- Updated on August 31, 2023
By Dr. Artour Rakhimov, Alternative Health Educator and Author
Edited by J diFeliciantonio on February 20, 2020.
In 1969, Dr. Konstantin Buteyko gave a lecture in Moscow State University’s largest auditorium. (M. V. Lomonosov Auditorium, named after the prominent Russian scientist.) This special event was organized exclusively for staff and academics at the University. Here Buteyko was given the opportunity to present his groundbreaking discoveries on the relationship between breathing and health — much of which had been classified, as he’d made the discoveries under the employ of the Soviet Space Program in the 1960s. (Buteyko would give one more lecture there, in 1972.)
Certainly, the event was exciting and significant for scientists at Moscow State University, the most famous and prestigious university in the USSR. Try to imagine: The leading scientists, professors, academicians, and directors of numerous institutes are gathered together to hear news about Soviet Space Program discoveries that have benefited medicine.
The lecture does not describe Buteyko breathing exercises (i.e., Buteyko reduced or shallow breathing). However, the talk does focus in great detail on healthy (and unhealthy) lifestyle factors that influence breathing and gives useful details about the kind of work Dr. Buteyko and his medical colleagues were doing to help severely sick patients. Buteyko speaks the term “yoga” more than 20 times, explaining how the power of yoga (when properly practiced) lies in its ability to reduce breathing.
So that the reader can understand the context of Dr. Buteyko’s lecture, this e-book includes more than fifty detailed footnotes written by Dr. Artour Rakhimov, Buteyko practitioner and author of NormalBreathing.com. These comments also include references to clinical studies that support Dr. Buteyko’s ideas.
Dr. Buteyko’s 1969 Lecture, available on Amazon (Kindle and Paperback)
The lecture — a great introduction to the theory and practice of the Buteyko Method, by Dr. Buetyko himself — is available in several formats on Amazon.
Amazon Paperback: Dr. Buteyko’s 1969 Lecture at Moscow State University (Buteyko Method, Volume 1).
Amazon Kindle E-Book: Dr. Buteyko’s 1969 Lecture at Moscow State University.
E-book Table of Contents: “Dr. Buteyko’s 1969 Lecture at Moscow State University” (80 pages)
Editorial introduction
The organizer of the lecture speaks:
Unbelievable results in the history of medicine
Doctor Buteyko speaks:
Greetings and introduction
Our popular and medical publications about these discoveries
How new ideas appear
My first patient
How could deep breathing cause problems?
2 parameters:
1. Frequency of breathing
2. Depth of breathing
*Why Dr. Buteyko rejected breathing frequency as being insignificant
3 situations:
1) Normal breathing
2) Deep breathing
3) Shallow breathing
Unscientific nature of such terms as “correct breathing” [or right breathing]
Physiology of deep breathing
1. DEEP BREATHING DOES NOT INCREASE OXYGEN CONTENT IN THE ARTERIAL BLOOD.
2. DEEP BREATHING, ACCORDING TO THE LAWS [OF MECHANICS], REMOVES CARBON
DIOXIDE AND DIMINISHES ITS CONTENT IN THE LUNGS, BLOOD, AND IN TISSUES
а) An increase in the excitability of the nervous system
b) Reduction of carbon dioxide causes a reduction in pH
c) Change in the activity of enzymes and vitamins: some of them increase
d) Abnormalities of the metabolism, which is the foundation of life
Evolutionary aspects of early Earth’s atmosphere
Carbon dioxide’s role during prehistoric times
Changes in CO2 concentrations on Earth
CO2 in the human embryo
2. Swaddling as a way to preserve high CO2 content in growing infants
Breathing pure oxygen: health hazard
High altitude: a place with the ideal oxygen content
Our cravings for CO2 and modern health superstitions
CO2 concentration as the most fundamental constant of the human body
The super endurance of yogi and their miracles are based on high CO2 content
Comparative roles and effects of CO2 and O2 in health and breathing regulation
3. DEFENSIVE REACTIONS FROM HYPOCAPNIA (OR FROM DEEP BREATHING)
a) Independent defensive reactions are spasms (*or constrictions)
b) Decrease in blood pressure or hypotension
c) Increase in production of cholesterol regardless of the diet
d) Loss of СО2 intensifies secretion of mucous membranes and cells’ permeability, and this causes edema, the appearance of puffiness under eyes, facial swelling, chronic rhinitis, secretion of mucus, and increased secretion in the stomach. All mucous membranes start to generate their fluids that serve the given function of this mucosal surface.
e) Lastly, hyperfunction of the thyroid gland (or intensification of metabolism) can develop from deep breathing as well.
f) Sclerosis of vessels, bronchial tubes and lungs is, in general, a defensive reaction from losses of carbon dioxide. Sclerosis is a defensive hardening
4. THE SPASM OF BRONCHIAL TUBES AND BLOOD VESSELS DIMINISHES INFLUX OF
OXYGEN TO TISSUES AND CAUSES OXYGEN DEFICIENCY [OR TISSUE HYPOXIA].
The law established long ago: the less the depth of breathing, the more oxygen is delivered in the
organism. And vice versa: the deeper the breath, the less oxygen is delivered in the organism.
5. REDUCTION OF OXYGEN IN TISSUES OF THE BRAIN CELLS AND IN KIDNEY CELLS LEADS
TO REDUCTION OF OXYGEN IN VENOUS BLOOD.
IT TURNS OUT THAT ALL THESE INCURABLE DISEASES ARISE FROM DEEP BREATHING.
REDUCTION OF OXYGEN IN TISSUES (TISSUE HYPOXIA) INCREASES ARTERIAL PRESSURE. This is a law of physiology.
THE REDUCTION OF OXYGEN IN TISSUES DUE TO DEEP BREATHING, WHEN IT REACHES A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, IN A HUMORAL REFLEXIVE [INSTINCTIVE] WAY, EXCITES THE BREATHING CENTER.
How and why people die from chronic diseases
The propaganda of deep breathing
We can breathe less
Breathing and hypertension
The ventilation effect (reduced breathing) can alleviate dozens of negative symptoms
Hyperventilation provocation test induces the symptoms of the main disease
How we teach and train doctors in Novosibirsk [Siberia]
Factors that make breathing deeper
1. Propaganda or myths about deep breathing
We should stop propaganda of deep breathing
Teaching deep breathing in the mother’s womb and from the young age
Not a single scientific work proved or showed the benefits of deep breathing
2. Excitement in the mental, intellectual, and creative fields
3. Overeating
Animal proteins
Dairy products
Reduced eating and fasting
3. Eating less when the CP is high
4. Speaking with deep inhalations
5. Physical activity
Why and how it is beneficial
Exercise requirements for sick and healthy people
How we apply exercise for our patients
Lack of exercise in the age of automation and transportation
6. Overheating, especially of children
7. Sleep or lying in a horizontal position
Methods and techniques to prevent overbreathing during sleep
Optimum sleeping positions
8. Most medical drugs intensify breathing
Effects of caffeine and coffee, tea, chocolate, and cocoa
9. Negative emotions
Positive factors
Water procedures (swimming, saunas, etc.)
Massage, reflexes, and asanas
Breathing less than the norm (or effects of shallow breathing)
Breathing of yogis and yoga system
Our method
Table of health and disease
How to measure one’s breathing and body oxygenation
The control pause and its relation to health and disease
The control pause as the main measuring tool for our method
Practical problems during breathing retraining
Inability of sick people to learn the method using a written instruction
Necessity of medical supervision
Example of recovery from disease
Secrets of yogis’ super-endurance are in high CO2
Obstacles organized by officials
Frequency of breathing
Why sick people should not even think about breathing frequency
The automatic pause
Effects of smoking
Pure oxygen and its effects
Stale air in rooms
Optimum air composition
Drugs that decrease breathing
Effects of flowers and plants
How to eliminate deep breathing (individuality)
Learning from the instruction
What is common between yoga and our method?
Cleansing reactions in our patients
Symptoms of cleansing reactions
Questions and answers
Download for free the first 20 (of 60) pages of Dr. Rakhimov’s English translation of Dr. Buteyko’s famous lecture: E-Book, “Dr. Buteyko’s lecture at Moscow State University, on 9 December 1969,” PDF file.
To buy a personal copy of the PDF e-book directly from this website, see below.
The price of the Buteyko Lecture E-book is $7.50 USD.
How to pay for and open your books
You can find details on this page: How to pay and open your books. Short summary: use your credit card and open the book with your email address as the password.
Below are authentic comments, questions, and testimonials from the same page on the old PHP site before we converted it to WordPress.
On 2014-03-13T09:35:42, Artour (mod) wrote:
I do not know the context. Hard to tell.
On 2014-03-12T17:51:08, Lukasz wrote:
Artour, on page 39 I read:
“If some secrets are suggested to our patients, then they can reduce their breathing for 10 or even 15 minutes!”
I’m fascinated by this. What secrets is he talking about? Are there some ways that increase the level of carbon dioxide except the reduction of the depth of breathing?
On 2018-12-21T11:49:05, Dr. Artour (mod) wrote:
This Buteyko’s phrase has many meanings, but certainly not about breath-holding for 10-15 min.
On 2018-12-20T22:44:09, Paul wrote:
In the book, it says “If some secrets are suggested to our patients, then they can reduce their breathing for 10 or even 15 minutes!” In this quote do you know if Buteyko meant they can have a massive reduction in breathing or is he saying they can do a breath-hold for that long? Do you know what secrets he is referring to?
On 2018-02-22T12:20:22, Michal wrote:
Ok, cool, looking forward to it.
On 2018-02-20T06:51:04, Dr. Artour (mod) wrote:
The Buteyko Lecture book may become available on Amazon in 1-3 weeks.
On 2018-02-18T21:46:20, Michal wrote:
Hi Artour.
Can I buy this book on Amazon?
If I read a couple of your books, will I learn something new from this one? I haven’t found anything about cocoa in your book about digestion and here I see this in the list of the content above.
On 2015-06-24T13:37:28, Artour (mod) wrote:
Dr. Buteyko changed his opinions as other people do due to life experiences, new facts, new evidence, discoveries, social pressure, and other factors. Most of it is in Russian, but there is Stalmatsky in the video discussing maximum pauses. Find it on YouTube.
On 2015-06-22T18:02:17, Matias wrote:
“Dr. Buteyko had his opinions changed during his life.”
I’m not the one who asked the previous question, but now I’m curious: why, how, and by whom was Dr. Buteyko’s opinions (about breath holds) changed? (If it’s already answered elsewhere, please let me know so I can read it there.)
On 2015-06-18T09:18:11, Anonymous wrote:
That sounds right.
On 2015-06-18T07:45:30, Artour (mod) wrote:
Dr. Buteyko had his opinions changed during his life.
For me, my own experience with students matters more.
What are your spiritual benefits in having a dogma and a drama which you imply in your message?
On 2015-06-17T22:11:54, Anonymous wrote:
In his lecture, Dr. Buteyko repeats several times and emphatically than any kind of voluntary breath holds (or retentions) should be avoided while breathing retraining (except during physical exercise).
Why then long breath holds (even maximum breath holds) as a way of training during your exercises in your book Advanced Buteyko Breathing Exercises?
On 2014-11-21T11:20:24, Artour Rakhimov (mod) wrote:
No instructions in this book.
On 2014-11-20T16:21:48, Anonymous wrote:
Does this book contain instructions on how to do a safe and successful RB session in the sauna?
On 2014-02-11T20:15:44, Rudy wrote:
Deep breathing is recommended to patients in the hospital, especially after surgery. It is called incentive spirometry. People who don’t take deep breaths are prone to atelectasis and pneumonia. Deep breathing is important and there is no no medical evidence to suggest it’s harmful. Especially since we have an obesity epidemic, people retain CO2, which puts them at risk for high blood pressure and pulmonary hypertension. Not taking deep breaths makes the problem worse. CO2 is not your friend but your enemy. Stop teaching people to lower their minute ventilation.
On 2014-01-18T02:24:19, Artour (mod) wrote:
sciencebasedmedicine.org – you ll find my comment below there.
