. Pain when moving the eyes up and to the sides.

16. Crises of the diencephalic and vegetative dystonic type (sweating, chilliness, causeless chills).

17. Instability of body temperature such as thermoneurosis.

18. Signs of hyperthyroidism, dysthyroidism.

19. Obesity.

20. Exhaustion.

21. Phenomena of pathological menopause.

22. Toxicoses of pregnancy.

23. Fibromyomas.

24. Mastopathy.

25. Infertility.

26. Miscarriages.

27. Erosion and polyps of the cervix.

28. Painful periods and cycle disorders.

29. Spasms of the larynx and bronchi (asthma attacks).

30. Shortness of breath.

31. Breathing through your mouth.

32. Respiratory arrhythmias.

33. Periodic feeling of lack of air.

34. Feeling of insufficient inhalation.

35. Feeling of limited mobility of the chest.

36. Fear of stuffiness.

37. Rhinitis of the vasomotor type.

38. Loss of smell.

39. Laryngitis, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis.

40. Tendency to colds (bronchitis, flu).

41. Cough (dry or with sputum).

42. Dry mouth or nasopharynx.

43. Radio damage.

44. Pulmonary emphysema.

45. Chronic pneumonia.

46. ​​Bronchiectasis and spontaneous pneumothorax.

47. Chest pain of various types.

48. Poor posture.

49. Tachycardia.

50. Extrasystole.

51. Paroxysmal tachycardia.

52. Spasms of blood vessels of the heart, limbs, brain, kidneys.

53. Protein in urine.

54. Bedwetting.

55. Oxalates, urates in urine.

56. Nocturia.

57. Chilliness of the limbs and other areas.

58. Pain in the heart area.

59. Angina.

60. Hypertension.

61. Varicose veins.

62. Marbling of the skin.

63. Fragility of blood vessels (bleeding gums, nosebleeds).

64. Feeling of pulsation in various areas (pulsating tinnitus).

65. Myocardial infarction.

66. Stroke.

67. Increased blood clotting.

68. Thrombosis (thrombophlebitis).

69. Hypercholesterolemia.

70. Eosinophilia.

71. Anemia.

72. Decreased, increased appetite.

73. Drooling.

74. Loss or perversion of taste.

75. Pain in the epigastric region.

76. Colitis (constipation, diarrhea).

77. Pain in the right hypochondrium.

78. Heartburn.

79. Belching.

80. Nausea, vomiting.

81. Flatulence.

82. Gastritis and peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.

83. Rapid physical fatigue.

84. Muscle pain.

85. Muscle cramps.

86. Pain in the tubular bones.

87. Dry skin.

88. Pustular rash.

89. Itchy skin.

90. Eczema.

91. Psoriasis.

92. Paleness.

93. Acrocyanosis.

94. Quincke's edema.

95. Facial pastiness.

96. Lipomatosis.

97. Infiltrates (post-injection).

98. Osteophytes and salt deposits.

99. Cholesterol deposits on the skin.

As you can see, the list is quite impressive. It's time to learn how you can master the Buteyko method yourself in order to achieve the desired result.

Practical mastery of the method

There is one immutable rule in the Buteyko method. It is otherwise called the five finger rule. The five finger rule says:

(1) Decrease

(2) depth

(3) breathing

(4) relaxation of the diaphragm

(5) until you feel a slight lack of air.

This rule is very simple: the desire to inhale must persist throughout the entire session. That is, the usual amount of air is “not getting” all the time, the body is accustomed to a new program for it.

Holding your breath helps develop proper breathing, but the main element of gymnastics is reducing the depth of inhalation.

To prevent yourself from taking deep breaths, it is recommended to tighten your chest with a tight belt during exercise. Correct breathing should not be audible or even visible.

1. Breathe for a few minutes so that neither your stomach nor chest moves.

2. Hold your breath.

3. Take shallow breaths for 2-3 minutes (so that you want to inhale more air each time). Inhale every 15, 20, 25, 30 seconds. When inhaling, do not hold your breath, immediately exhale and hold it as you exhale. Inhale only through your nose. If it is very difficult to hold on, deep, convulsive breaths break through, reduce the pause, but continue to inhale shallowly and at regular intervals. Don't constantly watch the clock hand. Try to count down to yourself and guess when the required period of time has passed and you can breathe, only periodically controlling yourself by looking at the clock.

Rare breathing

Level 1: 1-5 s – inhale, 5 s – exhale, 5 s – pause; This results in 4 breaths per minute.

Perform for 1 minute, then, without stopping breathing, move to the next level.

Level 2: 2-5 s – inhale, 5 s – hold your breath while inhaling, 5 s – exhale, 5 s – pause; This results in 3 breaths per minute.

Perform for 2 minutes.

Level 3: 3 – 7.5 s – inhale, 7.5 s – hold, 7.5 s – exhale, 5 s – pause; That's 2 breaths per minute.

Perform for 3 minutes.

Level 4: 4-10 s – inhale, 10 s – hold, 10 s – exhale, 10 s – pause; This results in 1.5 breaths per minute.

Double breath holding

First, a maximum pause on exhalation is performed 1 time, then a maximum pause on inhalation.

Then: maximum pause in a sitting position – 3–10 times; maximum pause in walking in place – 3–10 times; maximum pause while running in place – 3-10 times; maximum pause in squats is 3-10 times.

Shallow breathing

Sitting in a comfortable position for maximum relaxation, we perform a chest breathing exercise. We gradually reduce the volume of inhalation and exhalation, bringing it to invisible breathing or breathing at the level of the nasopharynx. During such breathing, first a slight, then a moderate or even severe lack of air will appear, confirming that the exercise is being performed correctly. You need to perform shallow breathing for 3 to 10 minutes.

All exercises must be performed with breathing through the nose and without noise. Before and after performing the complex, control measurements are taken: MP - maximum pause, pulse.

Normal MP for adults is: satisfactory – 30 s, good – 60 s, excellent – ​​90 s.

Pulse: satisfactory – 70 beats/min, good – 60 beats/min, excellent – ​​50 beats/min.

For children of middle and high school age, MP is normally 1/3 less, pulse is 10 beats/min more. For children of preschool and primary school age, the MP is 2/3 less, the pulse is 20 beats per minute more.

It is advisable to perform a set of exercises on an empty stomach.

Shallow breathing with elements of physical activity

Stand up straight, exhale as usual and, without inhaling, perform several movements from the usual complex of general physical training at an average pace or below average. Take your time.

1. Raise your outstretched arms to the sides, inhaling every 10 movements.

2. Bend over, inhaling through 5-6 movements.

3. Do the “mill” in an inclined position, inhaling through 8-10 movements.

4. In the same way, you can perform rotational movements with your arms and head, bending your torso to the sides and other light physical exercises. Don't forget that you need to inhale less than you want.

In the first year of training, you should exercise 6 times a day every 4 hours, starting at midnight (0 hours). Each session initially lasts 25 minutes (5 sets of 5 minutes) and is gradually increased to an hour (6 sets of 10 minutes). With a successfully reduced inhalation volume, you can achieve an increase in the CP value by 1 s per week. For example, the initial value of the CP is 15 s (this figure is quite common). In 45 weeks you can add 45 seconds and bring the CP to 60 seconds. And this, according to Buteyko, is the norm inherent in a healthy person. The labor intensity of the classes is high - 45 weeks of 7 days and 6 hours of classes daily; total - 1890 hours in the first year.

In order to consolidate a healthy breathing rhythm (8 cycles per minute) and its minute volume (about 3 liters of air per minute), developed during the 1st year of training, in the 2nd year the volume of training is reduced to 2 times a day (for an hour). In the 3rd year, a one-hour lesson daily is recommended.

CP is monitored throughout the entire period of morning classes. It should not decrease - on the contrary, it should increase, although very slowly: by about 1 s per week. If the CP value nevertheless decreases, then an additional course of training is carried out in order to compensate for the decrease.

Contraindications

Despite? that breathing training according to Buteyko does not require any special conditions or equipment, the danger of crossing the acceptable line of insufficient breathing makes it difficult to independently master this method. There are people with reduced sensitivity to carbon dioxide and high volitional motivation. When training using the Buteyko method, they can get too carried away and exceed the permissible concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood, which leads to dangerous consequences.

It is better to learn this method not on your own, but in special clinics (Buteyko clinics exist in many cities of the country).

In addition, many practitioners advise using this method with caution for other reasons. Although there is evidence that at an early stage this breathing can reverse the development of tumor processes (we are talking about benign tumors), doctors do not recommend using Buteyko breathing to treat tumors. Under no circumstances should you try to escape by breathing from surgical intervention in acute inflammatory processes. Peritonitis, abscesses, suppuration, gangrene cannot be “breathed.”

Studies have also shown that the Buteyko method cannot help in all cases of bronchial asthma.

In particular, it is not suitable for patients with high pressure in the pulmonary arteries. It does not help in case of constant oxygen starvation of tissues.

V. F. Frolov’s method – endogenous respiration

When doctors diagnosed Vladimir Fedorovich Frolov with tuberculosis in 1963, he had no idea that in the future he would give other sick people hope for recovery by creating a special device for breathing training. Then he just really wanted to get better quickly and therefore began to study respiratory systems for healing.

Most of all he liked the Buteyko breathing system. Only one thing in this system did not suit him: according to the Buteyko method, patients must exercise 5–6 hours a day, that is, live in this mode. In addition, many people were unable to master the Buteyko method on their own and needed the constant guidance of experienced instructors. Frolov didn’t like this either. “This factor did not suit me,” notes V. Frolov. “If there is a breathing method that does not require special conditions and equipment, why can’t you use it at home, on your own?”

In parallel with the Buteyko method, Frolov also became acquainted with “normobaric hypoxia” by Professor R.B. Strelkov, where the healing effect is achieved by inhaling an air mixture with an oxygen concentration reduced to 9-15%. The released carbon dioxide is absorbed by a special device so that its concentration does not exceed the permissible limit. Frolov learned that the hypoxic breathing method also has a beneficial effect on the body.

The analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the Buteyko method had a very specific goal: the idea of ​​​​creating a universal device that should be inexpensive and at the same time effective took root more and more deeply in Frolov’s consciousness. The result was a breathing simulator, the model of which Frolov created in 1989. He was helped by his acquired engineering knowledge in the field of the movement of liquids and gases, as well as his inventive spirit. He began collecting information about new means and methods of healing back in the 1970s, feeling the need to strengthen his own health by unlocking the body's reserves.

In an effort to use the healing effects of both alveolar oxygen starvation (hypoxia) (Strelnikova’s method) and hypercapnia (Buteyko’s method), when creating the simulator, Frolov took into account the resistance to inhalation and exhalation and an additional capacity that enhances the effect of recurrent breathing.

At the end of 1989, the prototype of the device was reviewed by a commission of the Ministry of Health. Then it was tested at the 2nd Medical Institute of Moscow, after which industrial samples were made and clinical trials began. They took place in 1990-1995. in the clinics of leading medical research institutes of Russia: Research Institute "Sport", Research Institute of Pediatrics, 2nd Moscow Medical Institute, Medical Radiological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, etc. Positive results were obtained, and in December 1995, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation allowed the use of the simulator in medical practice.

Since 1997, thanks to the support of the Dynamika company (Novosibirsk), the simulator has been produced in large quantities and distributed throughout the country through the pharmacy chain. The TDI-01 device and the method of its use are quite simple, convenient and highly effective. That is why, by decree of the Russian Government of January 17, 2002, the Frolov breathing simulator was included in the list of the most important, vital medical products.

The success of the new breathing technique according to Frolov was expressed in the mass improvement of people of various age groups. This is due to the fact that with the help of the simulator, the interaction of air with blood through thin lung tissue is finely and precisely regulated, the respiratory surface of the lungs is almost maximally used, and the blood in them is saturated with charged red blood cells.

Such a powerful electronic recharging of the blood gives it a rejuvenating effect on the inner lining of blood vessels, helps to use the entire capillary network of the body and, most importantly, stimulates cellular respiration everywhere.

The simulator is an aerosol chamber with a breathing tube placed in a container. For inhalation, a soda solution is used, as well as an infusion or extract of medicinal plants, oil emulsion, etc. The liquid is heated to 40-60 °C; to maintain the temperature, the simulator is placed in a water bath. The device is so cleverly designed that it provides resistance to inhalation and exhalation, forcing the body to get used to the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide and decreasing concentration of oxygen in it. As a result of training, a person learns to supply the body with oxygen without air - endogenous respiration.

While the 5-year clinical trials were ongoing, the creator of the simulator independently specified the time parameters, PDA, type of breathing, volume of water in the simulator, breathing resistance during inhalation and exhalation, etc.

Frolov used a method borrowed from athletes: each subsequent breathing training began from the previous mastered level. Consistently and very gradually, the period of the respiratory cycle - the time from the beginning of one breath to the beginning of another - lengthened. Frolov called the period of the respiratory cycle PDA (duration of the respiratory act). The successful implementation of this principle showed: the body manages to live longer and longer on the same portion of fresh air, which indicates a more efficient metabolism and greater energy production.

The inventor became interested in gradually increasing the PDA. “This was one of the main incentives along the way for a year and a half,” writes V. Frolov. – Today my students master endogenous breathing in 2-3 months, having a good technique and a clear understanding of the goal. I walked slowly, as if in the dark, through an unfamiliar forest. I remember how proud I was when I could take 4 breaths per minute on the simulator, and compared myself with yogis when I could manage with one breath per minute without the apparatus.”

When the PDA exceeded 5 minutes, which is comparable to the maximum breath-hold of pearl hunters, this phenomenon required a scientific explanation. But science was silent. And yet, the slow recovery in all respects indicated that Frolov had a truly effective method in his hands. Therefore, the increase in PDA continued in the same experimental way.

If before the PDA of 60-70 s the increase from session to session was 1 s, then upon reaching the PDA of 70 s its value began to increase spasmodically, for several tens of seconds. The day came when Vladimir Fedorovich extended the exhalation delay to 30 minutes! The conclusion suggested itself: breathing training with a fixed resistance to inhalation and a very long exhalation helps the body self-supply with oxygen. This is how amazing pulmonary reserves were found, the use of which brings healing effects.

Following brilliant practice, theory appeared. Doctor G.N. Petrakevich in the early 90s. XX century proved that the cells of the body provide themselves with energy and oxygen, as a rule, due to the oxidation of acids included in the structure of cell membranes. The essence of the processes through which the cells of organs and tissues are stimulated to active work was revealed. This conveyor includes: breathing - slow burning, electronic excitation of red blood cells, production of energy potential by red blood cells during their movement through the blood vessels, transfer of electronic excitation to the target cell. The power and reliability of the internal energy conveyor can be seen from the following example. In the circulatory system of a person weighing 70 kg at rest, about 3 kg of red blood cells are turned over every minute.

Based on the theory of breathing proposed by G.N. Petrakevich, V.F. Frolov built a healing method with which he could count on success. He made a stunning conclusion - the rate of aging depends on how a person breathes. He managed to find a mechanism that, with the help of breathing, can control the fundamental processes of energy supply to cells, metabolism, and the formation of a high immune status. There are objective data confirming the regularity of the processes taking place.

A study of the metabolism and energy parameters of cells in endogenous breathers shows that their body functions at a much more efficient level. The level of cellular energy is increased by 2–4 times, the number of free radicals, the excess of which is associated with tissue aging, is reduced by 4–8 times, and body temperature decreases by 1.3–1.5 °C. These results belong to the category of the highest scientific achievements and cannot be reproduced even in laboratory conditions. According to scientists, maintaining such parameters in the body increases life expectancy by more than 1.5 times. Many people of retirement age have significantly improved their health after several months of using the Frolov simulator. The fact of getting rid of such notorious age-related diseases as hypertension, excess weight, joint stiffness, atherosclerosis, etc., confirms the unique impact of the new breath on the body according to Frolov.

Independent mastery of endogenous breathing

Frolov offers two types of training:

· in hypoxic mode (that is, with a decrease in oxygen content);

·in endogenous mode (transition to internal breathing).

Hypoxic regime

Breathing training is usually carried out 2-3 hours after meals, 1-2 times a day. The tube is placed in the mouth and the nose is pinched with two fingers (after 1-2 weeks this will no longer be necessary). Then take a short (2 s) inhalation and a long continuous exhalation. You need to breathe not with the chest, but with the diaphragm (when you inhale, the stomach protrudes, and when you exhale, it falls).

I would like to dwell on diaphragmatic breathing in more detail. What is the meaning of such breathing? Why is it, along with other factors of health-improving breathing exercises according to V.F. Frolov (moderate hypoxia and hypercapnia, exhalation through water resistance, mountain air) placed at the forefront?

The fact is that the diaphragm seems to divide the human body into two parts: the chest and abdominal cavities. Above the diaphragm are the heart and lungs, working in a single circuit. Below are the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and pancreas, spleen, pelvic organs (in women), prostate gland (in men), kidneys and ureters.

So imagine: you take a breath - the diaphragm goes down. In this case, in addition to the fact that air, as a result of vacuum, enters the lower parts of the lungs, a mechanical massage of the abdominal organs also occurs, which has a beneficial effect on the activity of all organs, for example, the gastrointestinal tract. People who have suffered from constipation for decades feel better after 2-3 weeks and their stool returns to normal.

In addition to massaging the abdominal organs, the diaphragm performs another function. It, like a powerful pump, helps to “accelerate” blood throughout the body, improving microcirculation (by the way, in our body the length of blood vessels is 110 thousand km). That is why, almost from the first days of using TDI-01, the blood supply to the vessels improves, then the vascular bed of the arteries, veins, and capillaries is restored and, as a result, warming of the extremities occurs, and noise in the head and ears disappears.

When you exhale, the abdominal walls retract, the lungs rise, decreasing in volume, and they are massaged. This is especially important for bronchopulmonary pathologies (bronchitis, bronchial asthma, silicosis, etc.). Thanks to this massage (along with other factors), particles of dust, mucus, phlegm, tar from tobacco use, etc. are rejected from the lungs. As a result of the lung massage, cleansing occurs, bronchopatency improves, and shortness of breath goes away.

Massage of the lungs and, as a result, their cleansing is the most important result of diaphragmatic breathing.

When mastering diaphragmatic breathing, it is necessary to pay attention to one feature regarding the complete compression of the diaphragm when exhaling. Such compression is excluded in case of hypertension, because a fully compressed diaphragm, “hugging” the heart and lungs, increases intrathoracic and intrapulmonary pressure. What to do? Breathe diaphragmatically, but avoid complete compression of the diaphragm until arterial breathing normalizes.

Let's return to mastering the technique of hypoxic breathing according to Frolov. Inhalation and exhalation are gradually lengthened by increasing the exhalation time. When the time of the respiratory phase increases to 15 s, they switch to portioned exhalation. That is, they do not exhale all the air at once, but in parts. Each exhalation takes 6 seconds, then a pause to relax the abdomen (1 second) and a new exhalation. As you train, the total exhalation time will increase. The number of “portions” will also increase. The duration of breathing training is selected individually, depending on the state of health and subjective sensations, and can vary from 5 to 15 minutes. Maximum training time is 40 minutes per day.

Weakened people are allowed to inhale through the nose and exhale into a tube (15-16 ml of water is poured into the device). Systematic breathing training with a gradual increase in sessions from 5 to 20 minutes leads to improved pulmonary ventilation and sputum discharge.

Breathing exercises on the simulator are performed 2-3 hours after meals, usually in the evening, before bed, 1 time per day. In some cases, on the recommendation of a doctor, a second lesson is held.

The duration of classes in the first week is 10–15 minutes, then gradually (1 minute per day) increases to 30-40 minutes per day. The duration of the main course of daily training on the Frolov breathing simulator is 4-6 months. In the future, to maintain health, you can also exercise daily or 2–4 times a week (preventative course).

Attention! After evening breathing exercises, it is advisable not to eat until the morning; you can drink a glass of water or unsweetened tea, juice, or compote.

Patients with diabetes, children and pregnant women, as well as in hypoglycemic conditions, are allowed to take small portions of food after an evening workout if they feel hungry or as recommended by a doctor.

Endogenous regime

After mastering the hypoxic breathing mode, you can move on to training in the endogenous mode. The structure of the respiratory act changes in order to ensure additional absorption of small portions of air into the lungs and relaxation of the diaphragm. It is recommended that after each exhaled portion, except the last, microsuction of a small portion of air through the nose.

After a normal inhalation without a pause, the first portion is exhaled sparingly. At the same time, the stomach relaxes, the chest and shoulders settle by 3-4 cm as you exhale. Then the chest and shoulders rise to their previous position within 1 second and thus the 2nd portion is exhaled, etc. The last portion is exhaled in the usual manner, and another breath is taken.

Attention is paid to the relaxation and forward position of the abdomen during the period of involuntary inhalation of each portion of air. The nose remains passive when raising the chest and shoulders. The air itself will enter the lungs.

Possible mistakes: expansion of the chest, greater amplitude of rise and fall of the chest and shoulders. It is best to master non-apparatus endogenous breathing while walking calmly. Exhalation should be extremely minimal. To do this, you need to accumulate air in the lungs and periodically release it in small portions.

The duration of exhalation is 3-6 s, the intervals between exhalations are 2-3 s. This doesn't happen right away. It is recommended to push the air out extremely economically through closed lips with approximately the same resistance as on a simulator. Gradually, on a daily basis, endogenous respiration will replace external respiration. As conditioned reflexes become established, endogenous breathing becomes around the clock.

Chronical bronchitis

During training on the simulator, the condition of the respiratory muscles improves, which leads to the cleaning of the bronchi from dust, sputum, and mucus. Bronchial patency and gas exchange in the pulmonary circulation are significantly enhanced. For bronchitis, it is recommended to use the simulator for inhalation.

Bronchial asthma

For bronchial asthma, the use of the device increases the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which helps stop bronchospasms. Ventilation improves and the manifestation of bronchial obstruction decreases. It becomes easier for the patient to withstand physical activity.

Emphysema

The device helps relieve bronchospasms, while simultaneously thinning mucus and improving its separation from the trachea and bronchi. Exercises on the simulator help reduce tissue swelling and relieve hypoxia of the bronchial mucosa. As a result, respiratory failure is compensated and the general condition of the patient improves. In addition, it is recommended to supplement training with inhalations on the device.

Focal pulmonary tuberculosis

The device serves as an excellent addition to drug treatment of the disease, but in no case replaces it. The recommended rhythm of classes is once a day before bedtime, preferably between 21.00 and 23.00. Dinner no later than 3-4 hours before class. After the procedure you can neither drink nor eat. Strict adherence to the instructions allows you to use breathing training for healing with the greatest impact.

During the first month, breathing time increases by 30 seconds daily. During the second month, the achieved duration is maintained. During the third month, the duration of classes is gradually increased to 40 minutes and remains at this level until complete recovery.

Cardiac ischemia

Breathing on the simulator helps eliminate spasms of the coronary vessels. Thanks to the increase in oxygen content in the arterial blood, the heart begins to work normally. Metabolism in cells is activated, and the development of atherosclerosis, cardiosclerosis and heart attack is prevented.

However, the TDI-01 device cannot replace drug therapy for coronary artery disease, so you cannot independently cancel prescribed medications and be treated only with the help of a simulator. Constant medical supervision and ECG monitoring are required.

Hypertonic disease

The Frolov simulator allows you to reduce the tone of the brain and peripheral vessels, improve the metabolism of neurons, the functional state of the brain, and heart function.

Thanks to the body's adaptation to hypoxia, a persistent antihypertensive effect is produced.

Vegetovascular dystonia

The main cause of this disease is constant hyperventilation of the lungs. Using the Frolov simulator, the very fact of hyperventilation is eliminated, the functional activity of the brain increases, and impaired body functions are restored. As a result, the person recovers.

Asthenic syndrome

With asthenic syndrome, tissue respiration in the cerebral cortex is impaired and the energy of brain cells is reduced. The simulator helps restore tissue respiration and increases the energy of brain cells; In addition, the hardware effect tones the subcortical structures during each workout. The functional activity of the brain is restored, the general physical and mental state of a person improves.

Pathological menopause

With pathological menopause, all systems of the body suffer, and complex multisystem disorders occur. However, regular training on the simulator eliminates these phenomena almost completely. In general, this is due to improved breathing quality, increased oxygen supply to brain cells and normalization of metabolism. In addition, the device has a beneficial effect on the state of the psycho-emotional sphere.

Osteochondrosis

The simulator has proven to be an indispensable assistant for osteochondrosis. Constant breathing training improves blood supply to the back muscles, relieves tissue swelling, allows the body to improve the elimination of toxins and activate the cleansing of salt deposits. The patient's condition improves significantly.

Atherosclerosis

With atherosclerosis, blood vessels become blocked, become overgrown with cholesterol plaques, and blood circulation is impaired. Training on the device improves blood circulation: plaques dissolve, metabolism improves, lipid metabolism improves.

Diseases caused by metabolic disorders

All so-called metabolic diseases occur primarily due to disturbances in the respiratory processes in the body. The device helps restore proper microcirculation, diffusion of oxygen and nutrients, conductivity of cell membranes, and also improves the removal of toxins from the body.

Thanks to this, many body functions are normalized, weight is reduced, and diseases go away. Doctors have recorded good results when treating arthrosis, gallstones and urolithiasis, etc. with TDI-01.

Contraindications

Definitely forbidden exercise on the simulator for patients with the following diagnoses: acute somatic and infectious diseases, chronic diseases in the stage of sharp exacerbation and decompensation, respiratory failure accompanied by severe hypoxemia, recurrent pulmonary hemorrhage and hemoptysis, severe hypertensive crisis.

The presence of contraindications is determined by a specialist doctor (oncologist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, therapist, etc.). Patients with implants and transplants should coordinate the use of the simulator with their attending physician. There is no scientific data yet regarding whether the simulator helps in cases of cancer and so-called incurable diseases.

Biofeedback method (BFB)

The history of the biofeedback method goes back about 40 years, but the heyday of this health-improving technology occurred at a time of widespread development of electronics and computer technology. Russian scientists made a huge contribution to the development of biofeedback technology.

Pioneers in the development of biofeedback methods in our country were scientists from the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (St. Petersburg), where systematic research in this direction has been carried out for over 30 years.

The beginning of work on biofeedback technology by A. A. Smetankin, now president of the Russian Biofeedback Association, is also associated with the institute. In 1988, with the participation of A. A. Smetankin, a portable device “Cardio Alarm” was created based on the use of advanced technologies for that time. This marked the beginning of the widespread use of biofeedback technology in domestic practical medicine.

Currently, CJSC Biosvyaz produces biofeedback systems of the following specializations:

Cardiopulmonary;

Logotherapeutic;

Correction of psycho-emotional state;

Correction of psycho-emotional state (new modification for the treatment of alcoholism, drug addiction, neuroses, etc.);

Musculoskeletal;

Vision correction;

Prevention and treatment of sexological, urological and proctological diseases;

Prevention and treatment of urological and proctological diseases (children);

Psychophysiological preparation of pregnant women for childbirth.

Most of these techniques have no analogues abroad.

Biofeedback is a technique that implements the interaction of organs and systems of the body to restore its normal self-regulation, as well as self-improvement of the individual. Biofeedback technologies are fast, painless, have no side effects or contraindications, and require minimal time compared to known methods and methods of healing. Unsurpassed in efficiency and effectiveness.

The principle of the biofeedback method is simple at first glance - a person is given the opportunity to see and hear how one of his organs works. Then, based on the information received, he is taught physiologically correct skills that ensure perfect functioning of the body. Biofeedback allows us to equip all of us with a set of skills to maintain, strengthen and restore health. The task is the following: to ensure maximum performance with a minimum expenditure of own energy.

Let's take, for example, the control of human motor activity. This will be quite clear: we use our motor function every minute, and we know how to control our muscles well.

Let's build a control circuit for the biceps contraction function using the biofeedback method: a skin sensor registers a bioelectric signal, converting it into the amplitude of muscle contraction. The stronger and longer the contraction of the biceps, the higher it deviates from the zero mark.

But the transformation of the bioelectric signal does not end there. It is transmitted to a biofeedback device and converted into light (the amplitude of the light column on the screen) and sound (tone) signals. And then the most amazing thing happens: a person begins to see and hear how his muscle contracts!

The feedback chain is closed, but the biofeedback method has not yet worked. Two more prerequisites are required: instructions and motivation to complete the tasks of the biofeedback instructor.

The person must be given clear verbal instructions. It depends on what we want to produce in the muscle. Let's say a muscle is weakened after a fracture. We need to increase her activity. In this case, the instructions may be as follows: “Try to contract the muscle so that on the monitor screen the height of the light column increases and exceeds the set threshold. Exceeding the threshold will be indicated by an encouraging sound signal. This means you performed the exercise correctly." The instructions must be clear and understandable. The patient develops an associative connection: I contract the muscle, the amplitude of the column increases in response to this contraction, and at a certain threshold an encouraging sound signal is turned on. This is the first condition.

The second condition is this: since we are using conscious training, the person may not want to do the exercise correctly. This means that you need to create motivation (a strong incentive) for him to perform this exercise correctly. The higher the level of motivation, the more effective the training will be. In practice, an endless variety of computer games, various methods of encouragement and verbal reinforcement, and comfortable conditions for biofeedback sessions are widely used in practice as a trigger for motivation. The patient not only has a desire to complete tasks, but also confidence in success. Motivation helps a person to realize himself and reveal his potential.

Thanks to the information obtained through technical means, the patient can perform the exercises in the most optimal way. Hence the high efficiency of using the biofeedback method.

Breathing is regulated in the same way. The term “harmonious breathing” reflects the coordinated action of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It ensures the full functioning of the brain and autonomic nervous system. A. A. Smetankin and his colleagues developed a hardware-computer method for simultaneous monitoring of the action of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. They found: the better the nervous control of the respiratory and cardiovascular system, the greater the difference in heart rate during inhalation and exhalation of each respiratory cycle. Only a computer can detect such a difference if it has a program for converting the time of one heartbeat into pulse rate. For example, during inhalation the duration of the heartbeat turned out to be 0.706 s, and during exhalation – 0.923 s, which means that when inhaling, the pulse rate can be estimated at 85 beats/min, and when exhaling – 65 beats/min. The difference in the pulse rate during inhalation and exhalation (here – 20 beats/min) was called by A. A. Smetankin respiratory arrhythmia of the heart (RAS).

The action of the biofeedback method through a cardiac alarm device

A. A. Smetankin and his colleagues created a cardiac alarm that allows you to see and hear how the respiratory organs and heart work, how coordinated they are. A cardiac alarm device, being a tool with sensors for obtaining reliable information about the functioning of the respiratory and heart organs, does not affect the body and does not interfere with its physiological processes.

Synchronously with the rhythms of the heart and respiratory organs, the device provides 2 feedback signals: one of them is light, in the form of a “bunny” running along a scale of LEDs, the second is sound, pulsating. As the “bunny” approaches the top of the scale, the tone of the sound increases, and vice versa, as the “bunny” moves down the scale, it gradually decreases.

In addition, the device displays the breathing curve with a blue line: inhale - the curve goes up, exhale - the curve goes down. The device enters the pulse frequency into this curve in the form of bars: the higher the frequency, the higher the bar.

Diaphragm-relaxed technique

Inhalation is performed in the usual manner - through the nose. In this case, the inhaled air is moistened and warmed before it enters the alveoli of the lungs. Along the way, the air is freed from dust particles. Protrusion of the abdomen during inhalation provides a larger respiratory surface, where air contacts the blood.

Exhale in a thin stream through the mouth through slightly pursed lips. This regulates the exhalation resistance and increases its duration. This creates a certain additional inflation of the alveoli. The duration of exhalation is 2 times longer than inhalation. The phases of the respiratory cycle replace each other without pauses. The abdominal muscles do not retract forcefully, but gradually and calmly. Breathing should be comfortable, without unnecessary costs. This type of breathing is called diaphragmatically relaxed.

Respiratory cardiac arrhythmia (RAC)

DAS is, first of all, a functional indicator, the value of which reflects the coordination of the work of the most important systems of the body - respiratory and cardiovascular. The better the autonomic nervous system copes with harmonizing the work of these systems, the higher the value of DAS.

Inhalations (the active phases of the respiratory cycle) are controlled by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system; exhalations (passive phases) - by the parasympathetic department. During inhalations, the bronchi expand, the ventricles of the heart eject blood: the right one - spent into the pulmonary vein; left - oxygenated arterial blood into the aorta. When you exhale, the bronchi contract, and the atria absorb blood: the left one – energy-saturated from the lungs; right - waste blood from the venous section. It is clear that in order to better control the functioning of the lungs and heart, the autonomic nervous system requires more time to increase or decrease the pulse. Slowing down your breathing provides just such an opportunity.

At rest, a practically healthy person injects 6 liters of air into the lungs per minute in 15 breaths, his pulse rate is 72 beats/min. The respiratory cycle (from inhalation to inhalation) takes 4 s. During this time, the heart makes almost 5 contractions (for example, 2 of them occur during inhalation and 3 during exhalation).

A sick person breathes faster (for example, 20 breaths per minute) and inhales more air (for example, 9 liters per minute), and his pulse rate is high - for example, 80 beats per minute. This means that the respiratory cycle of such a person takes only 3 seconds, during which the heart manages to make only 4 contractions. It is clear that in this case it is more difficult for the body to regulate the pulse rate when changing from inhalation to exhalation and, conversely, from exhalation to inhalation. Therefore, we can expect that the difference in heart rate will be smaller and the DAS will be less than in a practically healthy person.

Another option is a trained person. He breathes less frequently, and his pulse rate is lower than that of a practically healthy person: 8 breaths per minute and 60 beats per minute, respectively. And the minute volume of breathing is only 3 liters. This means that the duration of the respiratory cycle in this case is 7.5 s, and in the respiratory cycle, inhalation from exhalation is separated by a pause of 4 s. Inhalation lasts 2 seconds, and during this time the heart makes 2 contractions. Exhalation with a pause takes the remaining 5.5 seconds, and during this time the heart rate manages to decrease significantly. For example, if during inhalation it increases to 90 beats/min, then at the end of the pause after exhalation it can decrease to 60 beats/min (DAS = 30).

A. A. Smetankin showed that the more DAS, the more active the autonomic nervous system copes with regulating the work of the heart and lungs, the less personal energy is spent during their work. So, when breathing with the help of a cardiac alarm, you should strive for a slow breathing rhythm; Particular care must be taken to monitor a calm, extended exhalation.

So, we take a comfortable position, feel comfortable, relax the body and tune in to recovery due to more coordinated work of the lungs and heart. We switch off from the everyday bustle and focus on our breathing.

The monitor of the heart monitor shows how harmoniously the respiratory organs and the heart work. It can be seen how the value of DAS changes under the voluntary influence of a regulated breathing pattern. The trainee sees how the DAS value is adjusted on the monitor screen in accordance with changes in the breathing pattern. He is taught to achieve a higher pulse rate when inhaling and decreasing it when exhaling. Comparing the actual nature of breathing with the value of DAS through biofeedback is an excellent means of harmonizing the work of the respiratory organs, on the one hand, and the heart, on the other.

The observations of A. A. Smetankin and his colleagues confirmed that the value of DAS directly depends on the psycho-emotional and physical state of a person. The stronger the health, the greater the value of DAS and the lower the biological age. When a solid data bank had accumulated, the following biological age scale was compiled.

Biological age scale

Easy training: only 10 to 15 sessions, each 25-30 minutes, on a cardiac monitor under the guidance of a doctor restores the harmonious functioning of the respiratory and heart organs.

The use of the biofeedback method is painless for the patient; biofeedback equipment registers body signals (frequency of respiratory cycles, pulse, brain rhythms, bioelectric signals emanating from muscles), without directly affecting the person.

Contraindications

Severe concomitant diseases. Acute infectious and non-infectious, systemic and chronic diseases in the acute stage, malignant tumors, injuries, which are accompanied by a deterioration in the general well-being of the patient. This makes it impossible to use the biofeedback method or significantly impedes it.

Obesity III degree. In this case, electrical signals from the patient can be weakened so much that the useful signal becomes indistinguishable from noise.

Severe disturbances of excitability and conduction of the heart. Severe bradycardia or extrasystole, complicating the use of the DAS-BOS method.

Diaphragmatic hernia. It should be noted that such a diagnosis is most often the prerogative of the pathologist. On the other hand, it is unlikely that the loads during the development of diaphragmatic relaxation breathing are so significant as to cause strangulation of the hernia.

Increased convulsive readiness of the brain. This limits the use of electro-optical devices (computer monitor, TV for bio-computer games). When working with such patients, you can use any scale or sound biofeedback devices.

Sobbing breathing according to the method of J. G. Vilunas

Sobbing breathing technique

Sobbing breathing is breathing while crying, a natural process in which a person stops breathing through the nose and begins to breathe through the mouth. The Vilunas system is the only respiratory system in world practice where inhalation and exhalation are done only through the mouth. This breathing can be of three types: 1) strong; 2) moderate; 3) weak.

When practicing on your own, always start with strong sobbing breathing.

Strong sobbing breathing

Inhale– short (0.5 s) on a sob; after inhalation there is no pause, a long (from 2–3 to 10 s) exhalation is immediately made to one of three sounds - “ho-o-o”, “fu-u-u” or “f-f-f-f”; after exhalation - a natural pause (1-2 s), during which you do not breathe. After that, everything is repeated - inhale, exhale, pause...

When inhaling, you need to open your mouth and make a light sob, as if crying. In this case, the feeling should be such that the air remained in the mouth and did not go into the lungs, and the inhaled air seemed to hit the palate. Do not squeeze the air when inhaling through your lips - you will not be able to inhale correctly.

Possible error– a deep enough breath is taken, in which the air goes into the lungs and does not remain in the mouth.

If, when you inhale-sob, a sound appears and you find it pleasant, it means that the body has a need for it. If the sound is unpleasant, then take inaudible breaths and sobs.

Exhalation It is always done smoothly, evenly and for a long time, as if you were blowing on a saucer of hot tea, cooling it. Never exhale suddenly, as if you were blowing out a candle. When you exhale, the feeling should be as if the air is coming out on its own, easily and freely, and you are just following the exhalation, without getting ahead of it. You don’t exhale all the air from your lungs - you exhale as long as it feels good. If you exhale lightly and freely in at least 2-3 seconds, this is a signal that your body needs sobbing breathing, since very little oxygen is now entering your organs and muscles (breathing “turns on” based on a signal from the brain). You should not get carried away with a long exhalation (5-8 seconds or more). The best time to exhale is 2-3 seconds, especially at first, when the skill of sobbing breathing has not yet been developed. The signal for the end of sobbing breathing is a reduction in exhalation to 0.5 s (breathing “turns off” also according to a signal from the central nervous system).

Possible error– try to forcefully blow air when exhaling.

It is very important to maintain a certain position of the mouth when exhaling, depending on the sound being pronounced. When you hear the sound “f-f-f-f”, there is a small gap between the lips through which air is blown freely. You should not press your lips tightly (this may cause another sound - “pf-f-f”). The correct position of the lips can be achieved either by stretching the lips into stripes or by gathering them into a “pinch”.

The sound "f-f-f-f" is stronger compared to the sounds "ho-o-o" and "fu-u-u". When breathing using this sound, blood pressure can decrease from 200 to 140-120 mm Hg in 4-5 minutes. Art. That is why the sound “f-f-f-f” is dangerous for people who have sclerotic changes in the vessels of the brain, since literally after 2-3 inhalations and exhalations they may feel dizzy and experience pain. Such people should at first refrain from using this very strong sound, limiting themselves to using a moderate “fu-u-u” sound or a weak “ho-o-o” sound. Breathing using these sounds also improves the health of the body, and sclerotic changes in blood vessels and blood clots gradually disappear.

With the sound “ho-o-o” the mouth is open freely and wide. When exhaling, pronounce the sound “ho-oo-o” to yourself - the muscles of the throat and larynx immediately tense, and the air leaves the throat. The exhalation is done silently, there should be no audible sound “x-x-x-x”. The mouth is open during the entire exhalation process; Only after exhaling completely can you bring your lips together and close your mouth.

Possible error- bringing the lips together during the still ongoing exhalation. In this case, a dangerous “f-f-f-f” sound may be produced for some people, raising blood pressure, etc.

When making the sound “fu-u-u”, you need to open your mouth so that a hole is formed approximately the size of a walnut. To do this: 1) do not pronounce the sound “f”, only “oo-oo-oo”; 2) round your lips (to determine your individual hole size, place your index finger in your mouth, almost touching it with your lips). You should not bring your lips together, as this may result in an “f-f-f-f” sound. The exhalation is done through the lips and is also inaudible.

Possible error– when making the sound “fu-u-u”, the air is blown not through the lips, but through the throat.

Since the hole between the lips when making the sound “fu-u-u” is relatively small, the slightest weakening of attention can lead to a dangerous approach of the lips and the sound “f-f-f-f”. Therefore, when pronouncing the sound “fu-u-u”, watch the position of your lips very carefully, not allowing them to come closer until the end of the exhalation.

Pause. After exhalation there is a natural pause of 1-2 s. Do not breathe during this time. To count the time, you can say to yourself: “One machine” (1 s) or “One machine, two machine” (2 s), and only then should you again take a short breath while sobbing.

Possible error- sobbing breathing is carried out without a pause, and inhalation and exhalation is carried out without sobbing.

Moderate sobbing breathing

Options: inhale - 1 s without sobbing, the air has already gone into the lungs. In other words, a calm breath is taken through the mouth. Exhale to the same three sounds (“ho-o-o”, “fu-u-u”, “f-f-f-f”), the duration of the exhalation is the same as with strong sobbing breathing (from 2- 3 to 10 s), pause after exhalation (1-2 s).

You should switch to moderate sobbing breathing in the following cases.

1. When the strong sobbing breathing has completely ended (that is, exhalation for any sound has been reduced to 0.5 s).

2. When strong sobbing breathing continues, but unpleasant sensations appear when sobbing (you seem to be tired, you are tired of sobbing). To relieve the discomfort that appears, you should switch to a calm breath without sobbing. If this results in a prolonged exhalation, it means that the body really needs moderate sobbing breathing.

Faint sobbing breath

Options: inhale – 1 s, exhale – 1 s or a little longer, pause – 1-2 s. When exhaling, one sound is pronounced - “ho-o-o”. The inhalation is rather weak, without sobbing; air is directed into the lungs.

It should be noted that while the body is sick, the central nervous system will “turn on” mainly strong and moderate sobbing breathing in order to give all organs and muscles more oxygen, and therefore nutrition.

* * *

When using sob breathing, you may feel the urge to yawn. Yawning is another mechanism of natural self-regulation of the body, normalizing gas exchange and metabolic processes, reducing nervous tension; yawning also contributes to the disappearance of wrinkles on the face, that is, rejuvenation. Therefore, you should yawn freely, without clenching your lips and teeth.

During sobbing breathing, a feeling of lack of oxygen may occur - then you need to take a deep breath. This is done like this: gradually as much oxygen is collected into the lungs as you want at the moment, but then an equally long exhalation follows with the sound “fu-u-u” (as long as it is pleasant). If the feeling of lack of oxygen is not completely relieved the first time, then after a pause (“one machine, two machines”), a deep breath is repeated with a long exhalation.

You should pay attention to the fact that during sobbing breathing there should not be any unpleasant sensations (pain, dizziness, etc.). On the contrary, it should be pleasant, convenient, comfortable. The appearance of the slightest unpleasant sensation is a signal that you are breathing incorrectly. In this case, you must immediately stop the sobbing breathing, find out what the mistake is, and only then continue again.

When mastering sobbing breathing, constant self-monitoring of your condition is necessary. As long as you breathe correctly, physiological processes in the body are normalized and more vitality accumulates. However, breaking the rules can lead to serious failure and ruin all efforts.

As long as you breathe correctly, blood pressure normalizes, approaches normal; however, without paying attention to the fact that the body has already given up sobbing breathing (exhalation has been shortened), and forcibly continuing, you will literally disrupt normal metabolic processes in 2-3 inhalations and exhalations, which will immediately lead to a significant increase in blood pressure. If you use sobbing breathing correctly, you will immediately notice some positive changes in your well-being; no side effects will appear. However, elderly people who already have sclerotic changes in the blood vessels of the brain are recommended to refrain from sobbing breathing at the sound “f-f-f-f”, since a rapid and significant drop in blood pressure (in 5 minutes the pressure can drop from 200 to 140-120 mmHg) can impede and disrupt the nutrition of brain cells and, as a result, after 2-3 inhalations and exhalations, slight dizziness may appear. At first, you should use a more moderate sound “ho-o-o” or “fu-u-u”, and when the body is sufficiently healthy, you can switch to the sound “f-f-f-f”.

In some patients (for example, with bronchial asthma), when using the sound “ho-oo-o”, some kind of soreness and hoarseness in the throat may occur. So they shouldn't use that sound for now. However, as they get healthier in the future, they can also move on to using the “ho-o-o” sound.

The sounds “ho-o-o”, “fu-u-u”, “f-f-f-f” are caused by tension in the muscles of the respiratory tract, throat, larynx, lips, thanks to which exhalation has a healing effect, prolonging breathing. By alternating appropriate sounds, you tense different muscle groups of the respiratory tract.

During the pause after exhalation, you can keep in tension those muscle groups that tensed when pronouncing the sound; this promotes the natural need to inhale. This is how the body determines the optimal duration of the pause - 2 s. Therefore, when someone says that they can pause longer (for example, up to 10–15 s), Vilunas does not advise doing this, since such prolongation no longer meets the body’s needs, and therefore is useless, even harmful.

The duration of sobbing breathing depends on the level of tension in the body, on the degree of disruption of physiological processes at a particular moment, and, consequently, on how much oxygen and energy all organs and muscles need. The stronger these disturbances, the longer the sobbing breathing will be. It can last from 2-3 breaths to 1 hour, and sometimes longer.

The order of using the sounds “ho-o-o”, “fu-u-u” or “f-f-f-f” is as follows: you breathe, pronouncing one sound first, until you feel that the exhalation has become shorter, - then you can switch to another sound, etc. When the sobbing breathing is over, switch to normal nasal breathing. Such alternations can be done 4-5 times a day and even more often: to do this, check every 1-1.5 hours to see if the body has a need for sobbing breathing. The test is done based on the comfort of exhalation.

Considering the exceptional health benefits of sobbing breathing, it is necessary to be able to prolong it as long as possible naturally, in accordance with the needs of the body itself. One of the ways, as mentioned above, is to alternate the sounds “ho-o-o”, “fu-u-u” and “f-f-f-f”. By alternating these sounds in any order, you can significantly prolong sobbing breathing and ensure maximum healing of the body, which serves as an effective prevention of any diseases.

Another natural way to prolong sobbing breathing is to use movement. So, if breathing has stopped while sitting, you should change your position (for example, stand up and start moving), and sobbing breathing may resume. It is especially good to use sobbing breathing when walking (to work, from work, etc.), and you do not need to count your steps - you just monitor your breathing in accordance with the technique already described.

It is necessary to pay attention to the following important point. In the first days, when diseased organs are just beginning to normalize their function, pain may appear from time to time or high blood pressure may return in hypertensive patients. At this time, sobbing breathing should be used in parallel with a one-time medication intake. The pauses between returns of the disease will gradually lengthen, which will ultimately lead to a complete refusal of medications.

An unforgivable mistake would be a conscious attempt to take from the sobbing breath much more than it can give. Forcibly drawing out the sobbing breath leads to negative results. If the slightest unpleasant sensation appears, you must stop the exercise immediately.

In the first days, every time you want to breathe, do not take more than 5-6 breaths. The main thing is to breathe correctly. To do this, get up in the morning and check the body's need for sobbing breathing. The test will take 1 s: short inhalation and long exhalation. If you succeed in exhaling, you can take several breaths. Then repeat this breathing about every hour throughout the day. Your main task is to consolidate the skill of proper breathing, remember the position of your lips for different sounds (at first it’s a good idea to look in the mirror). All this will allow you to actively use sobbing breathing in any environment (lying, sitting, standing, walking, at home, on the street, in transport, etc.) within 2-3 days, effectively healing your body.

Disadvantages of the Vilunas method

It is necessary to remember that the breathing exercises of Yu. G. Vilunas - sobbing breathing - is, first of all, a kind of emergency self-help. It can be practiced sporadically in an “emergency” manner. But you cannot change normal, established breathing. This problem must be solved by other methods: according to V. Frolov, A. Smetankin, Yu. Mishustin (using the Samozdrav complex).

The concept of restoring the natural type of breathing, proposed by K. V. Dineika

At the end of the 20th century. An idea began to emerge about the excessive breathing of modern people - it turned out that too high a concentration of oxygen in the air filling the lungs is dangerous for the inner lining of the blood vessels. Therefore, various breathing exercises began to be developed aimed at weakening breathing, achieving a natural type of breathing, which can be understood as ensuring a normal concentration of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood and, more importantly, a sufficient concentration of oxygen in the air filling the lungs. Here, a sufficient oxygen concentration is not understood as 16%, characteristic of normal breathing with “mighty” ventilation of the lungs (8 MOD or more at rest), but somewhat less (from 15 to 9%). To do this, the MOD should not exceed 4.5 liters of air.

One of these methods - ensuring a natural type of breathing - is offered by physiologist, psychotherapist, specialist in the field of physical therapy K. V. Dineika. He created a complex of psychophysical training, which included special breathing exercises to restore the natural type of breathing lost under conditions of physical inactivity and stress. According to Dineika, the natural type of breathing is characterized by harmony and the participation of all respiratory muscles.

The strongest muscle used for inhalation is the diaphragm, and for exhalation the abdominal muscles (abdominal muscles). If these muscles work correctly, then when you inhale, the stomach protrudes slightly, and when you exhale, it retracts. By the way, this type of breathing is often called diaphragmatic breathing.

This type of breathing is easiest to master while lying on your back with your knees bent. However, it is necessary to learn how to use it in other body positions (sitting and standing).

Natural Breathing Technology

Take a comfortable position. You need to sit down, leaning against the back of a chair, not tensely, keep your neck vertical. Exhale so that the volume of the abdomen decreases and at the same time the chest drops. Stop breathing for a few seconds until the pleasant feeling persists. Take a shallow breath without straining. At the same time, the stomach inflates slightly and the chest expands. The work of the muscles must be controlled mentally, and the movements of the abdominal and chest muscles must be felt.

You should breathe through both nostrils, without straining. Inhalation is silent. During breath holdings there should be no tension in the vocal cords.

Reducing the respiratory rate to reduce the respiratory rate is achieved by breathing training according to the program shown in the table. These exercises are performed in a sitting position in a well-ventilated room. You need to start completing tasks from the first, moving on to the next only when the task you are mastering can be completed easily, naturally, and effortlessly within a week. The first four tasks need to be completed up to 4 times in a row, then up to 6-7 times, depending on how you feel.

You can exercise several times a day before meals. After mastering all the tasks well, you can complete them all 1 time in a row. If the indicator of resistance to oxygen deficiency has improved, then you can repeat it more often. As this indicator, K.V. Dineika used the ratio of the pulse rate to the duration of holding the breath until the first appearance of difficulty (in seconds). For example, the pulse rate is 80 beats/min and apnea (lack of breathing) is 40 s. The stability index is two (80: 40 = 2). The lower the obtained indicator, the higher the resistance to oxygen deficiency.

Since oxygen deficiency has a detrimental effect not only on different parts of the central nervous system, but also on all body functions, this indicator must be improved by training the respiratory muscles, restoring the mechanism of normal, natural breathing and regularly engaging in physical activity (walking, running, games, various exercises ).

Perform 10 squats or 10 chair stands (depending on your general condition). The pace of movements is average: squat for a second and stand up in the next second. Exhale while squatting. After completing the task, rest for 4 minutes while sitting and breathe calmly. Then count your heart rate and apnea duration. If the indicator is lower than at rest, this means that resistance to oxygen deficiency after breathing exercises increases. If the indicator increases after rest, then you need to temporarily reduce the load, and sometimes consult a doctor.

Reducing the indicator of resistance to oxygen deficiency depends mainly on improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system and respiratory organs.

Breathing exercises that slow down breathing by gradually lengthening the exhalation and subsequent pause (while shortening the inhalation phase) help to gradually acquire the skills of full and natural slow breathing. They train the levels of voluntary regulation of breathing and the mechanisms of economical use of oxygen at rest. At the same time, the general tone of the body increases, nervous processes come into balance and the relative constancy of the physiological functions of the body is ensured. The effectiveness of exercise also depends on the normal blood supply to the digestive and excretory systems.

K.V. Dineika gives separate recommendations regarding breathing while walking. When walking at a normal pace, you should breathe in a harmonious, full type of breathing, paying the greatest attention to active exhalation, and at the end of the exhalation, drawing in the lower abdomen. The depth and completeness of inhalation always depends on the load and activity of exhalation. Active exhalation simultaneously strengthens the abdominal muscles. K.V. Dineika warns that in case of gastritis with high acidity, you should not pull in your stomach too much when exhaling, so as not to increase the motor and secretory function of the stomach and its acidity.

While walking, you need to breathe rhythmically, inhaling and exhaling. For example, 4 steps - inhale, another 4 steps - exhale. The respiratory rhythm should be purely individual, since the regulation of breathing depends on many things (general health, age, degree of fitness, amount of hemoglobin in the blood, resistance to oxygen deficiency). When choosing an individual breathing rhythm for yourself while walking, or jogging, or walking - running - walking, you must be guided by the subjective and objective indicators described above.

For all types of walking, it is necessary to gradually lengthen the routes or increase the time: for walking - from 2 to 4, then 6 and even 8 km. For intermittent walking and running – up to 30 minutes. For jogging - from 2 to 4 minutes, then up to 6, 8 and 10 minutes.

The intensity of the activity depends on the speed of movement and its duration. Practically healthy people should try to increase the speed of their exercise, while weakened and elderly people should try to practice at a calm pace. But in all cases, the load should not cause shortness of breath; that is, there should be a feeling that, despite the gradually increasing load, you are breathing easily, and the pulse rate after a short rest (from 4 to 10 minutes) returns to its original value.

Method of conditioned reflex breathing by V. K. Durymanov

Doctor Vitaly Konstantinovich Durymanov graduated from the Novosibirsk College of Physical Education, then Tomsk Medical Institute, and trained in Moscow in the emergency service. Currently lives in Biysk, treats people without medications and says that he has not written out a single prescription yet.

So, what, according to Durymanov, is healthy breathing: he offers his patients breathing exercises that combine the healing properties of laughter and crying. You can breathe in portions, or ledges, in any position, but it is preferable when walking or running.

Nature has given us an excellent means of protection against overload: laughter and crying. Even positive emotions can be damaging if they are not accompanied by laughter, which can be thought of as a series of short, continuous exhalations. These exhalations break up the dangerous flow of impulses: crying, for example, breaks up the flow with a series of short breaths (sobs).

The processes of excitation and inhibition during laughter and crying are balanced, and at the same time blood pressure is normalized. That is why, after laughing, a person feels a surge of strength, and after crying after a severe shock, he feels relieved.

Portioned breathing, or ledge breathing, is extremely simple to do: 3-4 short exhalations in a row, then the same number of short inhalations. That's all. Thanks to this method, the flow of impulses going to the brain during a deep breath, as well as emotional shock, is broken.

V.K. Durymanov advises, for example, patients with bronchial asthma to cope with an attack using ledge breathing. You need to stand a step away from the wall, lean your palms against it, inhale and then, without breathing, do as many push-ups against the wall as possible. After this, while walking in place, breathe on the ledges and repeat the push-ups again without breathing. One lesson can consist of five such approaches.

Another type of healing breathing according to Durymanov is rhythmic breathing with pauses: calm exhalation - pause (3 s) with complete muscle relaxation - immediately “exhale” without tension - pause again (3 s) and with further relaxation - natural inhalation. As the cycle repeats, the inhalation becomes more natural and complete, and relief comes.

V.K. Durymanov was convinced: there are practically no health problems if you regularly practice rhythmic breathing for about two weeks, holding it every half hour. Gymnastics can be performed in any position - lying, sitting, standing. It can also be done while moving: exhale for 3 steps, pause, complete the exhalation, pause for 3 steps, inhale.

Breathing exercises according to G. S. Shatalova

Galina Sergeevna Shatalova’s natural healing system also includes breathing exercises. Depending on which direction the greatest increase in chest volume occurs, thoracic, abdominal and mixed types of breathing are distinguished. You can change your breathing type using a natural healing system.

Of all types of breathing, Shatalova singles out abdominal breathing. It is performed as follows: when you begin to inhale, you first need to stick out your stomach, then the area of ​​the diaphragm, and then raise the ribs and collarbones. In the supraclavicular region, inhalation ends. Exhalation also begins from the abdomen - it retracts, the diaphragm rises, the ribs go down, and finally the supraclavicular muscles contract.

Shatalova believes that breathing from the lower abdomen best influences the state of the body. This rather complex exercise requires serious preliminary preparation; it is especially important to have autogenic training skills in order to concentrate energy in the energy center located just below the navel.

Breathing exercises can be done standing, sitting or lying down - depending on how you feel. You should exercise barefoot and, if possible, in the fresh air.

The most natural position of the human body is standing. Therefore, it is preferable to conduct breathing exercises in the lap of nature.

People suffering from nervous system disorders such as neuroses and neurasthenia, as well as patients with hypertension, are not recommended to immediately move on to exercises that require holding their breath, since even a short pause between inhalation and exhalation can lead to convulsions and other negative consequences.

In such cases, you need to start with sitting breathing, which has a calming effect, or, performing full rhythmic breathing, limit yourself to inhaling, holding after inhalation, and exhaling.

Exercise for beginners

Try to inhale air and mentally, through an effort of will, somehow distribute it, say, into your legs. You will feel how a stream of life-giving force rushes there. Exhale and do the same with your arms and other parts of your body.

Passive exercises

1. First, you can just stand up, relax and breathe deeply.

2. Now you need to try to master the so-called three circle shape: legs slightly bent at the knees - shoulder width apart; arms are in line with the shoulders, elbows bent, palms facing each other. To more accurately reproduce this pose, you need to imagine that you are grasping large balls with your feet and hands, and with your outstretched fingers you are squeezing a smaller ball, approximately the size of your head.

3. While sitting on a chair, you can perform passive breathing and supplement it with slow, measured movements of the arms: the head and back are straight, the palms are on the hips with the thumbs inward, the legs are bent at the knees at a right angle. As you inhale, your arms go up in time with your breathing (with your hands completely relaxed) to shoulder level, and as you exhale, they fall just as smoothly, your hands slightly open.

4. In order to practice breathing exercises while lying down, you need to prepare a hard wooden surface, which, if desired, can be covered with a sheet, blanket or thin rug. If it is very cold, you can wear socks and cover yourself with a wool blanket. In a supine position, the arms lie freely along the body, palms down, and to control the breathing produced, one hand lies on the chest and the other on the stomach.

5. There are also several options for breathing while lying on your side: put your head on your hand, and the other hand along the body, or put it behind your back so that your palm touches the floor.

Active exercises

1. Breathing while walking should be natural and relaxed, not only in a certain static position, but also when moving. The exhalation should always be 2 steps longer than the inhalation. The easiest way to learn this rule is when walking. The difference between inhalation and exhalation must be constant, while their duration is arbitrary and individual: some people even manage to inhale for 18 steps and exhale for 20 steps.

2. You need to run on slightly bent legs, lightly and relaxed, with a little spring in your feet. The breathing requirements are the same as when walking, with only one difference: during intense running, inhalation and exhalation can be equal in duration. However, if the inhalation becomes too long, the movement should be slowed down.

Skin breathing

Using primarily basic, pulmonary breathing, our body also breathes with each individual cell. Skin respiration is an integral part of the body's normal natural respiration process. To use this type of breathing, you need to keep your skin clean and master relaxation techniques.

You should stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, spread your arms to the sides and, relaxing, take a step forward. Then, barely moving your nostrils, absorb the invigorating fresh air with your skin. Exhale in a relaxed manner, accompanied by lowering your arms and raising your toes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we will introduce you to several important rules that absolutely cannot be broken when doing breathing exercises using the Strelnikova method. Read them carefully and remember them well.

Rule 1

Limit your exercise time to half an hour, that is, half an hour in the morning, half an hour in the evening. Not more! Overexertion is not good for the body, especially if it is untrained and unhealthy.

Rule 2

It is not at all necessary to strive to perform all the cycles one after another without breaks. You need to go to your recovery for a long time, gradually, calmly. A month after the start of training, you will be able to perform 16 inhalation movements without a break, after two months - 32 each. But you should not even try to perform all 96 inhalation movements at once. Remember: you are not participating in sports competitions, but are painstakingly working on your body.

Work on yourself every day, but if you feel tired, have an unpleasant taste in your mouth, muscle pain, etc., ask yourself the question: “Am I in too much of a hurry?” If these sensations appeared after moving from 8 to 16 movements, return to 8. When you are ready to perform 16 movements, you will do it without any difficulty or tension.

Rule 3

In Strelnikova’s gymnastics, it is not the number of movements that is important, but the execution of the entire complex. The complex is conceived as a single system and tested on thousands of patients. To regain your health, it is very important that you do all the exercises per session, and not just one, but many times. Repeatedly tensing the same muscles will not improve your health. But constantly changing positions, training the entire muscle system simultaneously with breathing - yes.

And in general, remember: if something doesn’t work out for you, this does not mean that the exercise is not designed for you. It only means that you haven’t developed it. Practice and everything will work out. Likewise, some exercises may seem too easy for you. But this is not a reason not to carry them out.

If you want the technique to help you, you must do all the exercises of the complex in a row and exactly as many times as indicated.

Rule 4

If you feel very bad, if you have a high temperature, if you are sick, then do not try to “give all your best” and do not be afraid to miss class! However, if your poor condition is associated with precisely the disease that caused you to start working with breathing, on the contrary, you can increase the number of classes.

Rule 5

If you don't have enough time for the whole complex, do the lighter version. That is, not 3 times 96 movements, but 32 movements for each exercise. The whole complex - from “Palms” to “Steps” will take you exactly 5 minutes! Remember: it is better to do less, but on time.

Have a specific time to do the exercises. In the morning they do gymnastics on an empty stomach, and in the evening either on an empty stomach or 1.5 hours after a meal. This is especially true for those who suffer from diseases of the digestive system.

Rule 6

In Strelnikova’s gymnastics, synchronization of movement and breathing, rhythm and adherence to the sequence of exercises are very important. Therefore, you need to learn to count and not lose count. Otherwise, you will do more of some movements and less of others and get annoyed that you can’t count your breaths. It's best to count in eights. You’ve done 8 movements, give yourself a “notch” and continue working.

* * *

Gymnastics according to Strelnikova will definitely help, but don’t expect a miracle on the second day. You will get the result no earlier than in a month, and only then, provided that you do everything correctly, do not shirk classes and do not force your body with excessive training. A calm, optimistic approach to studying is the best thing you could wish for. If you do all the exercises correctly and follow all the recommendations, if you pay attention to the restrictions and prohibitions, then everything will be fine. Gymnastics is useful for both children and the elderly, but you need to have a sense of proportion in everything. You also need faith in success.

How to breathe according to Strelnikova’s method

Before we begin to study Strelnikova’s breathing technique, we need to learn four important rules. These rules are the fruit of observations in nature. Mentally imagine how our ancestor breathed a long time ago: he constantly sniffed the air.

Thanks to this, in the conditions of the ancient world, primitive man was able to navigate the environment; his heightened sense of smell actively helped him in this.

The basis of Strelnikova’s breathing exercises is the active inhalation of the ancestors, and the exhalation goes away spontaneously (reflexively). Greetings to all friends of the blog site

– four rules for success

● Rule one:

- we think anxiously: “It smells like burning, alarm!” At the same time noisy and sharp, we sniff the air throughout the whole room, as if a dog was on the scent. We try to do it as naturally as possible in order to achieve results.

A serious mistake of modern trainers is to take a deep breath (pull it out) in order to gain more air (oxygen). recommends always taking a short, injection-like breath - active and natural, while we think only about inhalation.

● Rule two:

- remember that exhalation is the result of inhalation. Having learned this rule, we do not prevent the exhalation from leaving after each inhalation - as much as you like, however you like, but it’s better not through the nose, but through the mouth. We do not help the exhalation, but only think: “It smells like burning! Anxiety!".

We make sure that the inhalation occurs simultaneously with the movement. Conclusion of the second rule: we carefully monitor the simultaneity of inhalations with body movements, without interfering with the spontaneous exhalation.

● Rule three:

- we repeat breaths as if we are trying to inflate a tire (tube, ball). While pumping up our lungs like tires, we get into the tempo and rhythm of our favorite dances and songs. Musicians know that dance and song phrases run on 8, 16 and 32 beats.

This means that such a count has a physiological basis, so we train breaths and movements at marks 2, 4 and 8. We take 96 breaths as a hundred, 960 as a thousand.

- the standard for one lesson is 1000-1200 breaths, but more is possible - 2000 breaths. Between doses of inhalations we pause for 2-3 seconds, at the same time the duration of time between exhalations is longer than inhalations due to the fact that we do not help the exhalation (it takes longer).

● Rule four:

- take as many breaths in a row as we can easily take at that moment; sick people are recommended to take breaths in series of 2, 4 and 8 while lying or sitting, healthy people - 8, 16 and 32 breaths while standing.

After three weeks of training, we can move on to 96 breaths (conventionally, “a hundred”) if we feel easy.

— the norm for this lesson is twice 960 breaths (conditionally “a thousand”). This condition will not be able to be fulfilled by patients suffering from a severe form or who have suffered; for this group of patients it is enough to take 600 breaths.

The lesson should be repeated up to five times a day; it is especially important to “pump up” the fur of your lungs an hour before bedtime - this is a chance for a sound, healthy sleep.

— the frequency of breathing exercises according to Strelnikova is directly proportional to our well-being: the worse it is, the more often we do gymnastics, but at the same time the frequency of rest lengthens.

It is not recommended to immediately reach 4000 breaths per day, but gradually throughout the day is a good norm for improving the health of the respiratory system and the body as a whole. With good training, you can do 2000 breaths in 35-37 minutes, this time should not be reduced;

- thus, before starting gymnastics, we must learn these rules by heart.

Breathing according to Strelnikova - “Pendulum”, “Cat”, “Pump” and other methods

● We study the breathing complex according to Strelnikova. First, warm up. We return natural mobility to the nostrils. We stand straight, arms at our sides, feet shoulder-width apart. We take loud breaths throughout the room - short, like an injection, while sniffling.

We stay free, we are not ashamed of anything. At the moment of inhalation, the wings of the nose join together and do not expand. Imagine squeezing a rubber bulb to spray water out of it. That is, we pinch the wings of the nose so that they “splash” air into the lungs.

● We train 2 and 4 breaths in a row at a walking pace. We take a hundred breaths. More is possible, but we must feel that the nostrils, moving, obey us. Instant, like an injection, inhalation. Imagine: “It smells like burning. But where?”

● “Pump”. We take a stick or rolled up newspaper in our hands and imagine that it is a pump handle. We begin to “inflate” the car tire: inhale at the lowest point of the inclination, the inclination ends, and inhale along with it. We don’t raise our heads, we look down at our “pump”.

● “Hug your shoulders.” Raise your arms at shoulder level, bend them at the elbows. Turning your palms towards you, place them in front of your chest, slightly below your neck. We begin to throw our hands towards each other so that the right one hugs the left armpit, and the left hugs the right shoulder; the hands go as if parallel to each other.

With each throw, when the hands are closer together, we repeat noisy short breaths. At the same time we think: “We are clamping the place where the disease has expanded.” “The shoulders help inhale.”

● "Cat". Feet shoulder width apart. We imagine a cat sneaking around to catch a sparrow, we repeat its movements, crouching slightly, turning first to the right, then to the left.

At the same time, we transfer the weight of the body either to the left or to the right leg. We sniff the air noisily from the left, from the right, at the pace of our steps. Two times 96 breaths, more is possible. These exercises stop an asthma attack.

● "Big Pendulum". A continuous movement similar to a pendulum: “Pump” - “Hug your shoulders”, “Pump” - “Hug your shoulders”. We monitor the pace of our steps. We lean forward, our hands go to the ground - inhale, we lean back - our hands hug our shoulders - we also inhale. Forward - back, inhale - inhale, tick-tock, tick-tock, just like a pendulum. Two times 96 with Pump and 96 with Hug Your Shoulders.