The Conscious Breathing instructor course has radically changed my life for the better. My state of being before and after is like night and day. I took the course for my own benefit, but after the unexpected positive result I received, I have decided to take the challenge to spread Conscious Breathing further! When I began the course, I had enormous aches and lethargy in my whole body. I had heavy thoughts and barely had the energy to take care of myself, my kids, and our pets. After any activity, I needed to rest for several hours and sometimes was completely worn out.

Despite all the personal development stuff I’d tried over the years, I wasn’t able to make life work the way I wanted it to. Some days I overate and slept through most of the day. Here are some examples of what I did to revitalize myself:

• To heal and develop, I have seen a psychologist since 1994-1999 in Jungian therapy.
• Since 2004 I have participated in the 12-step program for Alcoholics Anonymous. I have worked with myself in AA, NA, OA, ACA, SLAA, and Al-anon.
• Since 2005 I have done The Work by Byron Katie, in order to feel well. I am certified as a facilitator, so I can also do The Work with others.
• During 2006 I did trauma processing, door opener 1 and 2 at Baravara, in Rättvik, Sweden.
• I have also done extensive occupational therapy at the Bipolar Clinic in Gothenburg, Sweden from 2009 to 2012.
• I have been certified since 2011 in the Grief Recovery method, which has helped me move on, laugh more, and live in the here and now.

I began receiving disability benefits in 2012. In November of 2018 I met Anders Olsson at a lecture on Conscious Breathing in Gothenburg. During the break, I happily went up to him and said that I had had a CPAP (machine for sleep apnea) since July because I had an 83 AHI (Apnea Hypopnea Index, or breathing interruptions per hour). He looked at me calmly, and said, “Okay, it’s great that you have a CPAP mask, but have you wondered WHY you experience sleep apnea? Have you thought about how you breathe during the day?” I left, confused, and on the way out, I purchased a breathing kit, with the book, some Sleep Tape, and a Relaxator.

I began reading Anders book Conscious Breathing. I went from clarity to clarity and a new world opened to me. I understood that I had what is called periodic breathing, and I suddenly noticed that I had breathing pauses during the day as well. Who would have guessed? I’ve been a patient in the healthcare system for 25 years and have received a lot of help there. However, during all this time, no one has asked how I breathe despite the fact that I suffered from different addictions, sleep problems, hypomania, exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, depression, aches, stress reactions, violent outbursts, and suicidal thoughts.

I understand where my health problems come from

I grew up in a dysfunctional family. The stress in our family was similar to the stress you experience during a war. My mother was born during World War II and my father was 13 when it began. However, the stress in our family seems to have begun several generations ago. The stress has made me breathe high up in my chest with an open mouth and a tense body. Now, after the Instructor Course, I understand why I had such aches, lack of energy, heavy thoughts, and sugar cravings…

This course has opened doors to rooms inside me that I didn’t even know existed. I’ve been able to take a good look at myself, who I am, what I want, and how I live. As I slowly began to train myself in Conscious Breathing, I gained a calmness and an internal energy that I didn’t think was possible. I have found a large piece of the puzzle that was missing from my ability to live my life to the fullest and develop in all areas of life.

I have gained the ability to deal with my sorrows, my relationship with myself and with my mother, and my relationship with my children. I have remodeled and thrown away old furniture and have begun working out seriously at the outdoor gym. I’ve also begun using a better way to train my dogs. At competitions, our results have been much better since my dogs feel my calm and concentration.

I am now calmer, more patient, stronger, and more energetic

I have been able to work more systematically with my organization, which is skin care from Mary Kay, and I’ve begun to dare to dream again. I have gotten in touch with the little girl inside me, and I can take better care of her by taking more responsibility and taking control of my life. I’m working on gaining contact with my “inner mother,” and I’m well on my way there. I used to watch other people my age and think that they looked so grown up. I longed to grow up but didn’t know how!

Thanks to the Conscious Breathing-course I am now stronger, more energetic, more powerful, more patient, much less stressed, and calmer. Additionally, I now have only 0.0-0.5 AHI when I sleep at night. I always tape my mouth shut at night, and sometimes also during the day when I go on a walk or exercise.

I have begun to lose weight and have found the right diet for me. I train my breathing with my Relaxator several times per day; more often than not, it’s hanging around my neck. I think about how I breathe during the day, close my mouth, release my stomach, and relax. My fitness levels have improved, and I’m often surprised about how strong I am. The aches in my body have drastically decreased, and I feel at peace and have hope for the future.

Sometimes, I relapse into my old habits, but now I climb out of the ditch much faster. My philosophy is now this: In order to continue developing, I need everything that comes my way, both people and situations; they are gifts that help me develop.

28-day Conscious Breathing Retraining

Activity
Mouth taped shut at night	28 av 28 nights
Breathing Retraining with the Relaxator	25 minutes daily
Physical activity with a closed mouth	Every day (but one) for about 40 minutes

Evaluation after 28-day breathing retraining Before After

Evaluation after 28-day breathing retraining	Before	After
Breathing Index (Max 100 points)	38	87
Breathing Habits (Max 60 points)	19	52

Improvement (0=No Improvement, 10= Major Improvement)
Concentration	8
Energy Levels	9
Stress	7
Sleep	9
Mood	9
Pain, Aches	10
Airways (nose, throat, lungs)	9
Fear, Worry, Depression, Anxiety	9
Physical Fitness	9

Now I want to start spreading Conscious Breathing

I have a university education with a master’s degree in media and communications, law, and languages. Thanks to the Conscious Breathing course, it seems like I will be able to use my education as a communicator. You might understand what I want to inform people about. Conscious Breathing, obviously! I’ve been so sick, and now I have a new hope of perhaps returning to a career, slowly but surely

I have a lot of room for improvement, and I listen closely to Anders Olsson’s wise words: “Don’t stress, take it easy, and take small steps forward.” I have definitely gained a new life thanks to this multi-purpose course that changes you for the better in all areas of life, if you want it to. I will now repeat the course in order to absorb it all on a new level. It is said that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. One day at a time I continue breathing, developing, looking at myself and what I need to work on in order to heal, take new steps, and gain new insights thanks to the fantastic people I meet along the way.

I feel such gratitude and ask for willingness, openness, and honesty to dare to find my place in life, both inside and out. The author, Tomas Sjödin, wrote a book: He Who Has Found His Place Doesn’t Take Anyone Else’s (not translated into English). That is the place I’m going to find now, in myself and in the world. I can, I want to, I will succeed. I am so glad and thankful; my heart is brimming with hope and love. I am especially happy about all the possibilities that now spread themselves at my feet ???

Update September 6th: I feel fantastic!!! I have done grief recovery, and I’ve begun to receive help fixing my attachment disorder (I have anxious-disorganized attachment) with the help of an amazing psychologist. I’m feeling my feelings, I go to boxing classes with a physical therapist in order to train myself to feel anger, and I move twice as much in the forest with my dogs. All of this is possible for me to handle thanks to the breathing retraining that gave me the energy to do more and feel secure. Do you realize I’m going to be healthy?!! I’m so grateful!