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Functional Breathing Program
with Ralph Skuban, PhD
"You should breathe gently, gently!"
Konstantin Buteyko, Ukrainian physician
In this small-group breathing course, you will learn over the course of four weeks how to develop your own health-promoting breathing practice based on the Buteyko Method. Whether your goal is to improve your health, enhance your physical or mental performance, or simply explore the method out of curiosity, Ralph will personally guide and support you throughout your individual journey.
The Buteyko Method
Today, more and more people suffer—often as a result of chronic stress—from the effects of dysfunctional breathing. This means that breathing no longer follows its natural physiological pattern. It loses its gentle, rhythmic quality, becomes faster, and above all, more intense. In the language of the Buteyko Method, this is known as overbreathing. The medical term is chronic hyperventilation, a phenomenon first described in the medical literature more than 140 years ago.
The resulting health consequences can be far-reaching. Dysfunctional breathing disrupts the body's biochemistry and is associated with a wide range of conditions, including:
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Asthma
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Shortness of breath
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COPD
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Cardiovascular disease
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High blood pressure
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Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
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Snoring and sleep apnea
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Chronic fatigue and burnout
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Anxiety and panic attacks
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Depression
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Brain fog
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Mental restlessness
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Frequent colds, allergies, and hay fever
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Muscle tension and pain
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Digestive problems, bloating, and constipation
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Increased pain sensitivity
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Sexual dysfunction
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...and many other health concerns ...
All of these—and many other challenges—are associated with dysfunctional breathing. Ralph Skuban's Buteyko breathing coaching helps you systematically and individually restore healthy breathing patterns, supporting better health, greater well-being, and improved physical and mental performance.
The online sessions draw not only on Ralph's extensive experience as a Buteyko coach, but also on many years of intensive practice and study of other breathing traditions, particularly Pranayama. For this reason, the coaching is also a valuable and enriching experience for yoga practitioners and yoga teachers. And you don't need to have a chronic health condition to benefit—the principles of functional breathing can improve the quality of life for virtually anyone.
How the Breathing Program Works
Small groups: Sessions are held live via Zoom in small groups of 6–7 participants, ensuring plenty of individual attention.
Four Live Sessions: The program consists of four live sessions, each lasting approximately 90–120 minutes. Week by week, Ralph will guide you in developing your own personalized breathing practice.
Daily Practice: During the four-week program, you will practice for approximately 40–60 minutes per day, spread across several shorter sessions. This consistent practice allows you to experience the benefits directly and helps reduce dysfunctional breathing patterns and related symptoms.
Breathing Journal: You will keep a breathing journal to document your progress. Your observations will be discussed during the sessions, allowing Ralph to fine-tune your practice according to your individual needs.
Audio Package: The course includes a collection of guided breathing and relaxation audio recordings to support your daily practice.
Personal Support: Throughout the program, you are welcome to contact Ralph by email whenever questions arise about your breathing practice.
Two Months of Follow-Up Support: After the course has ended, you will continue to receive two months of complimentary email support to help you establish your practice.
Tuition: $ 550.00
Courses in English upon request
Breath Awareness Throughout the Day
Beyond its many health benefits, the coaching and your personal practice cultivate a deep awareness of your breathing throughout the day. Your breath becomes a reliable anchor—something you can consciously return to whenever you want to shift an unhelpful physical or emotional state.
Even experienced meditators often gain valuable new insights from the coaching and develop an even deeper connection with their own breathing.
Breathing Skills for Teachers, Therapists, and Other Professionals
Many participants in the breathing training are therapists, healthcare professionals, teachers, or coaches. The personal experience and practical breathing skills they develop can be integrated naturally into their professional work.
For those who wish to take the next step, the training also provides an ideal foundation for becoming a certified Breath Coach, enabling them to work professionally with clients using functional breathing techniques.
Testimonial
The breathing exercises are simple to practice and yet remarkably effective. My positive experiences with breath training have inspired me to make it a lasting part of my life—a kind of “inner friend” that gently helps me experience life with less stress and greater awareness.
Jürgen Robert Braun, MD, Nephrologist
How Buteyko Works
Buteyko improves the oxygen supply to cells and tissues in two ways. First, it promotes the dilation of blood vessels, thereby improving circulation. Second, the increase in arterial carbon dioxide encourages red blood cells to release more of the oxygen bound to hemoglobin. The entire body benefits from this improved oxygen delivery.
Not only the blood vessels, but also the upper and lower airways can widen through the practice, resulting in easier and more efficient breathing.
Buteyko also helps normalize the acid-base balance and, in turn, supports the proper functioning of biochemical processes throughout the body, including enzyme activity and the action of vitamins.
Buteyko improves the functioning of important receptors involved in regulating our sensitivity to carbon dioxide and controlling blood pressure.
As a result, many chronic symptoms may diminish, sleep quality may improve, and nervous system excitability may decrease, contributing to greater physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Testimonial
As an opera singer, the breath is the foundation of my daily work. Despite my many years of professional experience, Buteyko breathing training with Ralph Skuban has made a remarkable difference for me—both on stage and in everyday life—and has greatly improved my quality of life.
Mathias Hausmann, Opera Singer, Bavarian State Opera
