Ciaran McKeown BA, MA Counselling & Psychotherapy, FBPI

Ciaran McKeown learnt Buteyko in the early 2000s as a way of managing his asthma and anxiety. Impressed by the efficacy of the method he worked with his brother Patrick McKeown to incorporate it into his breathwork training and therapy sessions for over 15 years. During this time he has taught students with a diverse range of abilities and needs through voluntary and paid classes.

A registered counsellor and Samaritans volunteer, Ciaran believes that to be a good teacher, personal experience matters just as much as professional proficiency. He says that both are what enable you to relate to your students and find solutions that fit them.

For new students to the Buteyko method, particularly those who suffer from anxiety, he advises that they experiment with the exercises and treat the techniques as being a way to discover their breath rather than be overly demanding of themselves. At least for the first couple of weeks. This is why he prescribes every student with a unique plan.

What is Ciaran up to now? He currently teaches students and practitioners through one to one online and face to face classes.

Katrina Booth – Haddington

Hi, my name is Kat Booth, I live in East Lothian. I have been a stay-at-home mum for over 20 years. I discovered the Buteyko breathing technique about 10 years ago. Around that time, I started running and cycling. I was breathing through my mouth and consequently I would get a cold within a few days and often a chest infection. I now run 7k twice a week and cycle 20k at the weekend and rarely get a cold.

I am very passionate about the Oxygen Advantage breathing technique. I am particularly interested in working with people, whatever their age, who would like to improve their well-being, are working towards returning to exercise, be that walking or running a marathon.

I am also a qualified reflexologist and reiki practitioner. My other passion are my dogs, doing agility and man trailing in my spare time, which we love.

Email: [email protected]

Joanne West – Buteyko Perth

Jo is delighted to become a Buteyko instructor and is passionate about helping people regain and maintain their health & wellness through breath re training with the Buteyko Method. Working in the field of education for 40 years has been a privilege and Jo has experienced a wealth of opportunities in the UK to work as a dedicated PE Teacher, Head of Department, Curriculum Manager and Head Teacher in a Scottish Residential School for young adults with Complex Additional Support Needs.

Jo has an extensive CPD in Education and Health to include study visits to Finland and Holland. Throughout Jo’s professional career she has embraced inclusion, creativity, movement, physical literacy and played a pivotal role in weaving together the education framework of Curriculum for Excellence with health into a unique model – looking at a bridge between medical science and the current educational models of wellness. Jo has researched health trends and treatment options from the vantage point of both sides leading to the science of Breathing and becoming a Buteyko Instructor.

Buteyko Sessions – on request for Individuals and Groups to include Children, Adults, Teachers, Carers and Instructors.

Jo is based in Perth, Scotland and Buteyko sessions are available in England and Wales on request.

Contact:
Joanne West – BEd Hons; PgDip ASN; PgCert Dance; Dip BBM; MBPI
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07989418579

Paul McNairney – Coatbridge

My name is Paul, I’m based in the west of Scotland in North Lanarkshire. I have just passed my Buteyko instructor course after stumbling across Patrick McKeown’s breathing techniques while looking at methods of stress control. I was introduced to these alternative methods while recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

Living in high levels of stress for the past 20 years due to childhood trauma had a massive impact to my health and after 2 years of investigation I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I was in agony every day and my mental state at rock bottom.

Since practicing nasal breathing as well as pranayama breathwork, the WHM, cold water exposure, meditation and different forms of yoga, I have drastically changed my physical, mental and spiritual health and helped me on the path of sobriety.

I am very passionate about using these techniques to help others as i have seen first-hand how beneficial they are to every day health.

I would love to support people with addictions, mental health issues and past traumas as well as helping with poor health using these methods.

In the near feature I plan on expanding my skills and qualifications to widen my knowledge.

Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +447498673584
Instagram : breath_workzwithpaul

Andy Marr – Ayr

I am a counsellor, psychotherapist and breathing coach. I work with people who are experiencing problems with their mental health, the damaging effects of stress, chronic pain and in particular, people suffering from long-Covid. I worked as a volunteer counsellor in London for seven years, before returning to Scotland in 2018 to qualify in CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).

With a lifelong interest in fitness (I trained at one time as a PT) and yoga, I first qualified with Patrick as an Oxygen Advantage instructor and subsequently as an instructor of the Buteyko Method.

Today, I always combine CBT with breathing techniques. For the majority of people, I work with, I have found this approach to be far more effective than CBT alone. I have my own practice, with all sessions currently online. Although I work closely with the NHS, with hospital staff primarily, I am open to all.

Life in London was stressful. Anxiety, insomnia, low mood, a lifetime of chronic back pain and gut problems…all led me to give up my management job there, along with a 30 year career in aviation. Discovering that (dysfunctional) breathing had clearly played a major role in my own poor health, particularly my mental health, was a revelation. It is what inspires me today to help others.

Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +07775 428 019
Web : www.activecbt.com

Kathryn Thomas – Inverness

Hi, I am a Breath Coach based near Inverness. I am passionate about helping people become aware of their own breath and to access the many mental and physical benefits this simple awareness can bring.

Through my own breathwork, I have become aware how poorly I have been breathing for years. I can see how this has contributed to feeling fatigued, stressed and in pain. I know first-hand how the Buteyko method has made me stronger and fitter and I want to share these benefits with others.

I originally came to love working with the breath through a passion for gentle scaravelli style yoga movements and I sometimes use these gentle movements and techniques in my coaching to strengthen the mind and body connection.

Contact:
Phone: 07931568168
Email:  [email protected]
Website: katjthomas.co.uk

Nicola Magilton – Hamilton

My name is Nicola and I’m a Holistic Therapist specialising in Reflexology and other healing modalities based in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. I’ve been very aware of my own well-being over the last decade and have explored a variety of methods to make sure that I am in the best optimal health. Whilst cold water therapy is a favourite of mine, along with being out in nature, I came to realise that breath work is key to a healthy body and mind. My breath was poor and had been for a while until I came across the Buteyko Method. It has helped with my changing hormones, my physical, mental and emotional health. For me this breath work is a game changer.

I have witnessed first hand the changes this method can bring to peoples lives, and I am looking forward to the opportunity of working and assisting more people to change theirs. I would love to support women that are navigating their way through anxiety and mental health issues that come with changing hormones and menopause but I am also able to work with prospective clients of all ages that want to improve poor breathing habits to gain the full benefit of optimal breathing.

I am able to offer Buteyko sessions online or in person within my own private studio and also available for group sessions.

instagram – the_breathhub
email – [email protected]

Alice McCrae – Highland Perthshire

I’ve been teaching Pilates full time for the last fifteen years and find my job incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.  However, having developed asthma in my thirties I became reliant on medication to control it. When my youngest of three children was hospitalised with breathing issues I starting researching other solutions and I came across the Buteyko method.  The results were immediate and long lasting (providing you commit to change your breathing habits!) and I’ve now been free of inhalers for my first full winter.  I teach the ‘Steps’ exercise as regularly as possible to my children and they’re all medication free too.  As a working mum of three I’m fully aware of time constraints and am all for incorporating breath work into a daily routine whenever possible.

I qualified as a Buteyko Breathing Practitioner in 2021 and my Pilates classes have evolved to incorporate Buteyko breathing practice within them, I also combine both practices in my individual and small group sessions.  I hill run, open water swim and mountain bike and I’m very interested in how we can use the breath within these disciplines to improve our fitness and also to fully enjoy them and protect our health while we’re training.  Calming the breath is incredibly important when you cold water swim. I teach online and in person at my studio in Highland Perthshire, Scotland.

email: [email protected]
phone: 07972 83532
web: https://www.pilatesandbreathwork.com/

Sarah Bedford – Peebles, Scotland

Sarah Bedford, owner of the Unwind Chiropractic clinic is a certified Buteyko Method Instructor, Chiropractor and NLP Masterpractitioner.

Having graduated from the Anglo European Chiropractic College in 2007 Sarah has always taken a holistic approach to helping clients with their health issues with a particular focus on posture and breathing. The majority of clients Sarah sees with musculoskeletal pain also have faulty breathing patterns who would greatly benefit from Buteyko training to help with their back pain, sleep, anxiety and pain threshold. She is excited to have expanded the scope of her practice by offering Buteyko Method to clients with many types of respiratory disorders including asthma, sleep disordered breathing and fatigue.

Sarah values spending time teaching and empowering clients with knowledge of how their body works and how to manage the ergonomics in their environment. She provides exercises that build strength and resilience to prevent further issues.

“Resilience is something that is really important to me for both body and mind. The future I see for myself and my clients is a healthy, active one. I want to be sporty and active for as long as possible! 

Get in touch:
Unwind Chiropractic, Dean Park, Peebles, Scottish Borders, EH45 8DD UK
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07714388064
Web: www.unwindchiropractic.co.uk

Hugh Dick BEng, MPhil – Glasgow

My name is Hugh, I’m based in the west of Scotland in Glasgow. I have just passed my Buteyko instructor course after being informed about Patrick McKeown’s breathing techniques whilst searching for methods of stress control coupled with Depression post illness. I was introduced to these alternative methods while recovering from a stroke which left me paralysed completely down one side.
My executive functioning was also impaired by the stroke which had a massive impact to my mental health and after a year of rehabilitation I decided to do Patrick’s course to help with my cognitive recovery.
In the near feature I plan on expanding my skills and qualifications to widen my knowledge. I plan to run weekly clinics from a treatment room at the  http://www.theyogapractice.org in the southside of Glasgow (beside Hampden Park). I will also have access to the spacious studio where students can practice prescribed exercises during their session.
I plan to work with both adults and Children suffering from stress or anxiety.

Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 7792675563     

Heather Corkindale – Glasgow

Hello! My name is Heather Corkindale and I live in Glasgow, Scotland. I have worked as a nurse in hospitals and in the community for over 30 years.

I first learned about The Buteyko Breathing Method/Technique in 2018. I was becoming concerned about the increasing medication I was being prescribed by my GP for breathlessness, and was looking for another way to manage my symptoms – having had asthma on and off since I was 2 years old.

Professor Buteyko was a Ukrainian doctor who, in 1950s’ Russia, observed that different types of breathing had a profound effect on his patients’ health. He devised breathing exercises that as well as stressing the importance of nose breathing, aimed to correct dysfunctional breathing (e.g. fast/upper chest/mouth breathing).

Practised correctly, Buteyko can, over a relatively short time, significantly reduce asthma symptoms. It can also help address sleep apnoea, anxiety and other chronic disorders. Even blocked noses can become clearer and snoring can often be alleviated.

Buteyko works rather like a diet to correct over-breathing. If we overeat, it can damage our health. Chronic over-breathing likewise.

Buteyko breathing exercises train us to breathe in a more natural, efficient way – through the nose and using the large abdominal diaphragm muscle – just as we did as a baby.

Buteyko is acknowledged by the British Thoracic Society, SIGN (Scotland) and is included in the British Guidelines on the Management of Asthma.

I am qualified to teach The Buteyko Breathing Method/Technique to adults and children (from 5 years old). The technique requires some self-discipline and can be learned in five 1.5 – 2 hour sessions over 4-5 weeks. Once mastered, the (10-20 minute) exercises need to be practised at least 3 times a day at home for several weeks until symptoms improve. Buteyko breathing exercises do require commitment, but it is really worth the effort.

Whilst not always a substitute for medication, Buteyko equips you with powerful tools that can help prevent the onset of an asthma attack and manage asthma symptoms generally.

For me, learning and practising Buteyko took the omnipresent, background fear of asthma away – and for that I am forever grateful.

If you are interested in finding out more, and think Buteyko may help improve your asthma or feelings of breathlessness, you can contact me, Heather Corkindale at: [email protected] for an informal chat about The Buteyko Breathing Method/Technique and how it may improve your quality of life.

Email: [email protected]

Upcoming courses in London with Patrick McKeown

Buteyko Clinic International is one of the busiest Buteyko practices in Europe. Patrick qualified under Dr Buteyko in 2002 and has successfully taught thousands of patients since that time. He has written eight books including The Oxygen Advantage, Asthma Free Naturally, Close Your Mouth, Sleep with Buteyko, Buteyko meets Dr Mew, Anxiety free and ABC to be asthma free.

Click HERE for Upcoming Courses in the UK

Email: [email protected]

Marianne Stevenson – Kirkcudbright

I am a Registered General Nurse with over 20 years NHS experience, specialising in Critical Care. I hold a Forest School qualification and I am a busy mother of five.

I found the Buteyko Breathing Method when searching for ways to improve my own asthma. I was blown away by how quickly and easily my health improved while practising the Buteyko Method and I finally felt like I was in control! I no longer have any symptoms of asthma. It has been revolutionary for me.

The Buteyko Breathing method can help with many health conditions and is scientifically validated. I have the ideal background and training to tailor the program to your personal needs and I am keen to help you.

I am based in Dumfries and Galloway.
I offer sessions to individuals and groups.
Children over 5 and adults.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07840492105

Jackie Baxter – Inverness

I specialise in breathing for Long Covid and fatigue conditions having discovered the Buteyko method during my own illness.

I developed Long Covid following a March 2020 illness and have recently recovered. The Buteyko breathing was a huge part of my recovery, alongside Yoga Nidra & cold water exposure. I am also the host of the “Long Covid Podcast“

Having previously had many years of teaching music, I have now certified as a Buteyko Breathing Instructor to help others with Long Covid & other illnesses to understand the power of breath, manage symptoms better, and ultimately recover.

I teach online worldwide, or in person in Inverness

Groups or individuals

Email: [email protected]
Web: https://linktr.ee/longcovidbreathing
Phone: 07890499712