Buteyko developed a protocol based on the breathing habits of these healthiest patients, which he’d later call Voluntary Elimination of Deep Breathing. The techniques were many and they varied, but the purpose of each was to train patients to always breathe as closely as possible to their metabolic needs, which almost always meant taking in less air. How many breaths we took per minute was less important to Buteyko, as long as we were breathing no more than about six liters per minute at rest.
