Breathing Matters: A New Zealand Guide

Jim Bartley · Tania Clifton-Smith

Nov 2011 · Sold by Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited

About this ebook

A revolutionary book from top Ear, Nose & Throat surgeon, Dr Jim Bartley, and highly-regarded breathing expert,Tania Clifton-Smith, who believe that good breathing patterns can dramatically improve the lives of people with major diseases such as heart disease, asthma and depression. Breathing well helps us relax, normalises body biochemistry, reduces muscle pain and allows the re-establishment of normal posture and movement. Part I discusses the role of smell and the "nose brain" in our everyday lives. These chapters provide a physiological, scientific basis to the book. Part II discusses basic breathing techniques, posture, self-massage and muscle stretching techniques. These are the self-help techniques that you can adopt to help yourself. Part III discusses common disease conditions that can be improved by attention to breathing techniques. These include asthma, heart disease, migraine, tension headache, jaw-joint pain, anxiety and depression.

About the author

Dr Jim Bartley, author of Healing Headaches and co-author of Breathing Matters with Tania Clifton-Smith, is an eminent Auckland ear, nose and throat specialist. He has been a major force in developing and promoting endoscopic surgical techniques in the management of sinus disease. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Auckland University as well as in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at AUT University. He has active research interests into the antibacterial actions of vitamin D and the effects of CPAP on nasal physiology. Healing Headaches is the essential guide to managing headaches, migraines and stress headaches, including advice on sleep, relaxation, exercise, nutrition — including the recent discovery that gluten-free diets can prevent migraine — and pain management. Breathing Matters explains the important physiological role breathing plays, and shows how good breathing patterns can dramatically improve health and wellbeing in a number of areas from asthma and migraine to heart disease and gastro-oesophageal reflux.North and South called it a ‘fact-filled fascinating guide for the general reader’, adding ‘and probably a lifesaver for the breathing-afflicted’. Tania Clifton Smith co-wrote Breathe, Stretch, and Move: How to Beat Workplace Stress and Dynamic Breathing: How To Manage Your Asthma with Dinah Bradley. Both are co-founders of Breathing Works (www.breathingworks.com), the first independent Breathing Pattern Disorders clinic in Australasia, and the developers of the world-renowned BradCliff® Breathing method. Reviewing Dynamic Breathing in Healthy Options, the reviewer identified the authors’ ‘sound advice’ as making the book ‘a motivational gem’. Tania also co-authored Breathing Matters, with Dr Jim Bartley. She is a physiotherapist with postgraduate qualifications in musculoskeletal therapy, is a recognised treatment provider for High Performance Sport New Zealand, and sits on the medical board of Allergy New Zealand. There is a blog, via the website, and a BreathingWorks account on Facebook.