Un-learn bad breathing for the simplest health remedy

Health, Beauty and Fashion by Denise McNamara

After 40 years of smoking, Dermot Ryan arrived after a long journey at his yoga teacher training course in the southern Indian state of Kerala with one thing on his mind. Where would he be able to light up?

When he couldn’t find a suitable location, he went straight to class, with the teacher beginning the first session with lengthy breathing exercises.

After many trips to India and several yoga courses under his belt, it was Dermot’s first introduction to the Pranayama breathing technique and he immediately felt a change.

“I felt more relaxed than usual and would even say slightly, euphoric. I needed a cigarette.”

But that chance did not come and he found himself up again at 6am the following morning for a for nasal cleansing class and then more Pranayama and yoga.

“After our breathing practice, my Yoga practice felt different. What was most surprising was, the rattle in my chest was gone. I mean completely gone. I hadn’t coughed, spluttered or spat when I got up that morning, as I had done for many years.

“In just 12 hours and two Pranayama sessions, my lungs felt renewed and clear of that fluffy and congested feeling which I had grown used to. There was no rattle, no blocked feeling, just a freedom in my breathing that was long lost to me…The feeling of panic that had been in my body had subsided.”

Dermot spent his lockdown teaching online Hatha Yoga classes and writing his first book: Your Breath, Your Life – A Simple Guide to Pranayama and Breathwork.

He believes this book can teach anyone willing to devote 10-15 minutes a day to adopt the practice.

Dermot insists that many of the ailments his students come to him with are all down to poor breathing.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app

The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.