Recently I've been very successful.  I gave up my car (at least for the summer), stopped eating meat, fish, poultry and eggs. I've also been privileged to observe the success of people around me. For example, my husband, Thomas, stopped using sun blocks, which was not easy considering that he spent many years in Hawaii. He also replaced his Iphone with a simple internet-free phone. I also noticed that AnnChris, our Program Coordinator and a former asthmatic, is off of her medication - she does not need it anymore! Monique, our Breathing Normalization™ Specialist from Holland, told me that recently she stopped wearing socks and even gave up her favorite vest.  She was able to do so because her body temperature became more self-regulatory. Also, several of our students stopped consuming dairy products.

From the point of view of Dr. Buteyko, success is not the number of material possessions you can accumulate; instead, it is what you can live without. "Less" instead of "More" is the true foundation for a healthy body, mind and spirit.

This point of view seems to be far away from the "American Dream" but is close to the philosophy of yoga. Letting go of attachments, allows us to be more independent and also happier. Without attachments, one can enjoy the pleasures of life more since there is no fear of losing them.

Besides, controlling your own consumption is the best gift we can offer to our mother Earth.

You can learn more about it in our Discoveries course.

Sasha Yakovleva-Fredricksen
Executive Director
 www.breathingcenter.com