Breathing Science

Course Overview

Instructor: Peter M. Litchfield, PhD
Cost: $450
Next Course: TBD

Statistics suggest that millions of people worldwide suffer with the profound and misunderstood symptoms and deficits of learned dysfunctional breathing habits.  Unfortunately, these habits are rarely identified by practitioners, their effects mistakenly attributed to other causes, and their resolutions prescriptive in nature where focus is on symptoms rather than on causes.  This can be put into practical perspective when breathing is understood as behavior and the nature of its roots identified as being fundamentally psychophysiological. 

Breathing isn’t simply mindless automation of physiology.  And, it isn’t simply physiology to be somehow consciously manipulated in the name of self-help.  Simply manipulating breathing physiology for well-intended purposes, without regard to its psychological nature does not do justice to its richness and complexity.  

This course presents the principles of breathing behavior analysis in the context of basic respiratory physiology for identifying dysfunctional breathing habits and their etiologies, triggers, motivation, profound and insidious effects, powerful outcomes that sustain them, and interactions with organic and emotional challenges.  

Included in this discussion are learning solutions for disengaging dysfunctional breathing habits and learning new breathing habits that operate in concert with reflex-regulated respiration for improving health and performance. 

What You Will Learn

• How to conduct a breathing behavior analysis
• How to understand breathing as behavior and its associated implications;
• How to distinguish between breathing and respiration as different phenomena;
• How to align breathing mechanics (behavior) and respiratory chemistry (acid-base regulation);
• How to increase efficacy of current breathing work with clients/patients;
• How to identify possible dysfunctional breathing behaviors and habits;
• How to assist clients/patients to learn new breathing behaviors consistent with healthy respiration.

Instructor: Peter M. Litchfield, PhD
Cost: $450
Next Course: TBD

Register now to secure your spot for this innovative IHI course!